Page 13 - 2019 Advocacy Ebook
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CONTINUING THE MOMENTUM
3. Stay in touch with your lawmaker. Do not
over-communicate with members of Congress,
but do pass along new information about your
issue as it is released. Communicate with your
representative in a respectful and informative
manner to gain his or her respect — both for
you and your points of view.
4. Invite your lawmaker to visit. Send an
invitation to your lawmaker to tour your
Goodwill of Southeast Georgia President/CEO Michael
Winckler presenting Rep. Buddy Carter with the Goodwill and see your mission in action. You
Policymaker Leader Award don’t have to have a store opening, annual gala
Bringing Advocacy Home or other event occurring, but those are great
opportunities as well. To read more about how
to host a site visit and to access other advocacy
Goodwill on the Hill is more than just a day of
advocacy. It is the beginning of a relationship tools, visit the Grassroots Advocacy Toolkit.
with your lawmakers — or the strengthening 5. Finally, don’t forget to tweet @GoodwillCapHill
of it for those of you who have already been regarding all your advocacy efforts!
in contact with them — but it is up to you to
continue advocacy back home. Below are some While it can take a long time for a public policy
ways you can use follow-ups to build trust and proposal to become a bill and eventually a law,
become a resource to your legislator. some advocacy has a more immediate return on
investment. The Goodwill on the Hill event resulted
1. Send a thank you message. It is good in at least two lawmakers visiting their local
practice to always send a thank you email Goodwill organization the very next week, as our
or letter every time you meet with your visits occurred just prior to a congressional recess.
lawmaker and staff. Keep the message brief,
thank the office for their time and remind During a meeting with a senate office, a local
the office of the issue you discussed. To Goodwill team member referenced an event they
access a sample thank you letter template were holding the following week to launch an
you can send, click here. apprenticeship program. Not only did the senator
send staff to the event, but the staff was so
2. Attend events in your district. These events impressed that they are now looking into additional
can be town hall meetings or other public funding opportunities to support the program.
events in your Goodwill’s district and will
allow you to build a stronger relationship
with your representative. Find opportunities Spending a little time to educate lawmakers and
staff at all levels — local, state and federal —
to engage in policy matters in your district can result in long-lasting relationships that have
and serve as a trustworthy resource to earn benefits for years to come.
visibility for your issue.
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