Sample Letter | Tips | Resources

Communicating with your elected or appointed officials can be intimidating, so here are some helpful tips on how to proceed. It’s important to remember that these officials are people too, and that they want to hear from you with ideas and suggestions. First-hand experience can be very compelling and provides policymakers with real world feedback about how well (or poorly!) programs, schools, and communities are working.

So, “advocacy” is really letting people who are in a position to make decisions know what you think they should do. The same basic guidelines apply whether you are talking with a City Council member, Board of Education member, or staff from the Mayor’s office.

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Sample Letter to a DC City Councilperson

Below is a letter DCAYA sent to members of the DC City Council about funding for youth development activities in the city. We’ve added comments and notes, so you can use this as a template for a letter of your own.

The Honorable Louis Xavier
DC City Council
1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW,
Suite 408
Washington DC, 20004

Address the letter to the councilperson using the correct and complete title and address

Dear Councilman Xavier:

As a result of the tragically high number of young people slain in Washington, DC, government officials and youth advocates alike have begin to focus on the issue of youth violence prevention and positive youth development. The outcome has been beneficial government-led efforts to create a comprehensive strategy to reduce youth violence and victimization and promote overall a positive youth development approach to youth services.

Begin by introducing the issue you are writing about -- in this case, youth development and violence prevention

Mayor Williams recently proposed $5 million in fiscal year 2007 as an opportunity enhancement to address youth violence – this funding is sorely needed and could have a real impact on the health and future of our community’s young people. It would provide funds to continue efforts that have already begun and ensure the timely creation and implementation of an effective youth violence prevention plan.

Give specific background and information on the issue you are writing about

The D.C. Alliance of Youth Advocates (DCAYA) encourages you to act to support the $5 million in funding and to protect the lives of Washington’s young people.

Be clear about what you are asking the policymaker to do

Both Mayor Williams and the City Council (particularly the Special Committee on the Prevention of Youth Violent Crime) recognize the importance of this issue. The community as a whole wants it, as well: support ranges from ANCs to community-based organizations and advocacy organizations, from the faith community to families and young people.

Describe support from others for the issue you are writing about

DCAYA is a coalition of youth-serving organizations, young people, and concerned residents working together to ensure that all D.C. youth have access to high-quality and affordable developmental opportunities. We envision a community in which no youth is considered at-risk, and where all are respected as valued community members. To this end, DCAYA members work to establish structured opportunities for adolescents to become safe, healthy, resilient, and confident community members. If you have any questions about this issue, or about youth development in general, we would be happy to meet with you and provide information for you or your staff.

Describe your organization or yourself and state your expertise and/or background in the area you are writing about. Offer to provide more information on your position.

Please make the $5 million for the effective youth development strategy a top priority in the contingency fund.

Close by asking, again, for a specific action on the policymaker’s part.

Sincerely,

Betty Drew
Director, Youth First Coalition

Sign the letter and clearly identify yourself
Provide contact information so the policymaker can get back to you.

Tips for Talking with Your Policy Makers

• Do your homework: Before you call or write your policymaker – regardless of what elected or appointed position they hold – it’s important to find out background information and, if possible, what their position is on the subject you’re concerned about. You can find this information out in several ways – you can look on their website for information on votes or position statements; you can call their office and ask a staff person for their position on a particular issue; or you can look on the policy-making bodies’ site for vote records

• Identify yourself: Whenever you communicate with a policymaker (by phone, email, letter, or visit), tell them that you are a constituent. It’s important for them to know this about you! Also, if you have any personal connections, mention them as well – you might attend the same church, have mutual friends, or enjoy the same hobbies.

• Establish your expertise. You are communicating with the policymaker because you are connected with, and concerned about the issue. If you have personal or professional credentials – for example, if you participate in a youth development program, or are a staff person in such a program – be clear about that. Telling the policymaker what your experience is establishes you as an expert, and increases the chances that they will listen to your opinion (and possibly ask for your advice in the future).

• Know what you want. When you are expressing an opinion to a policymaker, be specific. Be clear about what you want them to know about the issue and what you want them to do about it. If you are asking them to vote a particular way, tell them so and explain why.

• Provide follow up information. When you meet with a policymaker in person, he or she might ask you for more information, or ask a question you can’t answer on the spot. It’s critical to go back to with that information -- and sending a letter or making a follow-up appointment gives you another opportunity to have your views heard by decisionmakers who matter.

• Be polite. Regardless of how you feel about the policymaker’s position about a particular issue, it’s important to be professional. Don’t be emotional or attack the policymaker. Remember that, the next time an issue comes up, you will want to be on good terms with the policymaker and his or her staff.

• Say thank you. If you meet with a policymaker or staff, thank them for their time before you leave. If the policymaker acts in the way you wanted, send a letter thanking them for doing so. Everyone likes praise, and it’s good to let the policymakers know you are paying attention to how they vote and act!

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Resources

(These pages offer useful advice on advocacy and communicating with policy makers)

The Afterschool Alliance
• How a Bill Becomes a Law in Congress (PDF)
• Tips for Contacting Policy Makers
• State-Level Advocacy

Coleman Advocates Tools
• Advocacy

Justice 4 DC Youth
• Advocacy Kit

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