Following up after a successful meeting with your member of Congress and their staff is crucial. Here are a few tips that will ensure you maintain strong relationships with your senators and representatives that extend beyond District Days.

• Don’t forget a thank you letter
  Within a week of your meeting, send a thank you letter to your member of Congress and their staff. Again, we encourage you to fax or e-mail it since regular mail can take up to a month to be delivered.


• Send a press release to your local media office
  Be sure to send your local media office a press release about the upcoming meeting or event with your lawmaker. If you have pictures with your representative and/or senator, enclose those too.


• Add members of Congress to your mailing list
  Make sure that your members of Congress and relevant staff receive copies of your annual report, newsletters, and other materials.
  
• Follow up with the Council
  The Council on Foundations tracks the relationships between foundations and members of Congress. If you participated in District Days or recently met with a member of Congress, please fill out a meeting report form.

Feel free to contact the Council's Government Relations staff at govt@cof.org or 703-879-0600 if you have any questions.

Thank you for participating in District Days 2011!