• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

AVMA flexes political muscle with PAC

September 1, 2005
Jennifer Fiala

Washington —When Dr. Michael Chaddock attended a recent luncheon for Sen. Sam Brownback, he was escorted to a seat beside the lawmaker and briefed him on the nation's need for more rural DVMs.

WASHINGTON —When Dr. Michael Chaddock attended a recent luncheon for Sen. Sam Brownback, he was escorted to a seat beside the lawmaker and briefed him on the nation's need for more rural DVMs.

Executive Board OKs publication of sow housing paper

Soon after, the National Veterinary Medical Services Act received $750,000 in Congressional support. Brownback sits on the Senate appropriations committee. He also received $5,000 in campaign contributions from the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) Political Action Committee (PAC).

Chaddock, director of the AVMA's Governmental Relations Division, says PAC support doesn't buy votes — it buys access. The goal, he says, is to turn AVMA's "respectable" $500,000 PAC into a $1-million powerhouse by 2008.

"The PAC allows us to pool our money together to become more influential politically," Chaddock says. "It's the way government works. Promoting veterinary medicine's issues is a huge job. If you don't have a strong PAC, you're not in the game."

Advertisement

Upcoming plans

Strengthening the PAC means garnering more AVMA membership support, which officials affirmed during the association's annual meeting in Minneapolis. "Size matters in Washington," Chaddock says, so PAC officials are working on branding, increasing donor solicitations and upping suggested support from $50 to $75 on AVMA dues statements. The majority of donors support the AVMA PAC this way, officials report.

A two-year marketing strategy also is underway, starting with member education. According to PAC reports, three tactics have been identified:

  • Updating educational brochures for veterinarians that discuss the legislative and regulatory processes;

  • Developing and distributing a bimonthly newsletter for veterinarians interested in Washington politics; and

  • Expanding the profession's grassroots network by establishing a legislative coordinator in each state that will provide Senate and congressional contacts.

"I know there are veterinarians who see legislators' pets," Chaddock says. "Personal relationships are always the most affective means to getting across messages."

Donations correspond with gender

Statistics show male veterinarians are more interested in touting their messages via the PAC, contributing $3 of every $4 donated. PAC officials attribute this to age rather than gender, noting that older veterinarians are more likely to donate rather than the younger, and mostly female, veterinary population.

"Comparing the giving of male and female members who have graduated in the most recent 10 years shows that members of both genders give equal numbers and have virtually similar average gift sizes," a PAC marketing report says.

The average contribution of the older membership segment is almost three times larger than those of recent graduates, the report adds.

Marketing

To increase donations among all sectors, a PAC brand position has been issued via an official statement:

"To AVMA members, the AVMA PAC is the organization seeking donations that has the most effective and direct impact on federal legislation and regulation, which affects veterinarian's day-to-day lives."

A logo or graphic treatment is not a brand, the report says, but is the vessel that carries the elements of that brand. The PAC Policy Board is charged with reviewing the group's visual identification. The tag line "accessibility, influence, impact!" also has been added.

Promoting AVMA-influenced legislative successes is the best way to market the PAC, the report says.

"Because veterinarians tend to be humble and unassuming people, successes are downplayed," the report says. "Though it may go against the association's instincts, in order to strengthen the case for support, legislative and regulatory successes must be loudly celebrated and every ounce of credit claimed."

Related Content:

Association
Q&A with AVMA treasurer Dr Arnold L. Goldman
Q&A with AVMA treasurer Dr Arnold L. Goldman
FFAR and AAVMC are seeking applications for veterinary student research fellowships
FFAR and AAVMC are seeking applications for veterinary student research fellowships
AVMA announces Committee on Advancing Veterinary Technicians and Technologists
AVMA announces Committee on Advancing Veterinary Technicians and Technologists

Advertisement

Latest News

CE: Why tapeworms matter

Freshpet and Petco partner launch fresh pet food subscription

AAHA Con heads to San Diego

VHMA announces latest class of CVPMs

View More Latest News
Advertisement