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Advocacy Resources

Created in partnership with the Advocacy Subcommittee of the Committee on Equal Opportunity and Diversity (CEOD) and the Lamar Soutter Library.

Advocacy Agencies and Toolkits


Research America Advocacy Toolkit

This site includes multiple educational resources on navigating advocacy issue including the structure of Congressional meetings, how to prepare a written testimony, crafting emails to your representatives, and more. 

 

 

 

 

Community Advocacy Toolkit (PDF)

A joint effort between four divisions of the American Psychological Association (APA)'s Divisions 17, 27, and 45, this toolkit highlights different forms of advocacy strategies to inform policy at the state and local levels and to build a community of grassroots psychologist advocates that can intervene to promote well-being in the communities in which they reside.

American Psychological Association: Advocacy
Includes information and resources on prominent issues and mechanisms for taking action, by sharing your expertise as a psychologist with lawmakers to establish priorities, improve decision-making, and resolve policy issues.                                                                                                                                              

 

 

 

Writing Advocacy Letters: Tips and Templates

Making a Difference: Writing to Policymakers

Never under estimate your personal power! You can make your voice heard to your representatives - below are a few guiding principles for writing letters:

  1. Clarity and Conciseness: Keep letters to one page, focusing on a single issue. 
  2. Personalization: Encourage advocates to share their own stories and how the issue affects them or their community. 
  3. Respectful Tone: Maintain a professional and courteous tone, even when disagreeing with a policy.
  4. Specificity: Include bill numbers, policy names, and relevant details. 
  5. Call to Action: Clearly state what you want the policymaker to do (e.g., support a bill, allocate funding, etc.). 
  6. Constituent Information: Emphasize that the writer is a constituent. 

Additional Policy Advocacy Resources

Letter Writing to Policymakers and Legislators: Addtional Resources

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Writing Your Elected Representatives

Letters and faxes are an extremely effective way of communicating with your elected officials. This site includes tips on how to make your letter more effective



American Psychological Association Response Center to Policy Changes

Provides information, resources, and policy insights in support of navigating recent and proposed policy changes that impact the field of psychology and all those who are served by the work.


National Center for Health Research (NCHR): Writing to Policymakers
This site includes tips for writing your email, how to find email addresses and addressing your letter, tips for contacting state and local officials, and a sample letter.