Educating Elected Officials

Senior Corps Tuesday Talk Webinar

June 13, 20173:30pm ET

Housekeeping

• All lines on mute

• This session is being recorded

• Audio problems? Try calling in.

• Video problems? Try disconnecting and reconnecting.

• Questions

Importance of engaging policy makers

• Senior Corps program activities adhere to the governing laws put in

place by Congress

• Senior Corps’ budget is dependent on the annual appropriations

provided by Congress

• Policy makers have a large platform to amplify the great work that

Senior Corps programs are doing on the ground

• Policy makers have the ability to introduce and pass measures

(legislation, proclamations, statements for the record etc.) that can

expand or promote Senior Corps

What’s the benefit?

There are many benefits to engaging elected officials:

• Leads to programming opportunities

• Energizes your volunteers

• Showcases impact to elected officials, community

leaders, and the media

• Helps inform the decisions of policy makers

• Educates the public about your work

• Shines a positive spotlight on your program which can

lead to an increase in volunteering, partnering, etc. for

them

Elected & Appointed Officials to Consider

• U.S. Senators

• U.S. Representatives

• Governors/Commissions

• Lt. Governors

• State Legislators

• County/Parish officials

• Mayors

• State Cabinet officials

• Tribal Leaders

• City Council Members

• School Board Members

Find your Elected Officials

• U.S. House of Representatives: www.house.gov

• U.S. Senate:

http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/

• Mayors: http://www.usmayors.org/meetmayors/mayorsatglance.asp

Who are your partners in this effort?

• Other Senior Corps grantees

• CNCS State Office

• State Service Commissions

• NCCC Regional Directors

• Senior Corps Associations

• Other National Service grantees (e.g. AmeriCorps

grantees, National Days of Service grantees)

• CNCS Office of Government Relations

• State, City, & County Associations

• Advisory Council

Questions to ask before your meeting?

• What’s your elevator pitch?

• How does your work relate to what the elected

official cares about?

• What are the 3 things you want an elected official

to know about your program?

• Exciting news or opportunities coming up?

• How has your program demonstrated impact?

Requesting a Meeting

• Where to look, who to call and submitting a written request:

Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2017To: Erin_McGrath@Cognato.senate.govSubject: Meeting request

Good afternoon, Erin –

I understand you handle seniors outreach for Senator Cognato. I am the Executive Director of the City’s Council on Aging and we run the Senior Corps Foster Grandparent Program, a national service program that engages 100 seniors in volunteerism in 15 local schools. I’d like to inform you of activities we have going on and see how we might be able to partner with your office. Do you have some time to meet in the coming days? Would sometime next Friday, June 23rd or Tuesday, June 27th work for your schedule? I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,Megan

Meeting Best Practices

When you meet with an elected official and/or their staff:

1) Preparation is key – Have a goal in mind and be aware of themember’s taken positions, if any, on national service.

2) Start with a thank you.

3) Introduce yourself, where you are from, and what your roleis with Senior Corps.

4) Be conscious of their time and stick to the length of time that you proposed when requesting the meeting.

5) Following the meeting, send them a thank you and anyinformation they asked for in a timely fashion.

Ways to engage elected official

Elected officials are often willing and eager to support local

service initiatives in one or more ways. For example:

• Provide staff representation

• Conduct a site visit

• Administer the Senior Corps oath

• Speak at volunteer recognition events

• Attend a day of service

• Issue a proclamation

• Quotes

• Video greeting

• Congratulatory letter

• Social media

Remember: Elected officials and their staff, like all of us, appreciate advance notice,

thoughtful planning, and follow-through. So take these things into consideration sooner

rather than later as you plan your activities.

For Example

2017 Senate Legislative Calendar

17

Jul 1 - Jul 9 State Work Period Independence Day- Jul 4

Jul 29 - Sep 4 State Work Period Labor Day- Sep 4

Sep 21 – Sep 24 State Work Period

Oct 7 – Oct 15 State Work Period Columbus Day- Oct 9

Nov 10 – Nov 12 State Work Period Veterans’ Day

Nov 18 – Nov 26 State Work Period Thanksgiving Day- Nov 23

Dec 16 – Dec 31 State Work Period

2017 House Legislative Calendar

Jul 1 - Jul 10 District Work Period Independence Day- Jul 4

Jul 29 - Sep 4 District Work Period Labor Day- Sep 4

Sep 15 – Sep 24 District Work Period

Oct 6 – Oct 9 District Work Period Columbus Day- Oct 9

Oct 14 – Oct 22 District Work Period

Oct 27 – Oct 30 District Work Period

Nov 10 – Nov 12 District Work Period Veterans’ Day – Nov 11

Nov 17 – Nov 27 District Work Period Thanksgiving Day – Nov 23

Dec 2 – Dec 4 District Work Period

Dec 15 – Dec 31 District Work Period

Beyond the Beltway: City & County Officials

Mayors Day in Dallas: A Case Study

National Service in the Spotlight: Look Ahead

• US Conference of Mayors – Miami, FL (June)

• National Governors Association – Providence, RI (July)

• National Lieutenant Governors Association – Nashville, TN (July)

• National Association of Counties – Columbus, OH (July)

• National Conference of State Legislatures – Boston, Massachusetts (August)

• National League of Cities – Charlotte, NC (November)

Resources at your fingertips

• Sign up to receive newsletters from your Congressional delegation, the Governor’s office, Mayor’s office, etc.

• Keep an eye out for local town halls or open office hours your electeds are conducting

• Stay abreast of local and national policy discussions via printed and televised news

• https://www.congress.gov/

National Service in the Spotlight: Resources

• June: Healthy Futures & Great Outdoors Month

• July: Inclusion Month

• August: Education Month

• September: Disaster Services & National Preparedness Month

National Service in the Spotlight: Messaging

#AmeriCorpsWorks #SeniorCorpsWorks

Next steps…

• Determine who your elected officials are.

• Set a realistic goal for engaging elected officials.

• Familiarize yourself with available resources.

• Sign up for newsletters.

• Connect with your partners.

• To amplify your stories: Engagement@cns.gov

• To request a district profile:

SCProfileRequest@cns.gov

• To request a city profile: CNCS State Office

• Impact Landing Page:

https://www.nationalservice.gov/impact-our-nation

CNCS Resources for Engagement

Questions about elected engagement?

Please feel free to email us

with any questions:

GovernmentRelations@cns.gov

We look forward to continuing

to work with you!