Supporting your Policy & Advocacy Engagement
Overview
Through year-round learning events, our Policy Online Community, and meaningful opportunities to deepen relationships with your state and federal policymakers and resources; we are here to equip all CMF members in your policy and advocacy engagement to advance transformative and systemic change.
Philanthropy can serve as a critical partner on key policy issues as we work to advance thriving, more equitable communities. As illustrated in the graphic below, Michigan philanthropy plays many important roles including bringing people together, serving as thought partners, elevating community needs, engaging in ongoing learning, championing community-centered problem solving and leveraging resources.
Connect with Your Representative to Share the Value of Philanthropy!
Cultivating relationships with our elected officials creates connections that can help foundations and policymakers alike all be more effective in working alongside communities. Our team is sharing resources to help you schedule meetings with policymakers and plan for productive and engaging conversations together. If you are not able to see or access the resources below, please log in, as many of these are only available to CMF members.
Find Your U.S. Representative
Use the links below and enter your home zip code, the zip code of your office or the zip code of the area where you do your grantmaking to locate the member of Congress serving those addresses. A congressional district map will appear along with contact information for the Washington D.C. office. Clicking on a Congressional member’s name under their photo will take you to their website, where you can identify district office contact information.
Research Your Policymaker's Priorities
Review our CMF-developed policymaker profiles with highlights on committee and caucus assignments and policymaker bios. This will allow you to better understand issues of importance to your policymaker so that you can tailor your meeting request and inform the stories you want to share during your meeting.
Request a Meeting
Most lawmaker websites have a link that will allow you to request a meeting. We encourage you to complete the office’s official scheduling form as well as contact the local district office(s) via phone. Suggest a meeting date, time and location. In your request, be sure to include information about who you are, why you are requesting the meeting and the names of any colleagues or grantee partners who may accompany you. Do not hesitate to call the office if you do not receive a response to your initial request.
The Council on Foundations has put together a helpful template for requesting a meeting with your lawmakers that you may also reference.
We're also sharing a sample meeting request below that you can use as a reference as you're scheduling meetings with your U.S Representative(s).
View the Sample Meeting Request
Plan for Additional Touchpoints with Policymakers
Your engagement with Michigan’s congressional delegation and staff can extend beyond the request for a one-on-one meeting. You can also invite lawmakers and their staff to:
- Participate in a site visit with your organization and grantee partners.
- Join a staff meeting to provide a congressional update.
- Join a board meeting to provide a congressional update.
In any of the above meeting scenarios, be prepared to share stories and data about your organization and ways that you are fostering community trust, strengthening cross-sector partnerships and nurturing collaboration. Foundations serve as conveners, bridge builders and advocates on issues impacting the sector and local communities – these roles can be highly important to policymakers who recognize the importance of relationship building.
Additional Resources for Meetings
Below are talking points and backgrounders on key legislation that CMF prepared for CMF members who engaged in the 2025 Foundations on the Hill event in Washington, D.C.
Connect with us!
CMF’s Government Relations Public Policy Team is available to present to your staff or your Board on topics related to policy and advocacy, including how all of Michigan philanthropy can engage in advocacy efforts, examples from the field and more. If you are interested, please contact the team.
Nathan Murphy
Senior Policy, Practice and Government Relations Coordinator
