AFP Global Virtual Capitol Hill Lobby Week - April 26-30, 2021

Get ready for Virtual Lobby Week! We’re asking all U.S. chapters to visit at least one member of Congress and/or their staff during the week of April 26 – 30 through Zoom or other meeting technology. We encourage all chapters to have a government relations chair or other board member in place who can help lead this effort on the chapter level. To help you prepare, AFP has created a Q&A overview document and a comprehensive chapter toolkit that covers everything from scheduling meetings to post-Lobby Week follow-up. 

• NEW: Sample Template Press Release. Use this to raise awareness of your visit to your member of Congress. You don’t have to use all of the text—just use whatever feels most appropriate given the issues you discussed, and feel free to modify the quotes or anything else. Items in bold and brackets need personalized information.
• Virtual Lobby Week Toolkit
• Virtual Lobby Week Toolkit (Printer-Friendly)
• Q&A Overview Document
• Slides for Virtual Lobby Week Meetings: Feel free to cut and paste these slides into your own slide format to use for your own meetings to highlight AFP, ethical fundraising and our three main issues! (optional)
• Hashtag – Use #afplobbyweek when you’re posting messages and pics from your meetings on social media during AFP Virtual Lobby Week

Final Updates

• Final fact sheets are now available on our key issues: the universal charitable deduction, the charitable IRA rollover and postage rate increases/postal reform. Click the links below and scroll down to the bottom of the screen for fact sheets in PDF that you can distribute to members of Congress and their staff:
   
  • Universal charitable deduction
     
  • Charitable IRA rollover
     
  • Postage rate increases/postal reform
     
  • AFP 2021 Fact Sheet
     
  • AFP Code of Ethics
     
  • Don’t forget to include your chapter’s fact sheet as well, if available!
     
• We’re holding a Virtual Lobby Week Kick Off Meeting on Friday, April 23, from 2 – 3 p.m. Eastern time. This isn’t a mandatory meeting, but we’ll be discussing any final notes and updates on the legislation and sharing some advice and guidance on meetings. To join the Zoom call, use this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5531560193?pwd=M3ZLTlRjTHNyVWFKd3Evb010TjBFQT09.
   
• We’ll still be holding our final Lobby Week “office hours” on Thursday, 2 p.m. Eastern, for chapters and members who would like to ask any questions or receive further advice and guidance. There’s no set agenda, just happy to help you out any way we can. Sign up at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vduCsqzgvG9bENdhinIvdP0rqyLQz5kvJ.
   
• One of the questions that’s come up in discussions frequently is, what makes for a successful meeting? What are some parameters to judge a successful discussion? I’d say three things, and only one relates directly to legislation:
   
  • Have the meeting. Yep, it’s that simple. In many cases, we’re starting relationships with these members of Congress. So it’s critical in doing this for the first time to just go through the process, like you would for any donor. Have the meeting. Make the ask.
     
  • Directly related to the point above, think about stewarding the relationship during and after the meeting. Like any donor meeting, it’s not just about the ask, it’s about listening and asking questions. Get a feel for what the members’ and/or staffer’s priorities are. If they don’t seem especially interested in one issue, finish up and move to the next. Don’t be afraid to ask question about their priorities, what they’d like to see the sector do, and see if there are ideas and issues to follow up on with additional questions and comments. Then after the meeting, consider how to continue the relationship: thank you letter; speaking at a chapter event, legislative briefing for the chapter, etc.
     
  • Have the member of Congress take action on one of our key issues. Ideally, we’d love see the member cosponsor both the universal charitable deduction bill and the IRA Legacy Act, as well as contact the Postal Service about postage rates. But a promise or indication that he or she will act on one of those issues would be great.
     
• Please remember to use our meeting form to keep AFP Global updated on the members of Congress you are meeting. It will be so helpful in our planning for future years and to understand the impact of this event. Please fill out a separate form for each meeting. You can find the form here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/lobbyweek.

AFP Global staff is happy to set up a meeting one-on-one to discuss any issues and questions you may have regarding Virtual Lobby Week. Contact paffairs@afpglobal.org anytime!

Thanks for your leadership to AFP and for your engagement with this important event!