District Days Meeting Materials

Are you ready for your district meeting? The following documents/links will help you prepare for Foundations on the Hill District Days. If you still need to send your Member of Congress a meeting request letter, click here.

Key Message Points/Sample Agenda

• Key Message Points [pdf] (Updated June 18, 2008)
• Sample Meeting Agenda [pdf] - courtesy of the Ohio Grantmakers Forum

Legislative Issue Papers

Issue papers provide background information on the Council on Foundations' legislative priorities. They are great resources for "leave-behind" folders.

• IRA Charitable Rollover Issue Paper [pdf]
• Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) Regulatory Clarifications [pdf]
• PPA Explanation of Proposals[pdf]
• Simplification of the Private Foundation Excise Tax [pdf]
• Congressional Philanthropy Caucus [pdf]

"Leave-Behind" Folders

It is always a good idea to put together a folder to leave with each of your Senators and Representatives. The folders usually include:

• a list of meeting participants with contact information
• one page overview of grantmaking in your state/district
• [Handout Example] - courtesy of the Minnesota Council on Foundations
• issue papers (see below)
• Council and Forum one-pagers (membership in these national organizations shows a commitment to ethics and accountability)
• [Handout Example] - courtesy of the Donors Forum of Chicago
• any press clips of the work being done the lawmaker's state/district

To find the latest foundation statistics for your state, visit the Foundation Center's FC Stats page. Please contact the Council's Government Relations staff if you need assistance (govt@cof.org) or 703/879-0600).

Other Helpful Documents

• Top Ten Meeting Tips for District Days [pdf]
• Legal Questions on Meeting with Candidates, Conducting Site Visits [pdf] - produced by the Council's Legal Services and Standards Department.