Research elected officials to find the best route

After identifying the elected officials who can help you, carefully research them to find what "makes them tick."

Some questions to answer:

• Does the official have a record of supporting your cause?
• Does he/she have a family?
• What's his/her profession?
• What are key votes and stances he/she has taken?

A simple Google search can give you a lot of information, but don't forget to check local newspapers' online archives along with campaign and government websites.

Project VoteSmart is a is a non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes a plethora of information on candidates for federal and state offices. It is perhaps the most comprehensive source of information on elected officials, providing background information, issue positions, voting records, campaign finances, interest group ratings, and speeches and public statements.

Use that information to tailor a pitch to the official. Here's an example:

Together Home is a non-profit that depends on state funding to keep homeless families together. Through research, their executive director found out that Republican Rep. Johnny Taylor, their local legislator, is an attorney and has three kids.

The ED of Together Home can use this information to her advantage by:

• Asking any attorneys or Republicans connected to the organization to serve as surrogates with Rep. Taylor. Common ground can give surrogates a great leverage point.

• Analyzing Rep. Taylor's campaign finance reports to find intersection with Together Home's donor list. He is more likely to pay attention to an organization that's supported by his donors.

• Focusing on family for pitches. With three kids, family seems to be important to Rep. Taylor. Together House should focus on its work in keeping families together during tough times.

Build a case statement for government relations

To recap what we shared yesterday, a concise, well-written case statement allows elected officials to understand what your organization does and what you need from them. This is different than a longer case statement that you would prepare for a capital campaign; it's just a simple, up-front statement of why you need to talk to elected officials.

A good case statement for government relations will include:

• What you need from the elected official
• What your organization does
• Who it impacts
• Where your work is 
• Why your work is important
• Why your work is unique
• How long you have been working

The best case statements also include:

• The organization’s value to the state/county/city
• Consequences of the requested action
• Metrics quantifying the organization’s work
• How funding is used

You’re developing language for a business document, so a case statement is not the place for:

• Rote statements of misson, vision, and values
• Waxing poetic about your cause
• Anecdotes and personal stories (this comes later in your government relations planning)

A written case statement should be no longer than a few paragraphs and able to be easily inserted into letters or memos. If verbalized, it should be like a “30 second elevator speech.”

Here's an example for a fictitious organization:

Please protect water quality for 15,000 residents by voting to fully fund the Sucarnooche River Society. Since 1981, we have protected 1,000+ acres of land around the Sucarnooche, Sumter County’s main water source, resulting in cleaner drinking water for residents and fewer environmental interventions by state government. Our state appropriation directly funds land acquisition around the river and education programs that help 1,000 residents, farmers, and construction companies each year. 

What's the case for your organization?