TELL THEM HOW YOU'RE FEELING...
A New Toolkit for Moving Utah's Members of Congress
Why we created this TOOLKIT
Members of Congress and their staff consistently say the same thing: they pay the most attention to direct, personalized communication from their own constituents. Phone calls, individualized emails, and in-person conversations carry far more weight than petitions, form messages, or social media alone.
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This TOOLKIT was created to make it easy, fast, and effective for Salt Lake Indivisible members to communicate in the ways that research shows actually influence congressional decision-making. You don’t need to be an expert or spend hours on advocacy! A clear message, a specific ask, and your voice as a constituent truly matter. Use this toolkit to focus your energy where it counts. ​​​
In this Toolkit...
utah's Senators
utah REPRESENTATIVES by district
Research-Based TO-DO LIST
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Make 1 “real constituent” contact per week (2–5 minutes). Pick one
___​​Phone call to the DC office (or district office) or
___Individualized email (not a form template)
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​Personalize the message (this is the magic ingredient)
Include at least two of the following:
___A specific ask (“Please vote YES/NO on ___” or
___“Please co-sponsor ___”)
___ Local/district impact (“This affects Salt Lake families by…”)
___Your reason for supporting/opposing the measure
___A short personal story (2–3 sentences)
Why: Staff report it’s not the delivery method, it’s the content; personalization and local impact are particularly helpful.
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​Show up where Members feel gravity: district office hours, town halls, public events.
Do one per month:
___Attend an in-person town hall / public forum
___Go to district office hours
___Ask a clear question and repeat your specific ask
Why: In-person constituent visits are among the highest-impact advocacy strategies in staff surveys.
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If you can, request a meeting with staff (it counts)
___Ask for the district director or relevant legislative aide
___Bring 1–2 neighbors (small is good)
___Leave behind a one-page summary of your ask
Why: CMF’s research emphasizes the power of constituent engagement and relationships with offices.
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​Use a “formal, respectful” tone, even when you’re furious...
___Polite + firm beats spicy + chaotic
___Short, clear, specific
Why: Research on government communications finds formality can increase perceived credibility and effectiveness.
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​Follow up once (this is how “one contact” becomes a relationship)
Within 48 hours:
___Send a brief thank-you
___Re-state the ask
___Ask for the office’s position
Why: Congressional offices treat constituent communications as a high priority, and sustained constituent engagement is a core influence pathway.
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​Social media: use it to amplify, not as your only tactic.
___Comment publicly only if you clearly identify as a constituent
___Then do #1 (call/email) anyway
Why: Staff use social media to understand views, but it tends to be less influential on undecided Members because offices often can’t verify commenters are constituents.
​SUGGESTED TOPICS (whatever has you most irritated)
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600,000 children have died from USAID cuts so far...
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SNAP (AKA food stamps) cuts
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Trump has invaded and plans to occupy Venezuela--without authorization from Congress. This is blatantly unconstitutional.
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Medicaid cuts
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No extension of ACA tax credits
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Lack of Covid vaccines/anti-vax policies/lack of expertise at HHS, CDC, etc.
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ICE kidnappings/separating families (even those undergoing cancer treatments) - at least 30 have died in ICE detention centers so far...
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Also: Remind them of Trump's cratering approval numbers and that they might want to distance themselves from his administration and listen to their constituents.
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Sources for Our Recommendations
Most are collected by Chat GPT. ​
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Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), Communicating with Congress: Perceptions of Citizen Advocacy on Capitol Hill (influence of calls, individualized messages, in-person visits; importance of personalization and local impact). https://www.congressfoundation.org/research
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Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), Citizen-Centric Advocacy: The Untapped Power of Constituent Engagement (relationship-building and constituent engagement best practices). https://www.congressfoundation.org/research
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Congressional Research Service (2026) The Impact of Electronic Media on Member Communications (background on how constituent communication channels function and scale). https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R44509
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Linos, E., Lasky-Fink, J., Larkin, C., Moore, L., & Kirkman, E. (2023). The formality effect (HKS Faculty Research Working Paper Series No. RWP23-009). Harvard Kennedy School. https://www.hks.harvard.edu/publications/formality-effect
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