Political Action Committee for Longevity

HOW TO GET LIFE EXTENSION FUNDED

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

The Declaration of Independence

The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd president of the US

RIGHT TO LIVE IS THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUE OF AMERICAN STATE AND SOCIETY

Life extension is a significant problem, but is not part of the political agendaThe fastest growing segment of US population is people reaching very old age – 85 years and older.*

IN 2014 TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE REACHED RETIREMENT AGE IN THE US COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR.**

Aging of the postwar generation is represented in the political agendas of the Democratic and Republican parties only in regards to social payments:

• Changes in social security burden

• Medicare financing

* Report “Older Americans 2012: Key Indicators of Well-Being”/Federal interagency forum on aging-related statistics** 2014 National Population Projection/United States Census Bureau

Institutional capabilities The existing US government research funding structure allows directing increased funding for research in causes of aging and ways of improving longevity and quality of life

Medical research funding are distributed intermittently (approved by Congress every year). Funding is directed via the National Institutes of Health structures.

In 2014 funding of all institutional programs exceeded $29 billion and more than $30 billion are planned for 2015.*

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

NATIONAL INSTITUE ON AGING

In 2015 NIA budget is a little over $1 billion, which is 5 times less than National Cancer Institute’s budget.

* Estimates of Funding for Various Research, Condition, and Disease Categories / NIH Categorical Spending

Institutional capabilities

To investigate medical conditions and diseases that have high social impact a separate initiative can be passed that requires allocating yearly funding

CASE. In July 2010, the White House released the first comprehensive strategy to combat spreading of HIV in the country, aimed at three main objectives: reducing HIV infection, increasing access to care for HIV-infected, reducing inequalities associated with HIV.About 9% of federal spending allocated under this strategy are directed for research purposes. Funding is allocated discretely: each year the amount of funding is determined by the Congress. National Institutes of Health get the main volume of funds for studying HIV. 2.6 billion dollars were allocated for research in 2015.

National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Office of National AIDS Policy

Goal

Including in information and political agendas the topics of life extension, the need for increasing state financial contribution into studying the causes of aging and ways to extend life and improving the quality of life for the elderly :

• Initiation of public debate, drawing attention to the problem by creating of information causes, aggregation of broad public support for the topics. • Promotion of the topics as an articulated public interest by party organizations. Inclusion of aging research into the main problematic issues shared by the representatives of both parties. • Fundraising, crowdfunding

Target audiences

Retired people is the group that actively supports election campaigns via donating to parties and candidates and also through Political Action Committees (PAC). They donated about $279 million to candidates and PCs in federal campaigns running in 2008 – more than any other group. The retired were leaders in those who donated for McCain’s campaign and were second largest demographic who donated to Obama’s campaign.

OpenSecrets.org. Center for Responsive Politics

• Baby boomers, retired people and people approaching retirement age, their children.

Direct interest in research results, readiness and ability to invest in topics that are relevant to them

• Medical society, medical institutions

Interest in providing highly-sought medical services, increase in patient longevity and length of service provision

• IT industry representatives Ready to invest in future technologies in various areas. Export of innovative IT technologies into medical field.

Target audiences

Private IT companies investments are comparable to government funding and are growing every year.

CaseGoogle Ventures

"If you ask me today, is it possible to live to be 500? The answer is yes." … “We actually have the tools in the life sciences to achieve anything that you have the audacity to envision,”

Bill Maris, President and Managing Partner

Google Ventures

Google gives a lot of moneyto studying of future technologies in all spheres of life, significant funds to studying life extension. Google Ventures invests in companies that are exploring ways of slowing aging and fighting diseases.

Google Ventures has close to $2 billion in assets under management

36 percent of the fund’s assets invested in life sciences, up from 6 percent in 2013.

