Keep Me Informed

A Guide to Setting Up District Meetings

Full Funding for Promise Neighborhoods!

A Guide to Setting Up District Meetings
March 2011

Thank you for your interest in meeting with your Congressional members while they are in their home states or districts. It's important to convey your strong support for the Promise Neighborhoods program to your representatives.

President Obama proposed $210 million in his FY 2011 Budget for Promise Neighborhoods program, and $150 million in his FY 2012 Budget. Congress has yet to complete the FY 2011 budget, and while we do not know the final outcome, we know it will be dramatically reduced from what the President requested. We must continue to advocate for funding for FY 2011, while simultaneously locking in commitment for $150 million for the Promise Neighborhoods Program in FY 2012. (FY 2011 is from October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011; FY 2012 begins October 1, 2011.)

The information below outlines how to schedule, prepare for, and follow-up on district meetings with your Senators and Representatives, or their staff.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Kisasi Brooks: kbrooks@policylink.org, 510-663-4340.

Download Full PDF Version of Full Funding for Promise Neighborhoods! A Guide to Setting Up District Meetings

[Click here for the fact sheet]

 

Setting Up Your Meeting

  1. Determine which members of Congress to visit.Members will be back in their home states or districts during the following time periods:
    • March 21-25 (House/Senate)
    • April 18-29 (House/Senate)
    • May 16-20 (House)
    • May 30-June 3 (Senate)
    • June 6-10 (House)
    • July 4-8 (Senate)
    • July 18-22 (House)
    • August 8-September 2 (House/Senate)
    • September 26-30 (House/Senate)
    • October 17-21 (House)
    • October 24-28 (Senate)
    • November 7-10 (House)
    • November 21-25 (House)

  2. Schedule a meeting by calling your Senator or Representative's state or district office. [Click here to find your representatives] Visit your representative's website to find district office phone numbers. Follow these steps when making the call:
    • Ask to speak to the district scheduler.
    • Let the scheduler know that you are a constituent who would like to set up a meeting with your Senator or Representative while they are home for a State Work Period.
    • Let the scheduler know that the purpose of the meeting is to talk about Promise Neighborhoods program funding, and explain why this program is important to your district and/or state.
    • Ask for the name and contact information of your Senator or Representative's appropriations staffer. While the appropriations staffer is based in the D.C. office, it is important for them to know that constituents care about Promise Neighborhoods. If you are having difficulty finding the appropriations staffer, contact PolicyLink and we can help.
    • You will likely be asked to email or fax a meeting request letter with the following information—your name and contact information, dates/times you are available to meet, and the topic for discussion. [Click here for a sample request letter] Copy your Senator or Representative's appropriations staffer on your request.

  3. Follow up on your request. You may not be able to get an appointment right away, so you may need to make several calls to set a meeting date and time. Keep calling! It's important for your representative to hear your voice.

  4. Let PolicyLink know about your meeting. Please tell us who you're meeting with, and when. We'd be happy to help you prepare for the meeting.

 

Preparing for the Meeting

  1. Determine who to bring. It is effective to bring diverse stakeholders who support Promise Neighborhoods in your state or district (e.g. a service provider, local official, private funder, young person who has participated in a local program, faith leader, teacher, local business owner, or board member), as well as a community member who would be served by a Promise Neighborhood. But don't overwhelm the meeting with too many people. While there are no "rules" around this, try to limit meetings with Representatives to no more than five people (you can bring a larger group to a Senate meeting).

  2. Have a prep meeting. Determine who will lead the meeting. Make sure each person delivers his or her message, stays within the designated time, and that the Senator or Representative is asked to support Promise Neighborhoods. Plan on saying everything you need to say in 15 minutes, but be ready to elaborate if you're given more time.

  3. Assemble your "leave behind." Prepare several packets of materials that you can leave with the Member and/or staffer that you meet with. We suggest the following materials:
    • Fact Sheet on Promise Neighborhoods. See PromiseNeighborhoodsInstitute.org for fact sheet.
    • Letter of Support from your organization or coalition. See below for a sample letter to adapt.
    • Information about local programs that could benefit from Promise Neighborhoods funding.

  4. Confirm the meeting. Call the office a few days prior to confirm your meeting. The scheduler will likely ask you for the names of everyone attending the meeting.

 

During the Meeting

  1. Thank the member for the meeting and provide brief (1-2 minute) introductions. Clarify who you are, who you represent, and why you're there.

  2. Go right into "the ask." Make clear that you are looking for them to support the Promise Neighborhoods program at $150 million for FY 2012—and underscore this message with key points. [Click here for sample talking points]

  3. Exchange contact information. Make sure to get staff business cards and leave contact information for everyone in the meeting.

  4. Stay on message. The member or staffer might ask about other issues or make small talk. It's fine to briefly touch on other issues, but stay focused on funding for Promise Neighborhoods. Get your key points in about why it's important for your state or district.

  5. It's okay not to have all the answers. Your representative or his/her staffer may ask you a question you do not know how to answer. That's perfectly fine. Just let them know you'll find out the answer and get back to them.

 

Meeting Follow Up

  1. Send a thank-you note. It is important to send a note thanking the member and any staffers for their time. In the note, reiterate your support for full funding ($150 million for FY 2012) for Promise Neighborhoods. This letter should be sent within a week of the meeting.

  2. Gather and send follow-up information. If there were any requests for further information, or questions that were not answered, follow up with that information. Please contact PolicyLink if you need help with this. These materials should be sent within a week of the meeting.

  3. Share what you learned. Please give PolicyLink a brief update on how the meeting went, and what you learned, to help inform ongoing advocacy efforts. Contact Kisasi Brooks at kbrooks@policylink.org or call us at 510-663-4340.