Bringing Home the Bacon
So You Want To Approach Your Elected Officials?

By Jeffrey Byrne, President & CEO
Kansas City

As fundraising consultants, we are often asked about approaches to our federal elected officials – our Congressmen, Congresswomen or our United States Senators. Nonprofit organizations wonder how best to utilize and capture the attention of these elected officials.

My consistent response: We “hire” (elect) individuals to represent our interests. Part of representing our interests is seeing projects that are important to us – and to our communities – get funded and become a reality. In essence, we “hire” our elected officials to “bring home the bacon.” If we don’t ask for that ‘bacon’ to be brought home to us, there are dozens of other nonprofits that will.

So, let’s see how to begin to approach your elected official(s) for some of that bacon.

First, under the federal tax code, nonprofits can lose their tax exempt status if they devote too much of their dollars to “lobbying” elected officials. Our firm does not lobby, but we advocate and educate on behalf of the nonprofit organizations we serve. The first step is to establish contact with the elected official. That typically occurs through contact with the official’s chief staff liaison in the district, and later through the officials’ Washington, D.C. contact.

Congressional staff are hired to work with constituents. A well-planned and well-scripted meeting at your program or service site is an optimal strategy for helping the congressional staff connect with you and your project by letting your mission, clients, and programs and services tell their story. Plan to schedule 45 minutes with your Senator’s or Congressman’s/Congresswoman’s chief liaison to educate him or her about your organization, including a site tour. Be ready with a concise description of your project and needs, and some talking points about your organization’s mission and how it impacts his or her constituent in the congressional district. If you share common supporters, it doesn’t hurt to invite them to the meeting.

Second, ask what type of help the elected official’s staff can provide your organization. Is there the possibility of putting together an application for a federal appropriation – commonly referred to as an ‘earmark’? For many elected officials, an earmark application is an efficient way to describe your program, outline your capital needs, and to list supporters that the elected official might know.

Is there a possibility that the staff can assist in searching for federal competitive grants that will benefit your project or your agency’s programs or services? Can the staff search the federal database of grant opportunities and offer up some Requests for Proposals that your organization can respond to? It will be your responsibility to put together a competitive grant application, but the staff can assist you greatly in sorting through the myriad of grant opportunities and locating a grant or grants that match your needs.

Finally, invite your Congressman, Congresswoman or Senator to visit your organization and see what you do. Elected officials enjoy the opportunity to visit their constituents and see the work that you do - encourage a visit of 45 minutes. Do you have board members and/or donors who know the elected officials? If so, have them write and call the elected official to ask him or her to visit your organization.

Plan an informative and enjoyable visit. Don’t forget to include the board member and/or donor who knows the elected official. When the elected official visits your organization, show them that you understand their issues and ask them to support your organization with any help their office can provide.

In short, elected officials are our ambassadors in Washington. Ask them for their help, and then help them with their job in “bringing home the bacon” for your nonprofit.

Note: Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc. has been involved in dozens of public-private partnerships. We can assist you in developing a public-private partnership for your capital campaign or special project. Contact us on the web at www.FundraisingJBA.com.