Blumber Business, Bloomberg Markets

36%

27

24

85

Health and life sciences

Mobile apps Enterprise and data

Enterprise and data

Commerce

OrganizationStep 1 Member network

Political Action Committee (or a SuperPAC)

Main goal. Financial support of parties and candidates during elections, funding political campaigns.

Activities Candidate nominations. Information and organizational support of candidates and parties:

• Promotional videos• Distributing printed materials• Distributing own social studies results

Lobbyism and legislation.Organizing actions pressuring congressmen, senators and government officials.Notorious political court cases advocacy.FundraisingAttracting attention to the topic. PR.

Activities

Attracting attention to the topic. PR.

Forming supporter groups, creating activist networks. Fundraising.

Pressuring politicians and legislators (via social pressure campaigns).

Popular strategy among groups promoting social interests is creating both the non-profit and a PAC simultaneously:

American Dental Association + American Dental Association PAC

American Anesthesiology Association + American Anesthesiology Association PAC, etc.

Creating a PAC or a SuperPAC is the necessary step for financial participation in elections and candidate and political platform support. A group protecting social interests can solve the task of working with public opinion.

Legal requirements. Registration and regular reporting to the Federal Election Commission.

Public interest group

Step 2

Social movementsA non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the theme, attracting attention to the problem.

Category 501 (c) (3)Corporations, foundations, associations, founded for religious, charitable, research (scientific) educational purposes. Paragraph 501 (c) (3) excludes the support of political candidates and imposes a restriction on lobbying activities. As a rule, these organizations do not have a fixed membership.

Section 501 (c) (4) – (6)Trade unions, business associations, employers' associations, organizations whose work aims to improve the welfare of life of the population. Organizations have the right to carry out lobbying activities and transfer funds for election campaigns. These are membership organization, as a rule.

Example. JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), which created a «network of enthusiastic activists aimed at finding the cure for diabetes of the first type».

The key priority of the organization in the field of legislation is the resumption of full state funding for the Study of Diabetes, in which the National Institutes of Health have allocated about $2 billion since 1997 to the research in diabetes type 1: «We have to show the importance of continuing these studies and smooth financing this research program for the key legislators».

Example. National Rifle Organization and the American Association of Retired Persons.American Association of Retired Persons is an organization with more than 40 million members over the age of 50 years. The most powerful organization to voice the concerns of older people and pensioners. AARP lobbying expenditures are significant (nearly $9 million in 2014). Main topics of lobbying are preservation and protection of the social insurance system and improvement of Medicare. In the beginning of each election cycle at both federal and regional level, the organization produces and distributes "Guide for voters" among its members and advice on all election campaigns.

Legal statusNon-profit organization that provides tax benefits in accordance with paragraph 501 (c) of the Tax Reform Law.

Lobbying Spending Database. OpenSecrets.org. Center for Responsive Politics.JDFR Fact Sheets

Political Action Committees

The main goal is to participate in the financing of election campaigns.Registering of the organization as a political action committee is required in case of spending more than $ 2,600 in order to influence the outcome of federal elections (at the state level issuing the Political Action Committees registration is regulated by state law).Political Action Committees can spend / contribute directly to the campaign – up to $5000 for the campaign of each candidate.

Associated Political Action CommitteesCreated by professional organizations (Political Action Committees of American Association of Anesthesiologists et al.).

Non-associated Political Action CommitteesNot affiliated with corporations, trade unions or affiliates. Can accept unlimited contributions from unlimited list of individuals and organizations.Super Political Action Committees

Super Political Action Committees (SuperPACs) became possible after the decision of the Supreme Court in 2009. The court ruled that Super Political Action Committee, which does not make donations directly to candidates or parties can receive unlimited funding from individuals, unions, corporations (both commercial and non-profit organizations) to implement the "independent expenditures".

Independent spending suggests lack of cooperation, consultation, any interaction between the committee and the candidate or their agent.

SuperPAC can act as a support for both the defeat and victory of the candidate (subject to the conditions described above).

