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Tips for Effective Advocacy:
Write a Letter to Your Legislator

You are the reason UMass will become a priority for your MA state Representative and Senator. A legislator always has time to hear from registered voters in his or her district-especially ones who vote!

Best Practices

Letters are an effective method for contacting your legislators. This personal contact reflects your time spent in considering the issue and crafting a message. Legislators usually respond to constituents' letters.

You will have the most impact contacting your legislator(s) representing your community.

You may also consider contacting members of your local delegation. These are legislators who represent towns surrounding your community. Local delegations often share the same interests and work collaboratively on issues affecting the local area.

Other people to consider contacting include legislators in leadership positions like the Speaker of the House, the Senate President, and the chairpeople of the Higher Education Committee. Legislators' committee assignments are available on their web-sites.

How to Contact Your Legislators:

If you don't know who your MA state legislators.

Each legislator has a web page with contact information. The legislative directory gives you easy access.

You can call your local city or town clerk -- they can be found in the white pages of your telephone directory under your town government.

You can contact Advocacy Programs at 413-545-2560 or Cheryl L. Dukes for assistance.

Write to your MA state Representative:

Address your envelope:

The Honorable [First Name Last Name]
Massachusetts House of Representatives
State House
Boston, MA 02133

Salutation for your letter:

Dear Representative [Last Name]:

Write to your MA state Senator:

Address your envelope:

The Honorable [First Name Last Name]
Massachusetts Senate
State House
Boston, MA 02133

Saluation for your letter:

Dear Senator [Last Name]:

Tips for electronic communication:

Use e-mail with care

Although e-mail is convenient, many legislators do not personally read their messages or respond as faithfully as they do to a letter.

By design, e-mail is an informal means of communication. Messages tend to be "dashed off" and are often full of spelling and grammatical errors.

If you choose to communicate electronically:

Remember the subject line is part of your message. Unclear subject headings may invite disposal before opening.

Review your default backgrounds, wallpaper, pithy quotes, etc. in your email before sending your message. Your email may be printed or copied -- it should be legible in other formats.

Avoid attachments. With viruses running rampant, messages with attachments may be discarded unopened.

Sample E-mail

This letter was written in July 2003 to Representative Jeffrey Perry by UMass Advocate, Diana Jennings of Woods Hole, MA. This letter is reproduced with permission.

Dear Representative Perry,

I am writing to support the Commonwealth College at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The Governor's veto of this particular line item, and the resulting loss of funding for the College, will dangerously affect the ability of the state's flagship university to attract the best students to UMass. This, along with
other severe cuts to the University, runs counter to the Governor's own stated claims that the Amherst campus should be strengthened.

As a Massachusetts citizen who was the first in her family to attend college--- and eventually graduated with a Ph.D., I know firsthand the value of UMass Amherst. My UMass degrees have given me tremendous options.

Please let the University continue to provide a world of opportunities, including those provided by its Commonwealth College, for all of the state's citizens.

Sincerely,
Diana Jennings, Ph.D.
123 Minuteman Way
Metacomet, MA 01234

Tips for all written communication:

Proofread, edit, and manually check your spelling. Presentation is an important part of your message.

Include your return address within your letter/message, so the legislator can respond to your concerns.

Identify yourself as a constituent -- you live and vote in the district.

Be concrete and concise. Make your point and support it with examples.

Things to Remember:

Registered voters get their legislator's undivided attention.

If you are a student, make sure you are registered in your home district.

If you are an out-of-state student, consider registering to vote in Massachusetts and use your school address as your "home" address.

State the purpose of your letter in the beginning.

Support your case with 3-5 clear points. Share your story -- describe your personal connection to the University and why UMass matters to you.

Thank your legislator for past support of UMass. The University's budget is approved each year by all members of the House and Senate.

Focus on the value and impact of UMass. Make the case why UMass should be supported.

