Civic Forum Policy Proposal Submission Criteria & Template

We invite policy proposals that target our policy and population of focus. We work with authors to hone proposals before publishing for maximal impact and alignment with our submission criteria.

If you aren’t sure if your idea fits, reach out to our team.

Civic Forum Policy Focus:

Health, human services, and economic policy.

Civic Forum Population Focus:

Children and families experiencing cycles of complex poverty, substance use disorders, and other adversity or challenges that led to or could result in involvement in the child welfare system.

All Bolder Horizon Civic Forum contributions are 600-700 words total and must meet four criteria:

#1:

BE BOLD

#2:

BE CLEAR

#3:

BE SPECIFIC

#4:

BE RIGOROUS

Offer grounded ideas; neither in the weeds or the clouds. Make them concrete enough for policymakers to build from.

Tie your writing to data, evidence, real examples, and actual policy. Attack problems, not strawmen or other people.

Invite people into how you see the problem and solution, without jargon or obscure references. Don’t write for those who already agree; convince the rest of us.

Ideas must bring construction commensurate to the crisis. This space is not for marginal tweaks.

The following template provides a standard structure and approach for submitting a policy proposal. All proposals must contain these sections:

Bold and Declarative Header and Deck

  • E.g., “Create a Venture Capital-Style Fund for Family Policy Innovation.” 

  • Provide a one-sentence momentum-focused deck that points to the vision, e.g., “Big bets will solve stagnant policy and deliver bold reforms.”

  • Draw readers in with ambition and momentum.

Policy Proposal

  • What policy will solve the problem?

    • Why? 

    • How?

  • What are the core elements of the policy? How do they work?

  • What needs to change to make this policy possible? 

    • Structurally?

    • Politically?

    • Culturally?

    • Technologically?

  • What limitations does your proposal have, and why is it still worth pursuing?

  • Who wins, who loses, and who cares?

Policy Proposal Overview

Provide 2-3 lines. What is the problem to solve and why does it matter? Introduce the solution. Explain why it works.

Solution Stakes

  • What’s the risk of maintaining the status quo?

  • What does failure look like?

  • What does success look like?

Problem Statement

  • What policy issue are you addressing? 

  • How does it impact children and families?

  • Why does it need a solution?

  • Include one striking data visualization to convey the problem (our team can help if needed).

Future Focus

Provide one line – why is it urgent to move this idea forward now?