AARP WV Earns 2024 PR Daily Award For Public Affairs and Advocacy Communications

AARP West Virginia has earned national recognition for its work at the West Virginia Legislature, capturing top honors in PR Daily’s 2024 Nonprofit Communications Awards for Campaigns and Communication in Public Affairs Campaigns.

Ragan Communications hosted an awards luncheon on September 27th at New York City’s Yale Club, where attendees gathered to celebrate the storytelling strategies that amplified the efforts of their clients and organizations while fostering meaningful impact.

The national recognition for AARP’s communications and public affairs work highlights a major state advocacy win for the organization: the phase out and elimination of West Virginia’s personal income tax on Social Security income. Before the state’s 2024 legislative session, elimination of this tax was not even on the radar as a top priority. But even though it was not top of mind, an opportunity presented itself when Gov. Jim Justice called to eliminate it within a tax package during his January State of the State Address.

AARP West Virginia acted swiftly on the unexpected opportunity to reframe the public narrative over a two-month period. A dedicated team of AARP state and national staff, working in partnership with agency GMMB, developed a comprehensive strategic approach to urge lawmakers to make the tax elimination a priority, utilizing research-based messaging, voter surveys, online advocacy, earned media, digital advertising, a phone and texting campaign, open-source data analytics and in-person volunteer meetings to do so.

“This significant legislative victory would not have been possible without a determined team of staff, partners and volunteers who worked tirelessly to help deliver Social Security tax relief to thousands of West Virginia retirees. We are honored by this national recognition for our advocacy and communications work here in the Mountain State,” said Gaylene Miller, AARP West Virginia State Director.

“We thank the members of West Virginia Legislature and the Governor for taking action to put the money earned over a lifetime of hard work back into the pockets of retirees, and to enhance the attractiveness of our state to prospective retirees looking to move here.”

To read more about the recognition for AARP West Virginia, visit the 2024 PR Daily Nonprofit Communications Awards website.

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AARP WV Media Contact:
Tom Hunter, Associate State Director-Communications, 304-340-4605, tphunter@aarp.org