Communicating with your Policymakers Shireen Malekafzali, Senior Associate Rebecca Flournoy, Associa

1
Communicating with your PolicymakersShireen
Malekafzali, Senior AssociateRebecca Flournoy,
Associate DirectorPolicyLink
2
PolicyLink

• A national research and action institute
  advancing economic and social equity by Lifting
  Up What Works
• Center for Health Place
• Works to create neighborhood conditions that
  encourage health.

3
What well cover today

• How to set up a visit with you representative
• How to prepare for the meeting
• How to write a letter to your legislator
• GOAL
• - Comfort accessing your representatives and
  sharing your experiences and opinions

4
Finding Your Representatives

• Call and ask 202.224.3121
• Use the web
• http//www.senate.gov/
• http//www.house.gov/

5
Finding your representatives
Type in your zip code or state

• House

• Senate

6
Contacting your representative

• Call your representative directly
• A legislative aid will likely pick up.
• State that you are a constituent.
• State why you are calling.
• To set up a meeting.
• To voice your opinion on a topic.
• To share your thoughts.
• Send an email correspondence
• Make sure to follow-up
• Consider the timing of your visit

7
Preparing to talk to policymakers

• Establish your agenda and goals
• Identify who will participate in the meeting
• Know the policymakers background
• Hone your messages simple and short
• Be strategic about who attends and who speaks
• Prepare a 1-page summary to leave
• Practice (role play)

8
What to expect

• Be prepared to wait
• Be prepared to meet with staffers
• Stay focused and be brief
• Be accurate and generous with praise
• Be careful not to close doors
• Leave something behind
• Follow up express thanks and an interest in
  continuing the conversation

9
Writing letters to elected officials

• Be clear and concise
• Keep letters to one or two pages
• Address only one issue per letter
• Identify yourself and your constituency
• Who you are and who you represent
• Give an example of a personal story
• Sign it personally

10
Remember

• You dont have to be a policy expert.
• You are a constituent concerned about how policy
  impacts you and your community.
• Your representative should be made aware of your
  position to be able to appropriately represent
  you.
• Policymakers want to hear from their
  constituents.
• They want to make connections.
• They want to be reelected.

11
Shireen Malekafzali shireen_at_policylink.org Rebec
ca Flournoy Rebecca_at_policylink.org
www.PolicyLink.org