Connect with Congress
About This Document
Would your land trust go a year without reaching out to your largest donor? What about your members of Congress? Land trusts are good at building relationships with their key supporters. But it’s just as important to build relationships with your members of Congress. In fact, elected leaders have the potential to help — or hurt — land trusts’ work in ways that even the most dedicated local supporters can’t match. So, it only makes sense to invest in those relationships. Below are just some of the numerous ways you can connect with your members of Congress.
Place a phone call
If you need a reminder of who represents you on Capitol Hill, Congress.gov can quickly give you all the information you need.
Once you enter your street address you will be provided with the names of all three members of Congress who represent you (two senator and one representative) along with contact information for each. The phone numbers displayed for each member are their Capitol Hill office numbers. Calling these numbers will connect you with a person who can log your call and expressed position on an issue.
Placing a phone call is great if you want to introduce your organization, describe the work your land trust does or simply express support or opposition on a particular issue.
Schedule a meeting
Members of Congress are busy people. They won’t always come to you — but you can go to them. It’s easy to set up an appointment to visit them in their Washington, D.C., office or at their district office. The Alliance maintains a list of each member of Congress’ scheduler — the person who maintains the member’s official schedule and travel plans.
Access this informationFor assistance arranging a meeting email policy@lta.org.
Set up a site visit
Don’t just tell your legislators about conservation — show them! Members of Congress spend much of the year in their home district, meeting with constituents. And there’s no better way to make an impression than by hosting them at an event that showcases conservation in your community. That could mean a visit to a protected property, a press conference, or an event like your annual gala or a volunteer day. Be creative!
View a guide for inviting members of Congress to visit your landJoin members of Congress events
Members of Congress create opportunities for people to meet them, like pancake breakfasts and town hall forums. Sign up for your elected officials’ newsletters and alerts and attend their functions when they align with your work.
Get to know your elected officials’ staff
Your legislators’ staff can be key allies. Make a point of meeting and staying in touch with the staffers who serve your community or focus on your issues. If you can demonstrate to them that your work is important and the public supports it, they’ll pass that on to your members of Congress. (Note: If you email policy@lta.org, we can send you contact information for your entire delegation, including key staff.)
Take part in Advocacy Days
Every spring, the Land Trust Alliance organizes Advocacy Days, which brings conservationists from every part of the country to Washington, D.C., to meet in-person with their members of Congress — reinforcing key messages and demonstrating that land trusts represent a broad constituency.
