Become an Advocate Leader

Since 2013, our Advocate Leaders have raised awareness through news articles and earned media, developed relationships with their elected officials, and fought for increased funding for ovarian cancer research throughout the country.

As an Advocate Leader, you will receive training through in person meetings, webinars and written materials that explain the basics of effective advocacy, help you get comfortable communicating with elected officials and their staff, and increase your understanding of legislative issues important to the ovarian cancer community. You will attend the OCRA Advocate Leaders Fly-In in Washington, DC, to advocate on Capitol Hill, mentor advocates at the Ovarian Cancer National Conference, and respond to “calls to action” from OCRA.

Advocate Leaders can work independently and, over time, will begin to coordinate efforts with other advocates in their district and state to form a network of like-minded grassroots volunteers. We ask Advocate Leaders to follow up with OCRA to report outcomes of their interactions with their elected officials.

Advocate Leader Map 2024

What Advocate Leaders Do in the Field

  • Initiate and build relationships with their elected officials and elected officials’ staff
  • Issue calls to action in their community
  • Serve as a “whip” to follow up with legislators who have failed to fulfill Advocate Leaders’ requests
  • Work with OCRA to organize meetings
  • Expand the network of local advocates to increase the ovarian cancer community’s advocacy presence in a particular state or district

OCRA’s Advocate Leaders program is supported by grants from:

Our Community

Elise D.
Being informed gives me confidence to speak out on behalf of others who may not be as lucky as I was.
Elise D.
Advocate Leader, New Hampshire
Sayla H.
There is so much to learn from OCRA. There are endless amounts of things I can do as an advocate that I haven’t even tapped into yet. I encourage everyone to get involved.
Sayla H.
Advocate Leader, Oregon