5 Steps to Build Relationships With Politicians to Help Secure Government Funding

Despite a lot of turmoil around federal funding, there are still plenty of other sources of government funding that could help your nonprofit.

Cassie Rice worked on Capitol Hill and in North Carolina for former U.S. Rep. David Price for a number of years. She was in charge of the congressman’s schedule. Now, she works in the nonprofit sector as chief operating officer at Gail Perry Group. Rice and Gail Perry, founder and president at Gail Perry Group, shared their knowledge in the session, “Partnering for Impact: How to Engage Elected Officials to Advance Your Nonprofit’s Mission,” at AFP ICON yesterday.

She added that nonprofits are often afraid of government relations due to lobbying laws, but explained that lobbying is advocating for a specific bill, whereas engagement is education. She learned from a foundation representative that nonprofits need to be “cheerfully aggressive.” Otherwise, who will?

“Now, isn't that an empowering message to be cheerfully aggressive, because if we're not doing it, nobody's going to do it. … And your elected officials want to know about [how federal funding cuts have affected your organization], and especially at the state and local level, they need to know how the federal cuts are impacting their constituents.”

Here’s a step-by-step guide from the mother-daughter duo on how to land your next meeting with your local politician.

1. Schedule the Meeting

To avoid the online form and make an impression, Rice suggested always calling to schedule at least the first meeting. Then, follow up with an email to get it in writing. But be sure you have the person in charge of the elected official's schedule.

”I would say, ‘My nonprofit does X, Y and Z for your constituents,’” Rice said. “‘Our objective for meeting with you is X, Y and Z.’ And ‘When can we meet with the congressman?’ Not a, ’I would like to meet with him.’ Or, ‘May I please?’ It’s a ’When can I?’”

Remember to be cheerfully aggressive. Also, ensure you’re clear about why you want the meeting to allow staff to prepare your elected official on the issue you want to address.

The meeting could be the next week, the next month or farther out, so don’t wait until the last minute to reach out.

If the person is uncooperative or you don’t agree with the official’s policies, stay persistent but respectful. Your constituents are the politician’s constituents, so it’s in their best interest to help.

Also, don’t count out state and local fundraising, which may include revenue from hotel tax and alcohol tax.

“And so if your funding is at risk and your official won’t meet, [look for funding] at other levels of government, because sometimes the cities and the counties will step forward, maybe not to cover all the federal shortfall, but they want to know,” Perry said.

2. Prepare for the Meeting

In addition to stating the purpose of the meeting when scheduling it, send over an agenda in advance to show what you want to accomplish. Include details about how the government impacts your organization and how the elected official can help.

3. Make the Most of the Meeting

It’s vital to get the politician’s attention, but it’s also crucial to build a relationship with the public official’s gatekeeper, often the scheduler or legislative assistant at the federal level, Rice said, suggesting you bring them a coffee.

“You will forever be known as the person who brings a coffee to the meeting for the staffer, because they are working very hard to make sure that their elected official has what they need for this meeting, and so that they look and feel very smart,” Rice said. “The staffers usually get overlooked.”

But don’t worry that the gesture could create ill-will with the politician. Rice noted elected officials often have staff to bring them coffee, while their staff does not. The exception would be if the politician has no staff. Then, bring the elected official coffee, she said.

For the politician, don’t bring handouts — they’ll end up in the recycling bin. Instead, share a constituent story. Keep it short, make it powerful and limit it to one person or family, Perry said.

“And if you make it really powerful and really short, what's the elected official going to do?” Perry asked. “They're going to remember it. It just might pop up in some of their speeches. So these are the things you offer your elected officials. You have more power than you realize.”

Also, ask questions to find more funding. A U.S. representative or senator can even help your organization find funding at the state, county and local levels.

“Think about it,” Rice said. “If you have a legislative assistant coming from Washington to a county commissioner or legislative staffer in the state legislature, that stands out. ‘I'm calling from Congressman X's office.’ That stands out, and you're going to get more attention that way.”

4. Follow Up After the Meeting

After the meeting, be sure to send a follow-up email and thank the gatekeeper. Rice suggested mentioning you’re the “weird person who brought the coffee” and ask a simple question, like “What’s the status?”

“Then it's really easy to respond,” she said. “And we want to respond because we would want another coffee.”

Aside from bringing coffee, another way to build rapport with staff is to speak highly of them to the elected official or a higher ranking staff member.

Once you have a good rapport, you’ll have better access to your elected official. Rice also recommended having twice-a-year in-person meetings plus sending monthly email updates. Those emails can share what the organization has been up to, as well as the impact of the funding.

“Even if they don't respond, they will have it in their inbox, so that when they need to go look for it, it will be there,” she said. “And that is just an easy way to develop a relationship.”

Bonus: Invite Them to Your Events

Invite your elected officials to ribbon cuttings or to tour your building. They want to be seen in the community and want the photo op, so distribute a press release with a picture of their appearance or them rolling up their sleeves and helping your nonprofit.

“I know that my former boss would get invited to go to visit nonprofit organizations all the time,” Rice said. “And he was really excited because that meant he was going to … talk to other people that he wouldn't normally have access to, and that was huge.”