Advocacy

Writing an Effective Letter

What to do

  1. Use your full name, address, and phone number for proper identification and credibility.
  2. Sign your name legibly. Type your letter if possible.
  3. Be well informed of the subjects you are writing about.
  4. Be courteous and, when appropriate, personal.
  5. Identify the subject of your letter by bill number, title, and issues, if possible.
  6. State the reasons for the position you are taking. Give facts.
  7. Indicate how you and others are/will be affected.
  8. Use your own words. When using materials provided by organizations, paraphrase the information.
  9. Decide whether or not to mention that you belong to any particular organizatios depending on what you are writing about. Sometimes grassroots letters have greater impact. (P-FLAG is widely known and respected.)
  10. Request specific action without making undue demands.
  11. When you receive a reply, follow up with a thank you letter.
  12. On State and local matters, send a copy of your letter to local publications.

 

What not to do

  1. Do not make demands.
  2. Do not send mimeographed or photocopied letters.
  3. When using preprinted materials (with arguments, information, reasons, etc.) do not copy information verbatim. Tailor the material to your own experience.

 

Sources:
1. Preston, J. (1991). The big gay book: A man's survival guide for the 90's. New York, NY: Plume.

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