Looking for resources to encourage conversations in your community? Below are lots of tools and resources to help you – some developed here at The Conversation Project, and some developed in our TCP communities – all available to you for free.
I want to…
- Get started and find out where to begin
- Host an event or workshop
- Promote my message and reach, motivate, and engage various members of my community
- Get additional support and network with others
Get Started
Start with you:
- Conversation Starter Guide
- Before you introduce this topic to others, we highly encourage you to use our Guide to think and talk about what matters to you with those important to you.
Bring TCP into your community:
- A Road Map for Those Just Starting Off or Anyone Needing a Refresher
- Getting Started Guide for Communities
- A Guide to help spark ideas about who to engage and how to introduce the importance of conversations into your community. There are many ways to help your community members jump start conversations – no one size fits all. Use what feels right to you in this guide: all of it, pieces of it, whatever works for you. The guide is broken into the following sections to help you where you may need it the most:
- Think about your approach
- Plan your strategy
- Take action
- Planning tools and templates
- A Guide to help spark ideas about who to engage and how to introduce the importance of conversations into your community. There are many ways to help your community members jump start conversations – no one size fits all. Use what feels right to you in this guide: all of it, pieces of it, whatever works for you. The guide is broken into the following sections to help you where you may need it the most:
- Community Planning 101
- The Community Planning 101 recorded session, introduces you to The Conversation Project and walks you through the above Getting Started Guide for Communities. Check out the below timings for various sections of the recording, feel free to jump around:
- Community examples (9:10 minute mark)
- 4 steps overview of guide (13:50 minute mark)
- Think about your approach (14:50 minute mark)
- Plan your strategy & 10 Questions to Get Started (19:05 minute mark)
- Take action (33:35 minute mark)
- The Community Planning 101 recorded session, introduces you to The Conversation Project and walks you through the above Getting Started Guide for Communities. Check out the below timings for various sections of the recording, feel free to jump around:
- Types of Community Partners to consider working with.
Learn from TCP and experienced champions:
- Community webinars: upcoming and recordings
- Ideas on how to host a workshop/event, and other suggestions for encouraging conversations in your community. Topics include:
- Making the Most of The Conversation Project Resources and Getting Started (including a Orientation to TCP resources recorded session)
- Community Planning and Sustaining Momentum
- Special Interest Topics (e.g. NHDD)
- Speaker Training
- Ideas on how to host a workshop/event, and other suggestions for encouraging conversations in your community. Topics include:
Short Community Case Studies:
- Fidelity’s Journey and One Leader’s Mission to Integrate End-of-Life Conversations into Financial Advisors’ Workflow/Practice
- Integrating End-of-life Conversation Starter Tools into Financial Services Practice: Personal Experience Sparks Passion to Help Others
- Integrating End-of-life Care Conversations into Professional Services Work: Getting Started
- Planning Ahead: One Church’s Journey to Normalizing Conversations about What Matters Most in Life, Death, and Dying
- A Collective Community Approach and Public Campaign: Lessons on Messaging
- In-Hospital Programming with Action-Oriented Goals
- Key Lessons on Engagement: Programming from an Organization Built Through Partnerships
- Engaging Faith Leaders and Other Lessons
- Lessons on Engaging Youth and Faith Settings as Conversation Catalysts
Align with TCP’s resources and mission:
- Branding Guide
- How to promote your work to align with TCP’s mission.
- TCP’s Principles
- How we work with community partners.
- New! Communications Plan and Toolkits (see Promote Your Message)
- How to match our themes for promoting and sharing targeted resources/messages across the year.
Host an Event or Workshop
Get oriented:
- A 6 Step Road Map for Hosting an Event
- A road map to introduce TCP and resources to your community.
- Speaking Training
- A recorded virtual training and orientation on hosting a Conversation Starter Workshop.
- Tips for Facilitating and Teaching about The Conversation Project
- Tips and stories from years of experience in the field – from TCP and hundreds of champions around the globe who have hosted events both virtually and in-person across their communities. Specific sections include:
- Possible Event Types
- 10 Things to Think about When Hosting an Event
- Stories We Use and Share
- Common Discussion Topics
- Additional Resources
- Tips and stories from years of experience in the field – from TCP and hundreds of champions around the globe who have hosted events both virtually and in-person across their communities. Specific sections include:
Plan:
- 60-minute Meeting Agenda Template
- 90-minute Meeting Agenda Template
- Full-day Meeting Agenda Template
- Three suggested agenda templates and timing recommendations for facilitating conversations using our Guide, depending on time/audience.
- Presentation Checklist:
- A checklist of all the things to consider before, during, and after an event.
Publicize:
- Example Event Flyer
- Sample flyer from a team in Central Florida to promote a kickoff event.
- Press Release Template
- An editable press release to promote a TCP-inspired event.
- Offer to Facilitate a Workshop
- An editable flyer to propose hosting a starter guide workshop in your community.
- Invitation to a Training Event Template
- Sample language to invite people to a train-the-trainer session.
- Example Training Participation Form
- An example of how the East Bay Advance Care Planning Project trained individuals in their community to promote advance care planning.
Present/facilitate:
- TCP Standard Slide Deck
- A customizable power point presentation with script, tips, and notes to facilitate conversations using our Guide.
- TCP Standard Slide Deck in Spanish
- Videos
- Some of our most popular videos to consider adding to your presentation
- Coaching the Conversation Guide
- An older guide on how to facilitate the conversation in small groups.
- Glossary of ACP terms
- A list of common advance care planning terms created by Conversations of a Lifetime.org that can be used as a handout.
