Community Potluck Toolkit: IVF Protection & Coverage
Community Potluck Toolkit: IVF Protection & Coverage
Community Potluck Toolkit:
A potluck is a low‑pressure, welcoming way to bring your community together to:
- Learn what IVF is and why protections matter
- Share personal stories or concerns
- Understand current coverage gaps
- Explore ways to advocate for expanded access
- Build community around reproductive health issues
Choose a Setting
- Living room, community center, backyard, or apartment common room
- Aim for a space that feels safe, warm, and conversational
Set the Tone
- Emphasize that all are welcome
- Make clear that the event is informational, not medical advice
- Encourage respectful listening and curiosity
Materials to Prepare
- Sign‑in sheet
- Name tags
- A simple agenda (template below)
- Handouts on IVF basics and coverage
- Pens, sticky notes, and a flip chart or whiteboard
Subject: Join Our Community Potluck on IVF Protection & Coverage
Body:
I’m hosting a community potluck to talk about IVF—what it is, why protections matter, and how we can support access for families in our community. Whether you’re personally affected, curious, or passionate about reproductive rights, you’re welcome at the table. Bring a dish if you can and bring your voice.
I’d love to have you.
OR
“Hey! A few of us are getting together for a community potluck, and I’d love for you to come. We’re going to share food and have an open conversation about IVF—what it is, why protections and coverage matter, and how people can get involved if they want to. It’s super casual, no pressure at all. If you’d like to join, just bring a dish if you can, and come hang out with us. I think you’d really enjoy it.”
Welcome & Introductions (10 min)
- Host welcomes guests
- Quick round of names and why they came
IVF 101 (5 min)
- What IVF is
- Who uses it
- Why coverage and legal protections matter
Story Sharing (15 min)
- Optional personal stories
- Prompts:
- “What brought you here today”
- “What questions do you have about IVF access”
Coverage & Protection Landscape (10 min)
- General overview of how IVF coverage varies
- Common barriers families face
- Why some communities are organizing around this issue
Community Discussion (10 min)
- What protections matter most to us
- What gaps we see locally
- What support families need
Ways to Get Involved (5 min)
- Joining the Month of Action
- Join RESOLVE Advocacy Network (RAN)
Closing & Next Steps (5 min)
- Thank everyone
- RAN text link
Food
- Encourage simple dishes
- Label allergens
- Offer a few non‑food roles (cups, napkins, setup, cleanup)
Atmosphere
- Warm lighting
- Seating arranged in a circle or semi‑circle
Accessibility
- Provide non‑alcoholic options
- Make space for people who prefer to listen
- Offer printed materials for those who process information differently
Advocacy 101 Guide
Advocacy means using your voice to influence laws, policies, and systems that affect access to family‑building options.
RESOLVE is the leading patient advocacy group for anyone struggling to build a family. We fight for access to all family building options for anyone who needs them. We need your voice to make sure our issues are addressed. You can do anything from sending a letter to your lawmakers to travelling to Washington D.C. for Congressional meetings.
Why Advocacy matters:
Advocacy doesn’t require expertise—just willingness. Whether you send one letter or mobilize a whole community, your voice helps protect access to family‑building options for millions.
Here are two ways you can advocate:
- Join RESOLVE’s Advocacy Network (RAN): you'll get instant alerts about pressing family building legislative efforts and with a few clicks, you can call or email your lawmaker about them.
- Download our State Advocacy Toolkit here and get more tools and resources on advocating.
The Basics of IVF
As defined by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), infertility is a disease characterized the inability to achieve a successful pregnancy based on a patient’s medical, sexual, and reproductive history, age, physical findings, diagnostic testing, or any combination of those factors. Learn about infertility facts, diagnosis and risk factors below.
1 in 6 people of reproductive age are impacted by infertility globally. (World Health Organization)
Approximately one-third of infertility is attributed to the female partner, one-third attributed to the male partner and one-third is caused by a combination of problems in both partners or, is unexplained. (American Society For Reproductive Medicine)
A couple ages 29-33 with a normal functioning reproductive system has only a 20-25% chance of conceiving in any given month (National Women’s Health Resource Center). After six months of trying, 60% of couples will conceive without medical assistance. (Infertility As A Covered Benefit, William M. Mercer, 1997)
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) describes a technique where a woman’s eggs and man’s sperm are combined in a special laboratory in order to create an embryo(s). Depending on the diagnosis and age of the woman, an embryo or embryos are transferred to the woman’s uterus through her cervix to enhance the chances of pregnancy. The first birth resulting from IVF was in 1978 in England. When this technology was first introduced, IVF was only recommended to women with blocked fallopian tubes. Currently, IVF success rates have improved dramatically, and IVF is used for heterosexual and same sex couples experiencing infertility and even single women pursuing parenthood.
Every year in the U.S., approximately 1.5M people are diagnosed with cancer. Almost 10% of these new diagnoses occur in people who are 45 years old or under. Many of these 150,000 people have not yet had children, have not completed their families, or, in fact, are still children themselves. For these patients, preserving their fertility and protecting their parenthood options is an important part of their survivorship and life after cancer (The Alliance for Fertility Preservation).
Fertility preservation means taking steps to protect a person’s ability to have a genetic child in the future. This can include freezing eggs, sperm, embryos, or reproductive tissue; using special surgeries that protect reproductive organs; or using shielding during radiation treatment to help keep the ovaries or testes safe.
25 states have some for an infertility coverage law. 15 states have mandates for insurance to cover IVF and 21 states have mandates to cover Fertility preservation.