Advocacy Toolkit: Strategies

Our common goal is to advance sleep care and enhance sleep health to improve lives; one of the main ways this can be achieved is through advocacy efforts of individuals. As an advocate, we appreciate your commitment to addressing issues affecting patients with sleep disorders and commend your decision to take part in these advocacy initiatives.

What should I know when starting my advocacy efforts? 

While communicating with legislators, it is important to remember that they are bombarded by individuals and organizations constantly on the countless number of issues affecting the world today. To make an impact on your legislator, remember: 

  • State your relationship: Be sure to clearly state that you are a constituent and live in the legislator’s district  
  • Be personal: Legislators and their staff are more apt to pay attention to a personal letter or phone call than a form letter with no personalization. 
  • Pick your battle: Focus on one or two issues instead of every concern you may have.  
  • Be clear and concise: State your case in a brief and understandable manner; do not use acronyms or jargon. 
  • Be prepared: Do any necessary research to be able to address any questions your legislator may have and address counterarguments to your position. 
  • Be helpful and thankful: Offer assistance for follow-up and thank your legislator for their time and/or support.  

How do I contact my legislator? 

Face-to-Face 

Any opportunity to meet your legislators face-to-face will provide the most impact for you and your cause. When the U.S. House of Representatives or Senate are in session, meetings must be held in the legislator’s Washington D.C. office; when not in session, the legislator may meet with you in their state office. Only schedule meetings with your legislators; do not attempt to speak with elected officials for whom you are not a constituent.  

Remember: 

  • Be flexible. For the best possibility of speaking with a legislator, be flexible as to the time and location of the meeting, if possible. 
  • Your legislator is very busy; it may only be possible for you to meet with their staff and the meeting may be short. 
  • Plan in advance. Make an appointment at least a month in advance. 
  • Know your legislator. Have a clear understanding of their position on issues related to your topic of interest, as well as committees they serve on. 
  • Be prepared. Arrive early. Have your research, talking points and supporting materials ready. Have evidence to back up your position. Prepare supplemental materials to leave with your legislator’s office. 
  • Ask for something! Ask your legislator for a specific action or commitment. Do not waste your opportunity by not having a specific goal for the meeting. 

Phone Call 

If you cannot schedule an appointment with your legislator, then you can contact them through a phone call. Your legislator will most likely not be able to speak with you directly, but you can speak with a legislative assistant or correspondent, preferably one who specializes in health issues. Remember: 

  • Approach the meeting as you would an in-person appointment; be flexible, contact the office when the necessary individual is available, and be prepared to thoroughly discuss your concerns.  
  • Follow up with an email or letter to reiterate your position with supplementary materials if needed.  

Letter/Email 

It is also beneficial to contact your legislator through either letter or email. Remember to follow the tips outlined above and include your contact information with your letter or email. See Effectively Writing your Legislator for more help drafting your letter. Contact information for each governing body can be found: 

Federal Legislators 

State Legislators 

Involve the Press 

If you have already directly contacted your legislator, another avenue to increase support for your issue, as well as remind your legislator of the issue in a public setting, is to submit a letter/email/editorial to your local newspaper/news organizations advocating for your specific issue.  

For more information regarding patient advocacy initiatives, please contact us at [email protected] or (630) 737-9700