Prompt action:
- Conversation Starter Guide:
- Bring printed Starter Guides to your presentation. Instructions for printing the Conversation Guides for free or visit our online marketplace to purchase Conversation Guides in bulk
- When the Lights Go Up:
- One-page action plan to hand out/share after watching a movie or play, hearing a story, reading a book, or listening to a sermon related to advance care planning.
- Commitment Cards
- Cards to hand out at the end of your event encouraging individuals to commit to having the conversation.
- Advance Care Planning Checklist
- A step-by-step guide for advance care planning. Created by Frederick Memorial Hospital.
Track & evaluate:
- On-Site Event Evaluation Form
- Feedback form for participants at the end of your event.
- On-Site Event Evaluation Form in Spanish
- Progress Tracker
- A tool for tracking your partners, activities, and reach.
- Community metric suggestions
- Sample measures to collect and assess your engagement efforts
Reach people where they learn, work, and pray:
- Resources to support college student leaders or others who want to host a TCP event on their college campus.
- Let’s Talk About Death by Isabel Merrin
- In her TEDxTufts talk, Isabel Merrin tackles ideas about death and dying, and why young people are so afraid to have these tricky conversations.
- Hosting and Organizing Events for Employers
- Checklist for Employers
- A guide created by C-TAC for employers to support their employees who are caregivers.
- Talking with Your Clients About the Importance of “Having the Conversation”
- This short resource outlines WHY you should have this conversation with your clients, WHAT your role is, and WHEN you should have the conversation – and provides a sample script to help you break the ice.
- The Conversation Project: How to Talk About End of Life, Now.
- An article published by the Society for Certified Senior Advisors in their journal to show professionals how they can provide a community service by helping to initiative conversations. Consider using a similar article in any publication (journal, newsletter, bulletin, etc.) you may have for professionals to motivate and support them in their outreach efforts.
- Faith page
- Resources dedicated to bringing TCP to faith settings, including a Getting Started Guide for Congregations.
Promote Your Message
Communications Toolkits: ready-made content for newsletters / social media / email / flyers
- Overview of themes and instructions
- Themed Toolkits
- Supporting Self Toolkit (Timeframe: December-January)
- Planning Ahead and Making Your Wishes Known Toolkit (Timeframe: February-March)
- Communications Toolkit for promoting NHDD (Timeframe: April)
- Supporting Moms, Dads, Grads Toolkit (Timeframe: May-June)
- Updated! Conversations on the Go – Summertime Travel (Timeframe: July-August)
- Updated! Supporting Others (with an eye towards caregivers) (Timeframe: September-November)
Changing public perceptions of serious illness care
- Serious Illness Messaging Toolkit: Use this toolkit to find easy ways to improve your messaging across advance care planning, palliative care and hospice care & engage the public. The messaging principles will help you shape a message, write a public talk, respond to a journalist, or edit a website.
Creative ways to reach and motivate individuals:
- Be a Conversation Influencer
- One Size Does Not Fit All When It Comes to Tools to Help Jump Start Conversations
- Community Activities to Keep Advance Care Planning Conversations Flowing
- Supporting Your Community Virtually
- 8 Creative Ideas for Spreading the Importance of Having the Conversation in Your Community
- 5 Things We’ve Heard and Things You Can Do to Ensure Sustainability
- The Seven “Spreadly” Sins: Practical tips for successful sharing from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
- Death Over Dinner: An organization dedicated to encouraging individuals to talk about death by hosting a dinner dedicated to it.
Engaging various types of audiences:
- Building Bridges of Understanding: Conversations through the End of Life for Veterans
- How a pastor supported congregants to have the conversation
- Focusing on what matters most to LGBTQ+ individuals
- Bringing Conversations to Work
- Recognize Caregivers as Star Players on the Team
- Resources for Students Interested in Conversations, Advance Care Planning and End of Life
- Engaging Faith Communities in Meaningful Conversations
- 6 Resources for Financial and Other Professional Service Organizations
- Tips from the Field: Outreach Tactics
- 10 Resources to Help Reach Spanish-speaking Audiences
- 4 Initial Steps to Understand How to Support Solo Agers in your Community
- Promoting Advance Care Planning: How and Where to Get the Word Out
Jump starting conversations:
- 6 Tips for Conversations with Someone in the Early Stages of Alzheimer’s or Other Forms of Dementia
- How you Want to Live Through the Rest of Your Life: Queering Cancer’s Q&A with The Conversation Project
- How not to be a swooper: Lessons from a seagull about caregiving
- Guidance for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia
- I received a tough diagnosis. How do I think and talk about what’s important in my care?
- How to tell someone your wishes when they don’t want to listen
- 11 ideas for when someone is having a hard time talking about their wishes for health care
- Real-life examples of people talking about what matters for their health care
- Three Ideas for Solo Agers to Keep in Mind
- A Guide to Supporting Others through a Difficult Diagnosis
- 18 Podcasts about End-of-Life Care
- 10 Things to Watch Together to Jumpstart Conversations
- 6 Fun Games to Help You Talk About End-of-Life Care
- Thoughtful Ice Breakers That Lead to Meaningful Conversations
- Tackling challenges to initiating conversations (Part I): 5 resources to help ease the discomfort and help you start
- Tackling challenges to initiating conversations (Part II): 14 resources to help address personal, cultural or religious beliefs
Additional Support & Networking
Sign-up for our Newsletter: Updates, opportunities, resources, and stories that can help you engage your community with The Conversation Project.
Connect with Others: View our Conversation Champions Map to connect with others doing similar work in your area. Join our Conversation Champions Discussion Group, an online community of local leaders who are dedicated to spreading TCP’s initiative to ensure everyone, everywhere expresses their wishes through the end of life.
Contact us: if you have feedback or additional questions email us at conversationproject@ihi.org.