Contacting your Legislator
Letter Writing Suggestions:
- Keep your letter to one page.
- Get your organization's board chairperson to sign the letter.
- Thank officials for this year's Legislative support and for your grant.
- Use specific information to describe your project and how it affects the community.
- Describe whom the program/project will serve, emphasize its public benefits (e.g., promoting education, access for underserved communities, economic impact).
- Use this sample letter to help get you started
Suggestions To Get Legislators Involved:
- Meet with your legislators in the district to talk to them personally about the importance of funding cultural activities.
- Give your legislators posters from your organization or arrange to set up revolving exhibits in their offices.
- Invite legislators to performances, openings, classes and publicly recognize them at the events, giving them an opportunity to speak.
- Add legislators to your mailing lists for events, media announcements and newsletters.
- Follow-up with any offers you make to meet, send invitations, provide further information, etc. Legislators should be treated like corporate supporters.
- For more information on meeting with elected officials to advocate for increased cultural funding, visit the Minnesota Citizens for the Arts website.