Grassroots Advocate Toolkit
Table of Contents
1 - What is Grassroots Advocacy? 2 - Common Grassroots Advocacy Activities 3 - U.S. and Michigan Congress Rankings & Legislation Reviews 4 - Legislator Look-Up Links 5 - Grassroots Advocacy Resources 6 - Grassroots Advocacy 101 Presentation 7- How to Call Legislators 8 - How to Write Letters & E-mails to Legislators |
What is Grassroots Advocacy?
Grassroots advocacy is an organized effort by citizens to affect public policy by influencing policy-makers. Grassroots advocacy can be a solo act or a group effort. Furthermore, anyone can engage in grassroots advocacy activities, and uniting with other concerned citizens can increase your message's power. |
Common Grassroots Advocacy Activities
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U.S. and Michigan Congress Rankings and Legislation Reviews
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Legislator Look-Up Links
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Grassroots Advocacy Resources
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Grassroots Advocacy 101.pptx | |
File Size: | 5071 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
How to Call Legislators
Calling an elected official can be nerve-wracking but extremely beneficial. It is a fast form of communication and more personal than a letter or e-mail. The call should take no longer than 5 to 7 minutes. Additionally, like letters or e-mails to elected officials, calls need to be short and concise and state your purpose clearly. When calling, you may ask to speak directly with your legislator or a specific member of his/her staff. If who you would like to speak with is unavailable, leave a message with whoever answered the phone. Remember, speaking to staff can be just as beneficial as speaking to your legislator.
Calling Tips:
Example call/message:
“Hello. My name is [insert first and last name] and I am from [insert primary city/town of residence]. I’m calling today because I would like Senator/Representative [insert name] to support Senate Bills 423 and 424 collectively known as Grant’s Bills. These bills would require that all Michigan shelters and Class B random source dealers euthanize animals via an injection of sodium pentobarbital, thereby outlawing the use of gas chambers in these situations. I think it’s horrible that gas chamber use is still allowed in Michigan because often the animals suffer a lot of pain before the die as their organs slowly fail as they remain in the chamber for up to 30 minutes. Also, many of the animals do not die during the first round of gassing and must be put through this horrific ordeal again. According to a recent American Humane Association study, the cost to communities of using carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide poisoning is $4.98 per animal, whereas the cost of using injections is only $2.29 per animal. Training and funding for EBI (euthanasia by injection) is readily available for all Michigan shelters through the help of a generous private donor so there is no economic cost to the community or shelters. I hope Senator/Representative [insert name] will support Senate Bills 423 and 424. Thank you for your time and consideration.”
Calling an elected official can be nerve-wracking but extremely beneficial. It is a fast form of communication and more personal than a letter or e-mail. The call should take no longer than 5 to 7 minutes. Additionally, like letters or e-mails to elected officials, calls need to be short and concise and state your purpose clearly. When calling, you may ask to speak directly with your legislator or a specific member of his/her staff. If who you would like to speak with is unavailable, leave a message with whoever answered the phone. Remember, speaking to staff can be just as beneficial as speaking to your legislator.
Calling Tips:
- Begin with your name, where you are from, and why you are calling. Then, go into a few specific supporting details of why you want the elected official to support/oppose a certain bill. Keep your message brief.
- Make sure to thank whoever you a speaking with before you finish your call.
- If you are hesitant or shy and do not wish to speak directly to your legislator or his/her staff, just call after business hours (usually past 5 p.m.) and leave a short voice-mail message.
- Write down what you wish to say before calling so that you don’t forget any of your points.
- If speaking to a staff member, please allow them to take the time to write down your message; do not simply race through it.
- If they ask if there is anything else you would like to add, you may say a few additional points as to why the bill should be supported/opposed.
- Many organizations offer prompts for calling officials. These are a great start but just remember that it is always best to make your calls personal whenever possible.
- It is important to call your elected officials even when you don’t need anything from them. Often legislators receive correspondence that only tells them what they should and should not do. It is important to let them know what they are doing well (perhaps, they have supported issues you care about) to show them that they are appreciated.
Example call/message:
“Hello. My name is [insert first and last name] and I am from [insert primary city/town of residence]. I’m calling today because I would like Senator/Representative [insert name] to support Senate Bills 423 and 424 collectively known as Grant’s Bills. These bills would require that all Michigan shelters and Class B random source dealers euthanize animals via an injection of sodium pentobarbital, thereby outlawing the use of gas chambers in these situations. I think it’s horrible that gas chamber use is still allowed in Michigan because often the animals suffer a lot of pain before the die as their organs slowly fail as they remain in the chamber for up to 30 minutes. Also, many of the animals do not die during the first round of gassing and must be put through this horrific ordeal again. According to a recent American Humane Association study, the cost to communities of using carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide poisoning is $4.98 per animal, whereas the cost of using injections is only $2.29 per animal. Training and funding for EBI (euthanasia by injection) is readily available for all Michigan shelters through the help of a generous private donor so there is no economic cost to the community or shelters. I hope Senator/Representative [insert name] will support Senate Bills 423 and 424. Thank you for your time and consideration.”
