Before our team hopped on a plane for Power of Community Day in Washington, DC earlier this month, we asked Advocacy Consultant Anne Warden for a few tips to share with advocates visiting legislative staff on Capitol Hill or reaching out to legislators at home.
Here’s what she said.
- The average congressional district has 700K residents. Stand out by speaking up!
- Google! Before contacting your legislator, look them up and learn something about them.
- The best advocacy messages are simple, well researched and heartfelt.
- Check the maps. What other communities do your legislators represent?
- When it comes to advocacy, be a polite, but squeaky wheel. If you don’t hear back from your legislator, try them again.
- Make it personal with legislators. If you’ve seen them before, say so. If you’re personally connected to the issue, say so.
- If you had a good experience with your legislator, thank them on social media.
- If your legislator is responsive, send a thank you note.
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Has any of this worked for you?
What would you add?