Communications for

DC Advocates:
How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years

Templates for written advocacy

communications

September 2011

Susie Cambria, MSW 4006 Hamilton Street  Hyattsville, MD  20781

Public Policy Consultant Phone: 301.832.2339  Email: mailto:secambria@gmail.com  Web: http://susiecambria.blogspot.com
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LETTER TO MAYOR TEMPLATE (1 page)

Date

The Honorable (first name and last name)

Mayor of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite (suite number)
Washington, DC  20004

Salutation
Dear Mr. Mayor OR Dear Mayor (last name):

First Paragraph
1. If you represent an organization, start with a statement about your organization including the
ward in which you are located and the population served.  If you are a resident, start with the
ward in which you live.
2. Briefly explain why you are writing.  Include a short statement about the consequences of
doing nothing (keep to one/two sentences).
3. Thank the official for taking an interest in the issue (if applicable).

Middle Paragraphs
1. Solutions/recommendations, action you want taken.  Be specific.
2. What it will take for the solutions/recommendations to be implemented—funding, policy
change, practice shift, compliance with existing law
3. Party responsible for implementing changes
4. Consequences of doing nothing
5. How you will know changes have occurred.  Be sure to include measureable outcomes.

Last Paragraph
1. Summarize the issue and action you want taken
2. Offer assistance and be sure to provide your phone and email

Sincerely,

Your signature—handwritten if being mailed or hand-delivered or electronically if being emailed

Your name typed

Your title

Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years, Templates for the written materials
by Suzanne Cambria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
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LETTER TO MEMBERS OF THE DC COUNCIL TEMPLATE (1 page)

Date

The Honorable (first name and last name)

Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite (suite number)
Washington, DC  20004

Salutation
Dear Councilmember (last name):

First Paragraph
4. If you represent an organization, start with a statement about your organization including the
ward in which you are located and the population served.  If you are a resident, start with the
ward in which you live.
5. Briefly explain why you are writing.  Include a short statement about the consequences of
doing nothing (keep to one/two sentences).
6. Thank the official for taking an interest in the issue (if applicable).

Middle Paragraphs
6. Solutions/recommendations, action you want taken.  Be specific.
7. What it will take for the solutions/recommendations to be implemented—funding, policy
change, practice shift, compliance with existing law
8. Party responsible for implementing changes
9. Consequences of doing nothing
10. How you will know changes have occurred.  Be sure to include measureable outcomes.

Last Paragraph
3. Summarize the issue and action you want taken
4. Offer assistance and be sure to provide your phone and email

Sincerely,

Your signature—handwritten if being mailed or hand-delivered or electronically if being emailed

Your name typed

Your title

Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years, Templates for the written materials
by Suzanne Cambria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
 3

LETTER TO ANCs TEMPLATE (1 page)

Date

Commissioner (first and last name), ANC (SMD number)

(address)
Washington, DC  (zip)

Salutation
Dear Commissioner (last name):

First Paragraph
7. If you represent an organization, start with a statement about your organization including the
ward in which you are located and the population served.  If you are a resident, start with the
ANC and ward in which you live.
8. Briefly explain why you are writing.  Include a short statement about the consequences of
doing nothing (keep to one/two sentences).
9. Thank the official for taking an interest in the issue (if applicable).

Middle Paragraphs
11. Solutions/recommendations, action you want taken.  Be specific.
12. What it will take for the solutions/recommendations to be implemented—funding, policy
change, practice shift, compliance with existing law
13. Party responsible for implementing changes
14. Consequences of doing nothing
15. How you will know changes have occurred.  Be sure to include measureable outcomes.

