Easy Letter Writing Meetings for Appropriations Impact

Easy Letter-Writing Meetings for Impact

We organize outreach activities in our communities to educate new people and to engage them. Experience tells us that the best way to engage new people is to put them into action. Here are some very simple ways to educate, put people into action, and ultimately give them a taste of making a difference. Hopefully it will keep them coming back and let decision makers know people care about our issues.

1. Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria Letter Writing

1. Have everyone introduce themselves briefly.
2. Ask people to share why they are there.
3. You share why you do RESULTS work-speak to how the work connects with your personal values. Remember to do it in short laser talk style.
4. Introduce the issue with two short videos:
   • 90 second video showing the “Lazarus Effect” of AIDS treatment
   • Video on 10 years of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria
5. Ask for reactions to the films.
6. Read together out loud the Global Fund Appropriations Request Sheet
7. Teach the EPIC format for speaking and writing powerfully. Let people know they will use it for writing a letter to their member of Congress. Teach the laser talk like we do on the conference call:
   • Deliver it and have everyone listen.
   • Deliver it again and leave some blanks to fill in out loud.
   • Go through it agani and ask people to think the answers to the blanks
   • Ask them to pair up and practice. Here is a laser talk you might use.
8. Have everyone write letters to their representative or senator. Let them know that you want the letters ready to send at the end of the meeting.
9. Ask if someone would like to read their letter to the group.
10. Make sure the letters get delivered to the members of Congress.
11. Ask people how the experience was for them.
12. Let them know when your next meeting is.

Jorimon Khan of Bangladesh: Example of Microfinance Success

Microfinance Appropriations Request Sheet

Microfinance Laser Talk

You will find similar outlines for letter writing meetings on child survival & maternal health and education later this week.