Sample Letter

This letter was written in March 2004 to Representative Brian Wallace by UMass Advocate, Kimberly Morin of Boston, MA. This letter is reproduced with permission.

March 29, 2004

The Honorable Brian Wallace
Massachusetts House of Representatives
State House, Room 472
Boston, MA 02133

Dear Representative Wallace:

Please support and fully fund UMass. The University has submitted a $392 million budget request for the five-campus system. This just covers mandatory obligations -- salaries and operating costs.

This request represents a $30 million increase from last year and is necessary. For the past three years, approved salary increases for faculty and staff went unfunded. In January, the legislature began funding the salary increases; therefore, the University must include these increased costs in its budget request.

The Governor's recommended appropriation will not fully meet the University's obligations. We need more - increased funding is vital for the continuation of a strong state university.

As you may know, UMass provides a great, affordable, public education to our own citizens. Nearly 80,000 alumni live, work, pay taxes, and vote in the Commonwealth. Essentially, the students that benefit from UMass are people that stay in Massachusetts.

As a senior at Turners Falls High School in 1988, I initially treated UMass Amherst as the total "last resort" choice. I was more concerned with attending what I believed to be a reputable name university or college than I was with the quality of the education. I attended UMass Amherst because it was the only good school I could afford without signing my life away to Sallie Mae. Well, it turned out to be a great school and my experience there was awesome. The classes, network of people and programs far exceeded my expectations. I took advantage of a National Student Exchange Program, swam 4 years on the UMass Women's Swim Team, designed my own internship with the Department of Environmental Management for course credit, and had my first introduction to the fine arts. All this was right in my own backyard.

During the budget debate, I'm sure you will be forced to make hard decisions about what to fund and where to economize. Please remember that the University needs to be a priority even in tough times. Please support funding for UMass.

Sincerely,

Kimberly A. Morin

If you have questions or need assistance, contact Advocacy Programs at 413-545-2560.

Remember to "Close the Loop" and send us a copy of your letter.

© 2005 University of Massachusetts Amherst. Site Policies.
This site is maintained by Advocacy Programs.

