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Scheduling Your District Meetings

The information below outlines the process for scheduling district meetings with your Senators and Representatives. If you have any questions, please contact Chatrane Birbal (703/879-0689) at the Council or Courtney Moore (703/879-0809) at the Forum.

DECIDE on which Members of Congress to visit. Members will be back in their home states or districts throughout August. Contacting Your Representative or Senator's Offices: The Nuts and Bolts on How to Do It and Who to Bring with You
SCHEDULE a meeting by calling your Senator or Representative's state or district office and setting up a meeting date and time in August. Senators, and some Representatives, often have multiple district offices, so make sure that you contact the nearest location. To find the district office phone numbers for your Members of Congress, visit the Council's Policy Action Center. Follow these steps when making the call:

Ask to speak to the lawmaker's district scheduler
Inform the scheduler that you are a constituent that would like to set up a meeting with your Senator or Representative while they are back home in August. The purpose of the meeting is to talk about what your foundation is doing in his or her state/district and to share your views on charitable issues being considered by Congress.
You will most likely be asked to e-mail or fax a meeting request letter stating (1) where you are from, (2) the date and time you would like to meet, (3) what you would like to discuss and (4) your contact information (name and full address).
[Sample District Meeting Request Letter]
Make sure you copy your Senator or Representative's tax aide on your request. Though a member's tax aide works out of the DC office, it is important to make sure that he or she is aware that you are going to meet with his or her boss. Ask the official's district staff or contact your Senator or Representative's Washington DC office to find the name and contact information of the tax aide.

BE PERSISTENT Though members are back home, the August district work period is not a vacation. Members are busy, so several calls may be necessary to finalize a meeting date and time.
CONTACT Chatrane Birbal at the Council or Courtney Moore at the Forum if you run into problems making your appointment or need help finding the correct number to call.
INFORM the Council on Foundations and Forum of your meeting schedule by sending the name of the member of Congress you are meeting with and the date and time to Chatrane Birbal at the Council. Providing this information will allow the Council and Forum to connect individual foundations and regional associations that plan to meet with the same member of Congress.