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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...

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utah's Senators

MOCs

utah REPRESENTATIVES by district

ToDoList
Research-Based TO-DO LIST

  1. 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)
     

  2. ​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.
     

  3. ​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.
     

  4. 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.
     

  5. ​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.
     

  6. ​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.
     

  7. ​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...

  • SNAP (AKA food stamps) cuts

  • Trump has invaded and plans to occupy Venezuela--without authorization from Congress. This is blatantly unconstitutional. 

  • Medicaid cuts

  • No extension of ACA tax credits

  • Lack of Covid vaccines/anti-vax policies/lack of expertise at HHS, CDC, etc.

  • 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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Topics
SourcesRecs
Sources for Our Recommendations


Most are collected by Chat GPT. ​

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