The Borgen Project is an influential ally for the world’s poor. We go big. We work with leaders of the most powerful countries in the world to improve their response to humanitarian issues. For over 20-years, The Borgen Project has been advancing policies and programs that have large scale impact for people hit hardest by war, famine and poverty.
Guide to Send Letters to Editors
Description: A practical guide to writing and submitting Letters to the Editor (LTEs) as a political advocacy tool. Covers how to tailor letters to recent news, what to include (call-to-action, local angle, congressional name-drops), where to submit, and how to find contact information. One of the important elements emphasized is brevity: 150 to 200 words, two to three paragraphs, and includes real published examples across different approaches.
Use Case: For advocates who want to pressure elected officials without a face-to-face meeting. Often used when a relevant bill or news hook is live, naming your specific congressperson directly.
Takeaway: Getting published is itself the strategy; congressional staffers don't read unpublished letters, they monitor what actually runs. That means you're writing for two audiences at once: the editor, who needs a tight news hook from the past seven days, and the staffer, who needs to see their boss's name. A letter that fails to get published fails entirely, which makes the seven-day news window less of a writing tip and more of a hard deadline for the whole action. So the bottom line is: A well-timed letter in a local paper can land inside a senator's office faster than a formal meeting request.
Guide to Lobby Congress
3 Step Mobilization Guide
Description: A practical guide to lobbying Congress. It primarily focuses on having a clear meeting structure, so it flows well and seems to the decision maker that one is prepared: introduce yourself, explain the bill and its current status, address concerns, make the direct ask for a cosponsor, and follow up with a thank-you email within a week. Includes tips on tailoring your message to the specific member, what supplemental materials to bring, and how to think about what both the staffer and the congressperson actually need to hear.
Use Case: For first-time advocates heading into a congressional meeting who want to walk in with a clear script and walk out with an answer.
Takeaway: You’re usually not lobbying the congressperson, you're usually lobbying their staffer, who then has to convince their boss. Your goal is to give them a clear, concise talking point they can easily relay upward, not to explain the bill in detail. The meeting succeeds when the staffer leaves with something simple enough to say in thirty seconds to someone who hasn't read anything. That is also why the message tailoring is especially useful, it explains how to frame the same bill differently depending on whether you’re speaking to a Republican or Democrat. Thus, utilizing the language/trigger words that aligns with their party/stance can be extremely helpful.
Description: A short guide to rapid grassroots mobilization, specifically, how to get as many people as possible to call their congressional representatives in a short window of time. It outlines three steps: write a clear template message that tells people exactly who to call, what to say, and why it matters; identify who in your network is likely to help; then reach out personally and make it feel like an invitation, not an obligation. Includes a sample email and tips on follow-through.
Use Case: For advocates who need to generate a fast wave of constituent calls before an imminent vote or deadline. Use the sample email as a direct template. Importantly, it is effective because it removes every possible barrier: the phone numbers are listed, the script is written, and the time commitment is framed as thirty seconds. Send it to your warmest contacts first, then work outward through your address book.
Takeaway: One of the important highlighted items is the "hanging chad" problem: most people won't act the first time they hear about something, but will after the third or fourth mention. That means your mobilization window isn't one message, it's a drip. The advocates who generate the most calls aren't the ones with the best pitch, they're the ones who keep bringing it up casually until it becomes impossible to ignore. Also be passionate, as Borgen Project mentioned in conversation: “No one cares about how much you know, until they know how much you care!”