When it comes to influencing Congress, the most successful advocates are those who have made a conscious decision to build and sustain strong personal relationships with their Senators and Representatives. That process works best when it starts at home. By taking advantage of the times when your Senators and Representatives are at home, you can create in-district opportunities to strengthen your relationships with them.
Senators and Representatives are often in their districts every Friday through Monday, and for several weeks during the year.
In this toolkit, you will find three actions that can jumpstart the process of building a relationship with your Senators and Representatives at home. Those activities are:
- Inviting your Senators and Representatives to visit your organization or your projects and learn why the work that you do is important to their district, and how that work is supported by the New Markets Tax Credit;
- Meeting with your Senators and Representatives one-on-one at a district office; and
- Partnering with other local organizations to host a town hall meeting and inviting your Senators and Representatives to discuss the issues.
These actions are not the only ways to engage your Senators and Representatives at home, but they do make up the core components of creating a meaningful advocacy relationship built upon a foundation of familiarity and trust. We hope these ideas will inspire you to use Congress’s time at home as a tool for forming a personal relationship with your Senators and Representatives. Doing so will not only increase your power and influence on Capitol Hill, but also help ensure that our voice carries the strength that it needs to be heard on the issues that matter most, including the extension of the New Markets Tax Credit.
