When your advocacy group is working on an issue, government outreach will be a significant part of your efforts. You and others in your advocacy group should become familiar with key elected officials and their staff members. Make a point to find out who does what, and cultivate relationships with as many staff as you can.

Make Friends in High Places

Ideally, to cultivate relationships with your elected officials, you should meet directly with those officials. You should also attend public events that these officials are also likely to attend. But recognize that elected officials must juggle many public concerns, and they cannot attend every event or meeting to which they are invited. When an official is unable to attend an event or meeting, a member of the official's staff may attend to represent the official.

In addition to being an elected official's representatives, staffers also act as gatekeepers. They vet and summarize information, and decide what to share with their boss. They are the elected official's primary source of information, because they pay attention to constituents' concerns full time.

Find Out Who Does What

The staffing structure of both executive and legislative offices is generally the same. If you are planning to reach out to a mayor, a city or county council member, or state or federal legislators, here's what to expect for staff roles.

Secretary: Your first point of contact is likely to be someone in a secretarial role. Your elected official may have a staff member dedicated to answering the phone, but in many cases this person also has many other duties. In some cases, the secretary is also the scheduler. No matter how the office work is assigned, your first point of contact is extremely important. This person may be very helpful and provide insight that can help you make your case.

Scheduler: The scheduler coordinates the official's calendar. Keep this person's name and number with you on the day of a scheduled appointment with your elected official in case you need to contact them for more directions or instructions on the visit.

Legislative aides and liaisons: A legislative aide is known as the boss's eyes and ears. An aide may be the one who listens to your issues before you get to meet with the elected official (possibly not on the same visit). When you meet with an aide, be prepared with your research findings and good questions based on your research. Use this information to help the aide understand the context of your concerns or requests.

Press secretary: The press secretary may be your primary contact if you are coordinating a press event and inviting the elected official. A press secretary may:

• Fields calls from the press
• Manage public statements
• Coordinate press conferences
• Maintain a record of press activity

Chief of staff: The chief of staff is the head of the office. You are less likely to meet with this person, although you may coordinate with a chief of staff if his or her boss is taking a leadership role on your advocacy issue, or if the office is very small.

Counsel: Legislators and executives use in-house counsel for complex areas of law, such as tax law. 

Learn More

Historic Preservation Advocacy Guide

Find more how-to articles about historic preservation advocacy.