National Education Knowledge Industry Association

National Education Knowledge Industry Association

GR Manual Part 4B

Revised Oct 2004

Presenting Your Message to Policy Makers

Practical Advice:

TALK IN TERMS THEY UNDERSTAND: Many officials do not deal with education issuesin depth on a regular basis, particularly the more obscure programmatic issues. Guard againsttalking over their heads, particularly with industry acronyms, abbreviations, or buzzwords.

ORGANIZE YOUR PRESENTATION: Prepare an outline of your presentation in advance.Make sure to focus directly on the issues you want to cover. You should be brief and to thepoint. Public officials and their staff face strict time constraints and will appreciate concise,well-organized discussions.

BE INFORMED: Never advocate a position without first studying the facts and the argumentspro and con. The fact that you want an official to adopt your position will not be enough toconvince him. Do your homework.

GET TO KNOW YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: Start building a relationship on a personallevel. Learn something about your representative’s interests and hobbies. Share information onyour common interests or views. Personal relationships will prove invaluable when you wantan audience with your representative.

FOLLOW THROUGH ON COMMITMENTS: This is the cardinal rule. Do not commit to an official that youwill do something unless you are positive you can follow through.

Meeting with a Member of Congress in Washington:

Meeting face to face with a member of Congress or congressional staff is a very effective wayto convey a message about a specific legislative issue. Below are some suggestions to considerwhen planning a visit to a congressional office.

Make an Appointment: Schedule your meeting in advance. Contact the AppointmentScheduler; he/she will provide the meeting request protocol for that office.

Be Prepared: Whenever possible, bring to the meeting information and materials supportingyour position. Members are required to take positions on many different issues. In someinstances, a Member may lack important details about the pros and cons of a particular matter.It is therefore helpful to share with the Member information and examples that demonstrateclearly the impact or benefits associated with a particular issue or piece of legislation.

Remember: “All Politics is Local”: Members of Congress want to represent the best interests of their district or state.Wherever possible, demonstrate the connection between what you are requesting and theinterests of the Member's constituency. If possible, describe for the Member how you or yourgroup can be of assistance to him or her. Where it is appropriate, remember to ask for acommitment.

Be Responsive: Be prepared to answer questions or provide additional information, in theevent the Member expresses interest or asks questions. Follow up the meeting with a thank youletter that outlines the different points covered during the meeting, and send along anyadditional information and materials requested.

Telephone Calls to a Hill Office

To find your representative's phone number or email address, you may use NEKIA’s searchable onlinecongressional directory, use the directories of Congress at or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Senator's orRepresentative's office.

Tips on Writing and E-mailing Your Member of Congress

The letter used to be the most popular choice of communication with a congressional office. These days, mail to Congress goes to Ohio to be radiated, so it takes about two weeks to get to the hill. However, a formal letter can be faxed or emailed.

There are several sources for the e-mail addresses of Members of Congress. The easiest are the House web site at and the Senate web site at Both offer hyper linked E-mail addresses.

If youdecide to write a letter, this list of helpful suggestions will improve its effectiveness:

1. Your purpose for writing should be stated in the first paragraph of the letter. If your letterpertains to a specific piece of legislation, identify it accordingly, e.g., House bill: H. R. ____,Senate bill: S.____.

2. Be courteous, to the point, and include key information, using examples to support yourposition.

3. Address only one issue in each letter; and, if possible, keep the letter to one page.

Addressing Correspondence

To a Senator:

The Honorable (full name)

United States Senate

Washington, DC20510

Dear Senator (last name):

Telephoning and Writing Your Members of Congress

To a Representative:

The Honorable (full name)

United States House of Representatives

Washington, DC20515

Dear Representative (last name):

To the Chair of a Committee or an Appropriations Subcommittee: Dear Mr. Chairman or Madam Chairwoman:

To the Speaker of the House: Dear Mr. Speaker:

Site Visits

School or institution visits are the best way for you to communicate to your elected officialsand their staff the positive return of the Federal investment in research, development, anddissemination that is improving student learning. Your Member of Congress will receive apowerful positive image of his or her constituents—you, your staff, the students, teachers, andother education and community leaders—all working together to improve lives whilebenefiting the economy.

In addition, your elected representative will have a better understanding of how certain issuesmay be affecting your organization and his/her constituents. By visiting an institution or aschool you are working with, your elected official will care about you, your students, and yourbusiness. Your Member will now be more willing to assist you when needed.