		Home: Resources
Home UMass Advocates Current Action The Volunteer Archives Resources for Advocacy		Tips for Effective Advocacy: Write a Letter to Your Legislator You are the reason UMass will become a priority for your MA state Representative and Senator. A legislator always has time to hear from registered voters in his or her district-especially ones who vote! Best Practices Letters are an effective method for contacting your legislators. This personal contact reflects your time spent in considering the issue and crafting a message. Legislators usually respond to constituents' letters. You will have the most impact contacting your legislator(s) representing your community. You may also consider contacting members of your local delegation. These are legislators who represent towns surrounding your community. Local delegations often share the same interests and work collaboratively on issues affecting the local area. Other people to consider contacting include legislators in leadership positions like the Speaker of the House, the Senate President, and the chairpeople of the Higher Education Committee. Legislators' committee assignments are available on their web-sites. How to Contact Your Legislators: If you don't know who your MA state legislators. Each legislator has a web page with contact information. The legislative directory gives you easy access. You can call your local city or town clerk -- they can be found in the white pages of your telephone directory under your town government. You can contact Advocacy Programs at 413-545-2560 or Cheryl L. Dukes for assistance. Write to your MA state Representative: Address your envelope: The Honorable [First Name Last Name] Massachusetts House of Representatives State House Boston, MA 02133 Salutation for your letter: Dear Representative [Last Name]: Write to your MA state Senator: Address your envelope: The Honorable [First Name Last Name] Massachusetts Senate State House Boston, MA 02133 Saluation for your letter: Dear Senator [Last Name]: Tips for electronic communication: Use e-mail with care Although e-mail is convenient, many legislators do not personally read their messages or respond as faithfully as they do to a letter. By design, e-mail is an informal means of communication. Messages tend to be "dashed off" and are often full of spelling and grammatical errors. If you choose to communicate electronically: Remember the subject line is part of your message. Unclear subject headings may invite disposal before opening. Review your default backgrounds, wallpaper, pithy quotes, etc. in your email before sending your message. Your email may be printed or copied -- it should be legible in other formats. Avoid attachments. With viruses running rampant, messages with attachments may be discarded unopened. Sample E-mail This letter was written in July 2003 to Representative Jeffrey Perry by UMass Advocate, Diana Jennings of Woods Hole, MA. This letter is reproduced with permission. Dear Representative Perry, I am writing to support the Commonwealth College at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Governor's veto of this particular line item, and the resulting loss of funding for the College, will dangerously affect the ability of the state's flagship university to attract the best students to UMass. This, along with other severe cuts to the University, runs counter to the Governor's own stated claims that the Amherst campus should be strengthened. As a Massachusetts citizen who was the first in her family to attend college--- and eventually graduated with a Ph.D., I know firsthand the value of UMass Amherst. My UMass degrees have given me tremendous options. Please let the University continue to provide a world of opportunities, including those provided by its Commonwealth College, for all of the state's citizens. Sincerely, Diana Jennings, Ph.D. 123 Minuteman Way Metacomet, MA 01234 Tips for all written communication: Proofread, edit, and manually check your spelling. Presentation is an important part of your message. Include your return address within your letter/message, so the legislator can respond to your concerns. Identify yourself as a constituent -- you live and vote in the district. Be concrete and concise. Make your point and support it with examples. Things to Remember: Registered voters get their legislator's undivided attention. If you are a student, make sure you are registered in your home district. If you are an out-of-state student, consider registering to vote in Massachusetts and use your school address as your "home" address. State the purpose of your letter in the beginning. Support your case with 3-5 clear points. Share your story -- describe your personal connection to the University and why UMass matters to you. Thank your legislator for past support of UMass. The University's budget is approved each year by all members of the House and Senate. Focus on the value and impact of UMass. Make the case why UMass should be supported. Sample Letter This letter was written in March 2004 to Representative Brian Wallace by UMass Advocate, Kimberly Morin of Boston, MA. This letter is reproduced with permission. March 29, 2004 The Honorable Brian Wallace Massachusetts House of Representatives State House, Room 472 Boston, MA 02133 Dear Representative Wallace: Please support and fully fund UMass. The University has submitted a $392 million budget request for the five-campus system. This just covers mandatory obligations -- salaries and operating costs. This request represents a $30 million increase from last year and is necessary. For the past three years, approved salary increases for faculty and staff went unfunded. In January, the legislature began funding the salary increases; therefore, the University must include these increased costs in its budget request. The Governor's recommended appropriation will not fully meet the University's obligations. We need more - increased funding is vital for the continuation of a strong state university. As you may know, UMass provides a great, affordable, public education to our own citizens. Nearly 80,000 alumni live, work, pay taxes, and vote in the Commonwealth. Essentially, the students that benefit from UMass are people that stay in Massachusetts. As a senior at Turners Falls High School in 1988, I initially treated UMass Amherst as the total "last resort" choice. I was more concerned with attending what I believed to be a reputable name university or college than I was with the quality of the education. I attended UMass Amherst because it was the only good school I could afford without signing my life away to Sallie Mae. Well, it turned out to be a great school and my experience there was awesome. The classes, network of people and programs far exceeded my expectations. I took advantage of a National Student Exchange Program, swam 4 years on the UMass Women's Swim Team, designed my own internship with the Department of Environmental Management for course credit, and had my first introduction to the fine arts. All this was right in my own backyard. During the budget debate, I'm sure you will be forced to make hard decisions about what to fund and where to economize. Please remember that the University needs to be a priority even in tough times. Please support funding for UMass. Sincerely, Kimberly A. Morin If you have questions or need assistance, contact Advocacy Programs at 413-545-2560. Remember to "Close the Loop" and send us a copy of your letter.

		© 2005 University of Massachusetts Amherst. Site Policies. This site is maintained by Advocacy Programs.