Priorities lie in the field of public relations, drawing attention to the problem, active supporter network growth, at first these problems can be solved by a non-profit organization (a group that protects the public interest). The next step (given the necessity of financial participation in election campaigns), may be the creation of a super political action committee or a political action committee as a tool to support candidates or parties.

Building member network

Choosing organization type

Employees• Coordination of "grassroots" activities of members and activists• Raising funds• Developing and conducting legislative initiatives (lawyers)

Members / Activists• Network Activity (dissemination of information in social networks, signing digital petitions)• Distribution of information, signing petitions, joining the campaigns to impact the members of Congress

Speakersensuring publicityand credibility of the organization.Quoting experts in the media allows the organization and topics raised by it, get in monitoring reports, compiled by congressmen staff, increases the confidence of the legislatures. Participation in hearings as experts representing the district / state is possible.

Non-profit member organizationFinancing through membership fees and fundraising activities. Fixed membership base facilitates organization members involvement in participating in campaigns and promotions. Memberships can be easily transformed into the political, social capital, and contribute to the political weight of the organization.Complexity: the need to develop stimulating membership programs.

Non-profit without membershipFunding is attracted through fundraising events.The lack of a fixed membership requires greater organizational activity at the start of the campaign.

Activities and events

Trend

GR to PR transition

Analysis of Political Action Committees and Super Political Action Committees costs demonstrates the trend of transition from traditional lobbying ("connections on Capitol Hill") to PR. The main goal of PR activities is the impact on legislators using voters. Wide spread of the Internet and social networking allows you to make any topic the subject of discussion all over the country and lead discussions on important issues beyond the committees.

"Delaying the senator for tiresome effusions on fundraisers is not the same thing as organizing of getting them of thousands messages by email or on Facebook," – believe the representatives of the American Association for the beverage industry. This organization spent $31.7 million on “professional services” PR-company, which specializes in organizing the "bottom" of mass activity, and $1 million – on lobbying just before voting for a tax on sodas in 2011. None of the states passed the tax. "It's expensive, but we were able to educate the voters and legislators about the possible consequences of their decisions," – said the representatives of the company. A similar cost ratio is typical for representatives of other organizations.

American Institute of gasoline in 2012 spent $85 million on PR, including events organization (from mass actions to the "get-togethers" at home with locals), and $7.3 million– on lobbying.

Lobby cash goes underground in PR boom. The Hill

Activities and eventsActivities Scheme

Organization

Creating a social group on the issue or joining, in the

form of sponsorship or leadership, to an already

existing one

Organization of public events

Campaigns to pressure the legislators

Creating spaces of internal and external communication. Website and other Internet platforms

Involvement, expanding the membership

Information and analytical work

Information campaign

Directions:• Sending press releases, publications about actions held, the results of studies on the problem in general• Preparing studies and expert analyses that form an opinion of the general public and specific audiences (lawmakers) about the problem• Collecting and presenting the information that can be used on the website

• Dissemination of information about the problem, creating public feedback

• Publications in the media (including online media and social networks), broadcasting video clips (including video on YouTube)

Activities and eventsInformation-analytical work

Organization

Information-analytical work

Involvement, expanding of the membership base

Creating communication

Activities and events Involvement. Attracting members to the active social movement. Possible motivation:• Ideological (people involved in the

movement because of their interest in the issue, supporting the movement goals, due to the fact that the organization solves their problems or issues that they may encounter: pensioners, people close to retirement age, children whose parents suffer from diseases of old age)

• Material (bonuses, discounts for members of partner organizations)

• Prospects for personal growth. The opportunity to participate in master classes, access to educational videos, online courses, participating in webinars

Stimulation of membershipOrganization with fixed membership, interested in attracting membership fees (eg, the American Association of Retired Persons), created a number of working tools:• Subscription to a magazine published by the

Organization (Law, scientific achievements, personal stories, the opportunity to become the hero of a publication)

• Discount offers on insurance (insurance varies from personal car to pets)

• Loyalty card – discounts in partner shops (eg, orthopedic showrooms, etc.)