Last Paragraph
5. Summarize the issue and action you want taken
6. Offer assistance and be sure to provide your phone and email

Sincerely,

Your signature—handwritten if being mailed or hand-delivered or electronically if being emailed

Your name typed

Your title

TESTIMONY TEMPLATE (3 pages)

Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years, Templates for the written materials
by Suzanne Cambria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
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Testimony before the (committee name)

regarding (bill number and bill name or subject in
notice)

by
(your name and title)
(your organization, if applicable)

(Date)

Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years, Templates for the written materials
by Suzanne Cambria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
 5

First paragraph
1. Testimony typically includes the opener “Good morning Chairman Smith OR Mr. Chairman and
members of the Committee on XYZ.”

2. If you represent an organization, start with a statement about your organization including the
ward in which you are located and the population served.  If you are a resident, start with the
ward in which you live.

Example:
Good morning Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee on (rest of committee name). I
am (your name) and I am the (your title or role) at (organization). (Organization's mission). We
are located in (ward(s)) and serve (brief description of population and number served last year
or the last quarter).

3. Next briefly explain why you are writing.  Include a short statement about the consequences of
doing nothing (keep to one/two sentences).  Be sure to include a list of the agencies/divisions
involved. 

Middle Paragraphs
1. Details about the problem.  Include analysis, data, charts, and tables.

2. Solutions/recommendations, action you want taken.  Be specific.

3. What it will take for the solutions/recommendations to be implemented—funding, policy

change, practice shift, compliance with existing law

4. Party responsible for implementing changes

5. Consequences of doing nothing

6. How you will know changes have occurred.  Be sure to include measureable outcomes.

Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years, Templates for the written materials
by Suzanne Cambria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
 6

Last Paragraph
1. Summarize the issue and action you want taken

2. Thank the chair and the committee for the opportunity to comment

3. Offer assistance.  In testimony include a statement such as “If you have any questions, I would
be happy to answer them.”  If you are submitting a statement for the record, include the names
of people who can respond to questions as well as the phone numbers and email at which they
can be reached.

Example:
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. Should you have any questions, I
would be happy to answer them. Feel free to contact me after the hearing with questions; my
phone is (telephone number, note if cell) and my email is (email address).

Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years, Templates for the written materials
by Suzanne Cambria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
 7

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD TEMPLATE (3 pages)

Statement for the Record

to the (committee name)
regarding (bill number and bill name or
subject in notice)

by
(your name and title)
(your organization, if applicable)

(Date)

Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years, Templates for the written materials
by Suzanne Cambria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
 8

First paragraph
4. Introduce yourself with name, title, and organization.

5. If you represent an organization, include a statement about your organization including the
ward in which you are located and the population served.  If you are a resident, start with the
ward in which you live.

Example:
Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee on (rest of committee name). I am (your name)
and I am the (your title or role) at (organization). (Organization's mission). We are located in
(ward(s)) and serve (brief description of population and number served last year or the last
quarter).

6. Next briefly explain why you are writing.  Include a short statement about the consequences of
doing nothing (keep to one/two sentences).  Be sure to include a list of the agencies/divisions
involved. 

Middle Paragraphs
7. Details about the problem.  Include analysis, data, charts, and tables.

8. Solutions/recommendations, action you want taken.  Be specific.

9. What it will take for the solutions/recommendations to be implemented—funding, policy

change, practice shift, compliance with existing law

10. Party responsible for implementing changes

11. Consequences of doing nothing

12. How you will know changes have occurred.  Be sure to include measureable outcomes.

Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years, Templates for the written materials
by Suzanne Cambria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
 9

Last Paragraph
4. Summarize the issue and action you want taken

5. Thank the chair and the committee for the opportunity to comment

6. Offer assistance.  In testimony include a statement such as “If you have any questions, I would
be happy to answer them.”  If you are submitting a statement for the record, include the names
of people who can respond to questions as well as the phone numbers and email at which they
can be reached.

Example:
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to comment on (bill number or hearing subject).
Should you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them. Feel free to contact me; my
phone is (telephone number, note if cell) and my email is (email address).

Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years, Templates for the written materials
by Suzanne Cambria is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.