1/23/12

Lobby Day Follow-Up: Don't Fall Off Your Legislators' Radar

Perhaps your organization has organized a lobby day to promote its policy agenda. Now you are wondering how to help legislators remember your organization and your lobby day meeting, since about a million other interest groups are also meeting with the same legislators about their issues.
Valentine’s Day is a good opportunity to refresh their memories. Here’s how:
     
          Deliver heart-shaped valentines – that can be worn on a lapel - to deserving legislators and their staffs. Some how-to’s:

o   Valentines can be hand-made (i.e. with cardboard or felt and tape or pins).
o   Valentines are especially charming if they are made by children.
o   Messages can say things like, “People for Pandas thanks Sen. Smith for ...” 
o   Do make valentines big enough so that it’s easy to tell what the recipient is wearing from a couple of feet away.

If you are able to personally present the valentine to a legislator, take a picture of the big moment, and

o   Send a couple of the pictures and a short press release to your community papers.
o   Post a couple of the pictures on your website.
o   Send the pictures and link to your website to legislators, as appropriate.
       
 If you are not able to personally present your messages to legislators, you can send or drop them off,  along with a note requesting that the legislator-recipient wear the valentine.