How to Write Letters and E-mails to Legislators
Writing letters and e-mails are quick and easy ways to let your voice be heard. It is important to write personalized letters and e-mails to your legislators so that they will know what their constituents want them to do while in office. Your elected officials really do want to hear from you as it helps them determine how to shape their policies and how they vote in committees and on the House and Senate floors. Moreover, being an active citizen allows you to be kept educated about what's going on in society and in the political world. Below, find an outline of a sample letter/e-mail and some writing tips to help you get started on your own!
Dear Representative/Senator [insert name of elected official, state or federal, here],
The Introduction
The first paragraph of your letter/e-mail should be only be one to three short sentences that describe who you are, what stand (support or oppose) you want the elected official to take, and what is the number and name of the bill being addressed (if nameless, then a brief summary of what the bill would do if passed).
Examples:
The Body
The body of the letter/e-mail should only span one to three short, concise paragraphs. Letters/e-mails that are longer lose their effect and might be more susceptible to being left unread. The body paragraph aims to discuss what the bill specifically entails if passed and also supporting evidence as to why the elected official should support/oppose the bill. This evidence can include: facts and research, personal opinions and/or stories, etc.
Example:
The Conclusion
The conclusion should only be about two to four sentences long that simply reiterate what you want the elected official to do/how you want them to vote. It should also a brief recap of what the bill is that you addressed, citing both the name and its number.
Example:
The Closing
Thank the elected official for their time and consideration and sign your first and last name at the bottom along with your permanent address (or the one on your voter registration card).
Example:
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[insert a signature here, if hand-written]
Jane Doe [make sure to write out your name if a signature is included]
1111 Pine Tree Lane
Pine Hill, MI, 48888
Writing Tips:
Writing letters and e-mails are quick and easy ways to let your voice be heard. It is important to write personalized letters and e-mails to your legislators so that they will know what their constituents want them to do while in office. Your elected officials really do want to hear from you as it helps them determine how to shape their policies and how they vote in committees and on the House and Senate floors. Moreover, being an active citizen allows you to be kept educated about what's going on in society and in the political world. Below, find an outline of a sample letter/e-mail and some writing tips to help you get started on your own!
Dear Representative/Senator [insert name of elected official, state or federal, here],
The Introduction
The first paragraph of your letter/e-mail should be only be one to three short sentences that describe who you are, what stand (support or oppose) you want the elected official to take, and what is the number and name of the bill being addressed (if nameless, then a brief summary of what the bill would do if passed).
Examples:
- As your constituent, I strongly urge you to support H.B. 6042 and H.B. 6043, collectively known as the Humane Euthanasia of Shelter Animals Act.
- As a concerned Michigan resident/U.S. citizen, I strongly urge you to oppose S.B. 1013, which would create a moose hunting season in Michigan.
The Body
The body of the letter/e-mail should only span one to three short, concise paragraphs. Letters/e-mails that are longer lose their effect and might be more susceptible to being left unread. The body paragraph aims to discuss what the bill specifically entails if passed and also supporting evidence as to why the elected official should support/oppose the bill. This evidence can include: facts and research, personal opinions and/or stories, etc.
Example:
- House Bills 6042 and 6043 would ensure that the state's unwanted, sick, or unadoptable shelter animals will be euthanized only with injection of a commercially prepared solution. Even though the majority of the shelters in the state use euthanasia by injection, ten Michigan shelters still use gas chambers to euthanize their animals. This method is outdated and extremely inhumane. Often shelter workers are told to squeeze as many animals in the small gas chamber as possible to reduce costs. As a result, many of the animals do not die during this first round of gassing. Also, this process can take up to and sometimes more than 30 minutes to kill all the animals. In addition, according to a recent American Humane Association study, the cost to communities of using carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide poisoning is $4.98 per animal, whereas the cost of using injections is only $2.29 per animal.
The Conclusion
The conclusion should only be about two to four sentences long that simply reiterate what you want the elected official to do/how you want them to vote. It should also a brief recap of what the bill is that you addressed, citing both the name and its number.
Example:
- I hope you will support the Humane Euthanasia of Shelter Animals Act (H.B. 6042 and 6043) to end the practice of using gas chambers for euthanasia and to ensure that the only acceptable and humane way to euthanize an animal is by injection.
The Closing
Thank the elected official for their time and consideration and sign your first and last name at the bottom along with your permanent address (or the one on your voter registration card).
Example:
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[insert a signature here, if hand-written]
Jane Doe [make sure to write out your name if a signature is included]
1111 Pine Tree Lane
Pine Hill, MI, 48888
Writing Tips:
- Be respectful even if the elected official voted for something you were against.
- If the elected official has a proven track record of supporting issues/legislation you care about, tell them that you appreciate their support and hope that they will continue to support such issues/legislation.
- Keep the letter/e-mail short and concise (no longer than one page) as legislators and their staff are very busy.
- Feel free to include your personal sentiments about the bill in the letter/e-mail. Also, if you have any personal experiences with the issues being addressed, please add those in as well since they help to make the e-mail/letter more powerful.
- Remember: Legislators want to hear from their constituents so that they know how they should vote. If you truly care about an issue, make it known to your elected official.
Visit the Humane Society of the United States' Advocate Toolkit for more tips & resources!