How to be an Effective Advocate

1. Join the HIV Action Network
2. Advocacy Toolbox
3. Communicating with Legislators
4. Meeting with Legislators
5. Letters to the Editor

Join the HIV Action Network

The HIV Action Network connects people concerned about HIV with local, state and national public policy actions. If you sign up for the network, we will help you keep informed, take action, and make change.

You will receive the HIV Action Network by email every two weeks, and every week while the state Legislature is in session.

We also treat your information with respect. We will not share or sell your contact information with anyone else. Also, when you register, you get to pick and choose whether or not you get other information from the Minnesota AIDS Project in addition to the emails.

We ask two things:

• First, be sure to register using your home address! This information is critically important so we know who represents you in the Minnesota Legislature and in Congress. Our ability to support you as an advocate depends upon us knowing your Minnesota Legislative and U.S. Congressional districts.
• Second, please help us keep your contact information updated. You can login to update your information through this web site at any time.

Register to receiveHIV Action Network emails

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Advocacy Toolbox

• Writing a Letter to the Editor

• Calling Elected Officials

• Capitol Directions And Map

• HIV Fact Sheet HIV Education

• Lobbying Elected Official

• Writing to Elected Officials
  

• Your purpose for writing should be at the beginning of the letter.
• Be courteous.
• Get to the point quickly.
• Be sure to include key information, using examples to illustrate your point.
• Do not address more than one issue in a letter or email.
• Keep your letter to one page, or your email to just a few, brief paragraphs.
• Explain why this issue is important to you, personally, as a constituent.
• Put your thoughts in your own words.
• Try to establish a relationship.

DON'Ts

• Don't be "wowed," they are YOUR public official.
• Don't ever be threatening.
• Don't purport to communicate as a spokesperson for a group. [Always communicate as a constituent]
• Don't use terms you don't usually use.

Now that you are ready to draft that letter or email, click here to find out who represents you!

• Identify who your legislators are.
• Get the legislator's aide's and secretary's names and contact information.
• Call for an appointment. Do this from your home district for your local delegation even if you will be meeting at the Capitol. Let the legislator know you will be in the Capitol even if you are not sure when you can meet with him/her. Ask when might be a good time to stop by.
• Have a fact sheet(s) for each topic(s) you need to discuss. Contact the MAP public policy department to obtain the appropriate MAP fact sheets.
• If you are to discuss a bill, know the names of all sponsors and cosponsors. Contact the MAP public policy department for assistance.
• Before the meeting, custom highlight your fact sheet and staple a note with your name and home address to the corner of the sheet. Leave this with your legislator.
• Rehearse a brief one or two sentence description of why you are there as a way to begin the meeting.
• Obtain relevant background on your state legislator(s). Contact the MAP public policy department for assistance.
  

During the meeting

• Keep in mind that you are their constituents and they are there to serve you. Try not to be intimidated.
• Start the meeting with the one or two sentence description you rehearsed of why you meeting.
• Try to relate at least one quick real life example of the need for the action you are advocating.
• Have your notebook or calendar handy in case the legislator asks for a follow-up meeting or for additional information.
• Be aware of the legislator's busy schedule and do not stay longer than 10 minute unless she/he asks you to stay.
• If the legislator cannot meet with your for some reason, meet with staff and leave a personal note summarizing your mission.

After the meeting

• Write a follow-up letter thanking the legislator and/or staff for time spent on your issue and include a brief summary of action to be taken.
• Keep the legislator informed of the progress or problems concerning the issue discussed.

• Be sure to include your name, address and email. You won't get published anonymously.

• Make your letter timely. If you are not addressing a specific article, editorial or letter that recently appeared in the paper you are writing to, then try to tie the issue you want to write about to a recent event.
• Familiarize yourself with the coverage and editorial position of the paper to which you are writing. Refute or support specific statements, address relevant facts that are ignored, but do avoid blanket attacks on the media in general or the newspaper in particular.

• Check the letter specifications of the newspaper to which you are writing [see links below]. Length and format requirements vary from paper to paper. Generally, roughly two short paragraphs are ideal. You also must include your name, address and phone number.
• Look at the letters that appear in your paper. Is a certain type of letter usually printed?
• Support your facts. HIV issues and related policy are usually controversial, so consider sending documentation or references along with your letter. But don't overload the editors with too much info.
• Keep your letter brief.
• Find others to write letters when possible. If your letter doesn't get published, perhaps someone else's on the same topic will.
• Sure, send letters to the major daily paper in your community, but don't forget that community paper. Your chances of having it published are much greater when you submit to a smaller, community publication.

Send a letter to the editor in your community, click on these links:

Last Updated: Friday, March 7, 2008
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