• Consultations (advice on financial planning, to protect the savings of cyber attacks)

• Proposals for travel (tickets, hotels, tours, cruises)• Awards, prizes


Organization



Activities and eventsCreating internal and external communications. Website and other Internet platforms.A permanent source of information about the movement, its goals, planed actions, research results. The portal should include tools for civil activities: collecting signatures for petitions, sending letters of angry voters and others.Information and convenient tools to interact with potential participants, clear and simple movement onboarding to influence the congressmen and other legislators.

Creation of multiple portals is possible:

• Information and organizational portal, the main resource

• Website of the initiative. Coincides with the main content of the petition explains its content and allows you to subscribe to it.

For example, The American Medical Association has created and maintains a website FixMedicareNow, created to address information and / or mobilization of the three categories of participants: patients, doctors and legislators.

• Portal Forum, an online community of people faced with the problem (for discussion and communication). The possibility of such discussions increases the loyalty of members, and also allows you to recruit new supporters.

Example. A forum for people with first type diabetes (http: // typeonenation.org/groups/ – created with a grant of a pharmaceutical company). Both problems related to various aspects of disease and research data, hospitals and doctors the opportunity to travel, especially supply in certain forms of diseases, etc. are discussed on the forum.


Organization



Activities and eventsCreating internal and external communications. Website and other Internet platforms.

FUNCTIONS

Dissemination of informationRegular newsletter: research results, interviews with scientists, new legislation, the results of actions

Organizing activities

• Acceptance and payment of fees

• Petitions. Petition texts and the ability to subscribe to them. Opportunity to share information on joining the petition on Facebook and other social networks

• A page for legislators. Crisp, clear explanation of initiatives and proposals of the organization. Figures, data research, information about mass support – anything that will help the legislator to decide. Explanation of non-partisan nature of the initiative.

• Scheduling events held by the organization. Opportunity to sign up to join and spread the word about them

• On-line surveys

• Videos with social advertising – explaining the urgency of the problem and the steps necessary for solving it: infographics, personal stories, expert opinions – information that leaves no one indifferent

• Lectures of scientists and experts

• Mobile phone apps. News, notifications of events and activities taking place in the neighborhood. Surveys. Bonuses for answers to questions or adding friends. Petitions, contacting members of Congress


Organization



Activities and events

Tools for organizing a campaign to pressure the legislators:

Integration with social networksSocial media are becoming one of the most important tools for efficient / effective impact on members of Congress. Congressional staff does regular monitoring of sites like Twitter and Facebook for voter posts in their district mentioning the name of the legislator. It is necessary to make this mechanism most user-friendly for users and potential supporters.

• The opportunity to find their Senators and Representatives (using an address), search of contact information

• Template letter text (or a post with proper hashtags for social media), the ability to personalize messages, adding focuses for different senders: pensioners, people of pre retirement age, physicians / researchers

• An approximate scenario of contacting a congressman on the phone

• A tool for making targeted messages in social networks (including hashtag promotion)

• Schedules of visiting congressmen in their districts, schedules of their meetings with the voters

• Subscription for notification in case of the need to participate in actions

Special attention should be paid to the newly elected legislators, preparing the "agenda" from their voters by the moment of taking office (can be organized as a letters campaign). State media publications (that Congressmen employees study carefully): expert commentary, organization of actions, opinions of the residents.

Site Features:• A form for supporters – it will allow supporters to join the movement and send targeted messages• Ability to share materials on all social networks


Organization



Automation. Developing mobile apps.

Getting funds:• Fundraising

• Selling goods with symbols of the organization or humorous slogans (eg, "I have never been so old" – T-shirts of Association of American Retirees): clothes, car stickers, signs for hanging in front of the house, etc.

Materials and tools for participating in grassroots activities (local volunteers and activists).

