Following up after your interactions with Senate and House offices is a critical next step in forming a good, working relationship with your members of Congress and their staff.
You will find three sample letters below, created for various purposes. We encourage you to personalize them with issues that are important to you and with specific facts about your local situation.
We suggest that you send a thank you letter promptly. If you receive a business card from the staffer, you can write to him/her at the email address on the card. Include electronic versions of any materials you originally shared as well as any promised follow-up information. To thank the member of Congress, you can mail a note using contact information for your Senator or Representative in our Action Center . For fastest delivery, mail to the closest State or District Office. Regardless, email a copy of your note to the scheduler and any other staff involved in the meeting.
To help us track our advocacy efforts, please also forward a copy of your thank you letter to Marci Phillips, NCOA’s Director of Public Policy & Advocacy. Please contact Marci with any questions you may have as well.
Sample #1
Send if you met directly with a member of Congress
The Honorable (Representative’s name)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
OR
The Honorable (Senator’s name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20501
Dear Senator/Representative _________________,
I would like to express my appreciation for the opportunity to meet with you when I was in Washington, DC. I know you are very busy, and I am grateful that you made time to talk with me about issues that are important to seniors.
You will recall that we touched on [list the key issues that you discussed, e.g. funding for senior programs, long-term services and supports, or other issues].
[You can include some talking points if you wish, drawing on NCOA’s issue briefs.]
[If you promised to follow up with any other information, include it here.]
I look forward to continuing this relationship and to future meetings with both you and your dedicated staff. In the meantime, if I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
[Your name, title, and organization]
Sample #2
Send to members of Congress when you met with staff only
The Honorable (Representative’s name)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
OR
The Honorable (Senator’s name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20501
Dear Senator/Representative _________________,
I would like to express my appreciation for the opportunity to meet with [Insert staffer’s name] while I was in Washington, DC. I know your staff is very busy, and I was pleased that we were able to meet and discuss issues that are important to seniors.
[Staffer’s Name] and I had a productive conversation about [list the key issues that you discussed, e.g. funding for senior programs, long-term services and supports, or other issues].
[You can include some talking points if you wish, drawing on NCOA’s issue briefs.]
I look forward to continuing this relationship and to future meetings with both you and your dedicated staff. In the meantime, if I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
[Your name, title, and organization]
Sample #3
Send to Congressional staff you met with (use the staff person’s direct email address)
Dear _________________,
I would like to express my appreciation for the opportunity to meet with you when I was in Washington, DC.
You will recall that we touched on [list the key issues that you discussed, e.g. funding for senior programs, long-term services and supports, or other issues].
[You can include some talking points if you wish, drawing on NCOA’s issue briefs.]
[If you promised to follow up with any other information, include it here.]
I look forward to continuing this relationship and to future meetings with you. In the meantime, if I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
[Your name, title, and organization]
