10 Tips for Engaging with Policymakers
Many of the challenges faced by the nonprofit sector come from a lack of understanding about the many complicated and intertwined social problems that plague our communities. This lack of understanding forces many well-intentioned policymakers to support ill-informed solutions or default to the path of least resistance and do nothing.
In reality, no human can have expertise across every issue that lands on a policymaker's desk. They may discuss 8 vastly different issues each day – from social issues to street repair and energy policy.
This knowledge gap presents your opportunity. You bring a depth of knowledge and experience with the issues your nonprofit faces every day. Share that expertise with your local, state, and federal policymakers. Better policy will follow, and your constituents will gain better access to the resources they need to succeed.
Yet many nonprofit professionals do not know how to engage their legislators or feel intimidated by the prospect. In listening to advice shared at our recent OneTable QC workshop on Advocacy and talking to policymakers and their staff, mostly at the federal level, I culled the following 10 tips for effectively engaging with them.
Contact them. They want and need to talk to you. Constituent engagement literally defines their job. They get evaluated based on the number and quality of visits and encounters they log. Help them succeed.
They want to hear both sides of the issue, including information that might not support their stated positions. They learn best by stepping outside of their comfort zone and hearing from ALL constituents – and get evaluated accordingly. Do not let party affiliation keep you from connecting with a representative or their staff.
Staff gatekeep for the elected officials. If you want an audience with an elected official, they will ask their local staff for background information on your organization. Without that foundation, your invitation will likely stall before it reaches the official or not get due consideration.
Build relationships before you need them. If you wait until a crisis hits, you will have a harder time getting the help you need. Conversely, if they already know and trust you, you will have an easier time.
Strong relationships run on reciprocity. Share information, data, and access to constituents with your elected officials as a matter of routine, not only when you need something. Make yourself so valuable a resource that they reach out to you.
Share local data on your issue. Tell them how significantly this issue impacts their constituents. Leave behind a one-page summary of your data with your contact information for them to share with their team.
Bring people with lived experience to put a human face on the numbers. Policymakers encounter dozens of issues daily. The ones they remember and champion tend to arrive with a compelling story.
Respect their time. Local staff carry full schedules. They have a little more flexibility during legislative sessions with tighter time constraints when legislators visit their districts. Schedule your time with them accordingly.
Steward this relationship like you would any other. Thank them for their time and keep them updated, especially on changes they helped you achieve.
Persist. Legislative offices field hundreds of calls and emails daily. Even diligent staff need a few days to work through them. A recognized name from an established relationship moves to the top of the queue faster than a cold contact.
These tips apply most directly to federal policymakers. But cultivating relationships with your state and local representatives matters just as much – often more, since those officials tend to exercise more direct and immediate influence over your organization and clients.
Engaging state and local policymakers requires a different approach. Many state officials operate without dedicated staff, and few city or county officials have any staff support at all. Where staff exist, cultivate those relationships; they often serve as the path to the elected official. Most state and local roles also carry part-time status, meaning representatives balance elected service alongside full-time careers. Respect that constraint.
These realities call for a shift in strategy. Rather than inviting policymakers to you, meet them in their space. Attend ward meetings and city and county government sessions. Visit the statehouse during legislative sessions. Going to them signals commitment and builds the kind of familiarity that pays dividends when you need their support.
You can read other advocacy tips and resources at the OneTable QC website, including a directory of Scott and Rock Island County federal, state, and local policymakers and their staff.
What tips would you add for engaging with your elected officials?