Activities and eventsGetting members more involved.


Organization



• Form for contact information, an opportunity to choose the form of participation: dissemination of ads, brochures or newspapers, telephone calls, participation in organizing of events, etc.)

• «Activists guide» (how to get to the meeting to the congressman, tips on campaigning for joining the petition, contacts of the coordinators)

• Materials and templates for downloading: presentations, handouts, flyers, text of the petition

• Official decrees and letters sent by the organization to the Senate and House of Representatives

Lectures of organization representatives

Organization and carrying out regular sports events

• Mass hiking marathon / yoga class / dance event. Fundraising and attracting attention to the problem

• Sharing on social networks (do it yourself, then donate money, then challenge a friend)

Meetings with legislators from the State / County

Meetings with organization representatives, activists in the districts where congressmen meet with the voters

The organization of actions

Activities and eventsOrganization of actions

Information-analytical work Organizatio

n



Online petitions. Examples

The campaign against ratification of the International Treaty of the United Nations Arms Trade by the United States of America

Organizer: National Rifle AssociationCollecting signatures on a specially created website http://www.nrastoptheungunban.com/

Campaign for expansion of the list of medical conditions for marijuana use Organizer: Organization for the legalization of marijuana use for medical purposesCollection of signatures on its website http://www.safeaccessnow.org petition_to_add_conditions_to_connecticut_s_mmj_program

http://www.safeaccessnow.org/




The campaign to pressure the legislators to support the introduced Congressional bill.

Organizer: National Rifle Association.

Subject: Support H.R. 131—Interstate Transportation of

Firearms Your NameAddressCity, State, Zip

Dear Representative (Last Name):

As your constituent, I strongly urge you to cosponsor and support H.R. 131, a bill that would more comprehensively address the interstate transportation of firearms and ammunition for law-abiding gun owners. Current federal law guarantees the right of law-abiding persons to transport firearms between two locations where they have a legal right to possess and carry them, regardless of state or local laws that would otherwise apply. Unfortunately, anti-gun local officials are using overly restrictive state licensing laws to harass and prosecute travelers who have made every effort to comply with the law, resulting in seized guns that are sometimes never returned, delayed travel, legal fees, and sometimes even unnecessary guilty pleas. Specifically, this legislation would make clear that transportation of both firearms and ammunition is federally protected, as well as expand the protections afforded to travelers to include “staying in temporary lodging overnight, stopping for food, fuel, vehicle maintenance, an emergency, medical treatment, and any other activity incidental” to the trip.

In closing, I again encourage you to support and cosponsor H.R. 131 to address the interstate transportation of firearms and ammunition for law-abiding gun owners. I thank you for your consideration, and would appreciate you informing me of your position on this legislation.

Sincerely,

Your

Name

Email Address

Letters to legislators. Examples

Think tank

Goals:

• Promoting the topic on the social and political arenas.• Educating the legislators and agencies making political decisions.

Examples

RAND Corporation

Initially created for carrying out research and analysis for the US Armed Forces. Now the scope of research is extended. The key projects are in search and development of breakthrough technologies for economics, national and social security.

Amount of contribution in 2013 – more than $260 million, main contributors are the Army, Air Force and National Security Council. It is also funded by the private sector, charitable foundations, philanthropy and endowment funds.

Products: analytical reports

Bigger project – own Master educational program in the area of government policy.

Resource: http://www.rand.org/about/glance.html

Pew Research Center

Sociological research projects. It carries out and published the results of public surveys, demographic studies, media analyses and other empirical research in the area of social.

Products and events: research results, conferences

Resources for the future

Specializes in environmental and natural resource policymaking worldwide through objective social science research.

Products: environmental research reports – pollution level control, resource usage efficacy, hazardous waste, climate change. Analytical notes with recommendations on policy in transport and energy, using water and other resources.

http://www.rand.org/about/glance.html

Health & Medicine

Political Action Committee for Longevity