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Become a Citizen Lobbyist for Wildlife

Your Guide to Meeting with Your Elected Officials

Keeping our elected officials informed and in tune with what their constituents want is an important part of keeping them accountable for their actions (or lack of action) on key wildlife issues.

A personal visit with your elected officials or members of their staff is one of the most direct ways to defend wildlife – and can have an enormous impact. From your local city council members to your Members of Congress, meeting with your elected officials is a lot easier than you might think. Remember, they work for you – and it’s their job to listen to your concerns.

Setting up a Meeting with your Members of Congress

You don’t have to travel to the nation’s capitol to meet with your Members of Congress. You can set up a meeting with your elected officials while they’re visiting one of their district offices or meet with members of their staff who are responsible for keeping their bosses up to speed on what their constituents care about.

Setting up a Meeting with State and Local Officials

While there are only 535 members of Congress, there are about 8,000 state legislators -- which means they’re often more accessible. You can also start with local officials like your mayor or city council member, if they have a hand in wildlife and environmental policy-setting. Many state and local officials move on to hold higher office, so it's good to build relationships at all levels of government. See the Additional Resources section below for more on contacting state and local officials.

Scheduling Your Meeting

Submit a written request to the appropriate office and follow up with a call to the Scheduler. Remember to mention that you’re a constituent. Suggest specific times and dates that you (or your group) are available to meet. Identify the issue or legislation (reference the bill number if possible) you’d like to discuss.

Preparing for Your Meeting

Know your stuff. Check the Defenders website. We have loads of information to help you develop talking points for your meeting and downloadable materials that you can leave behind. Learn more about our legislative and campaign priorities and how you can help advocate for them with your federal officials by checking out Defenders' Top Campaigns.
Identify your group. Keep your group small (groups of more than 4 or 5 tend to be difficult to coordinate). If possible, include people who represent different groups that have an interest in the legislation or initiative. Going alone is great, too.
Have a game plan. Make sure your group is on the same page about the points you want to make during your meeting. It's hard to be persuasive and clear about what you’re asking if you can’t agree.
Practice makes perfect. It’s easy to get nervous in a meeting and time is limited, so make sure you know what you want to say, who’s going to say what, and in what order – in advance.
Pick a clear and achievable goal. What exactly do you want your elected official to do – vote for or against a bill? Agree to introduce or co-sponsor legislation? You should be able to articulate your goal in one sentence. Try it.

During Your Meeting

Be on time and be patient. Elected officials operate on tight schedules. Show up 5-10 minutes before your meeting is scheduled and be flexible – it’s common for officials or staff members to be late or to have your meeting interrupted.
Make it personal. Start the meeting by introducing yourself (or your group) and thanking the official or staff member for taking time to meet with you. If you have any connections to the official, mention them. Provide personal details and examples of local wildlife that are or will be impacted by the issue or legislation to make your argument more compelling.
Stay “on message.” You will have limited time, so try your best to stay on topic and focus on your goal.
Don’t be afraid to say, "I don't know.” You don’t have to be an expert to meet with your elected officials. If you don't know the answer to a question, be honest and tell your legislator that you’ll do some research and get back to him or her with more information – a great opportunity to contact them again to remind them that their constituents care about this issue!
Set deadlines. An official who hasn't taken a formal position on an issue or a piece of legislation won’t typically commit to one in the middle of a meeting. If he or she has to think about it, or if you are meeting with a staff member, ask when you should follow up with them.

After Your Meeting

Take stock. Immediately after your meeting, go to a quiet location with your group and compare notes – but be aware of who’s around you. Make note of any action your elected officials (or their staff members) committed to take and write down any follow up information you promised to send to them.
Follow up. Write personal thank-you notes while the meeting is fresh in your mind. Remind the official of any promises made at the meeting! If you promised to send additional information, try to follow up as soon as possible. Let us know if you need help answering a question by sending us an email at citizenlobbying@defenders.org.
Be persistent. If the official or staff member doesn't meet the deadline for action you agreed to during the meeting, follow up and request a firm commitment.
Tell us how it went! Defenders would love to hear what happened. Send us an email at citizenlobbying@defenders.org to let us know which points seemed to impress your elected officials, which issues seemed important to them, and what promises they made (or didn't make). This information will help us coordinate our efforts to make the world a better place for wildlife.

Additional Resources

Federal Officials

Contact your Members of Congress in Washington, D.C. by calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or visit their website to find their local office information.

Don’t know who your U.S. Representative is? Find out. Enter your ZIP+4 in the top left hand corner of the page.

Don’t know who your U.S. Senators are? Find out. Locate your state in the drop down menu in the top right hand corner of the page.