AFP Chapter Lobby Week: Using Skills and Knowledge We Already Have

I’m proud to announce that AFP will be holding its second annual Chapter Lobby Week later this year, May 23 – 27. During that week, we’re encouraging our U.S. chapters to visit with at least one member of Congress and advocate for the profession on key public policy issues.

We had such great success last year with our first event—with visits to more than 60 members of Congress that my goal for this year is simple: I’d like EVERY U.S. chapter to participate. 

It’s so easy to participate because all we’re asking you to do is, in essence, set up a short donor meeting (and I mean short because these meetings don’t typically last more than half an hour because members of Congress and their staff keep such tight schedules). 

OK, so right now, you might be saying, “Uh, Mike, what?” Well, when you set up a meeting with a member of Congress, what you’re really doing is setting up a typical donor meeting. Only in this case, the donor is a member of Congress, and you’re asking for their support on issues that are important to the fundraising profession, like the Charitable IRA Rollover provision or the Universal Charitable Deduction.

Like any donor meeting, you don’t just ask for their support right off the bat. You talk about the donor. What are their interests? How do they feel about philanthropy and charitable giving? What causes are most important to them?

Then we do what fundraisers do best: We listen. We use empathy. We ask follow-up questions and get to know them. We create connections and conversations. And then we ask for their support. Just like you would in any donor meeting.

Don’t get intimidated by all the details of a particular bill (though we will provide you with fact sheets on each of the issues you can talk about). Members of Congress and their staff aren’t looking to you for all the details – they’re too busy. What they want to hear are your stories (storytelling, another fundraising skill!) and how the legislation will help you create more impact in their district or state. 

Then, when you’re done, what do we always do? We thank the donor and examine how we can continue the relationship. That, in a nutshell, is Chapter Lobby Week and how to be a good lobbyist. It’s all the things you already know how to do very well, just with different names. 

If you’re worried that you can’t lobby or your charity is risking its tax-exempt status by lobbying, we have that covered in our Chapter Lobby Week manual (spoiler alert: You’ve got far more leeway to lobby than you probably think!). In fact, the Chapter Lobby Week manual has guidelines and details for every step of the process. 

You need just a few members of the chapter for any visit. All chapters can do this! I guarantee that once you do one meeting, you’re going to find it’s easy and you’ll want to do more! Why? Because you’re using skills you use every day in your fundraising. 

So, check out the AFP Chapter Lobby Week webpage to learn more about our key priorities, talk with your chapter and start scheduling some meetings. This is a great opportunity to advance the profession and help yourself out. Public policy can make our jobs easier and create more impact, so let’s make sure our elected officials hear from us.
If you have any questions, please contact our Public Policy Department at paffairs@afpglobal.org. Or you can contact me about any aspect of AFP at MikefromAFP@afpglobal.org or via Twitter at @AFPMikeGeiger.