Each story should be told in about 60-90 seconds.

When contacting legislators, Nancy advises citizen advocates to use the formula: ABCs + P. In other words, be:

• ACCURATE
• BRIEF
• COURTEOUS, and
• PERSISTENT

You need not be an expert—you just need to care, and not give up. 

When framing a story:

• Provide brief background and context. Give your name, where you live and the group (if any) you are associated with or representing. Mention the number of people served, or who might be impacted, in the elected official's district.
• Say what you want to call to their attention. "I'm very concerned about...."
• Say what you'd like them to do. "Please vote for...."
• Give them something in writing—a fact sheet or brochure.

As time allows:

• Paint a brief "word picture" about your own situation or someone the program helped.
• Mention something you are doing now, that WORKS.
• Note how this effort will help their community.
• Remind officials that volunteers, and the non-profit sector, cannot do the job alone. We can't have a "public-private partnership" if the public "partner" opts out.

Quick Ways to make a difference:

• Find your representatives. Look up your state legislators and elected officials.
  
  
• Use the Washington State TOLL-FREE hotline to the State Capitol: 1-800-562-6000. Operators will take your message and send it to your Senator, your legislators, and the Governor. Generally, it takes about two minutes.
  
  
• Send a simple email message. Mention the issue or bill number in the subject line; state clearly what you want the legislator to do. Be sure to put your home address so they know that you live in their legislative district. Keep it short, polite, and to the point.
  
  
• Talk to anybody who will listen: at a meeting, in a grocery store line, after services at your faith community. Get your key issues onto other voters' radar screens. If we are silent then politicians do not have the information they need to make useful and accurate policy and funding decisions.

Other useful advocacy resources can be found on the Advisory Council's website.

More about Nancy Amidei: Nancy recently retired from the University of Washington School of Social Work as a faculty member. She continues to direct the Civic Engagement Project (CEP), which works with non-profit organizations throughout the country, and she is a writer, teacher and advocate. She has been involved inside and outside government, including her service in the Carter Administration as a Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.