Guidelines for writing letters to Congressional members regarding the NHPRC budget issue: A few things to remember when writing letters: Letters to members of Congress need to clearly define the issue, provide a statement of why the writer is concerned about the issue, and identify an action the member is being asked to take. Letters should be individually composed—form letters will be taken with considerably less seriousness. Letters should be FAXED to the member of Congress. Email is not carefully considered because of the volume coming in. Hard copy letters coming in have to be irradiated prior to being delivered to a member’s office and arrive weeks if not months late. Background information writers can use in composing their letter:
It leads the nation in supporting research and implementing scalable solutions to the challenges of electronic record. While the National Archives concentrates on federal records, the NHPRC assists archival institutions and documentary editors with making non-Federal records that are also essential to our national story and to the daily functioning of our democracy, and even our economy (for example, records of corporate organizations and real estate transactions) accessible. NHPRC grants preserve and make accessible records and documentary editions that sustain the work of biographers, classroom teachers, documentary filmmakers, journalists, lawyers, land surveyors, historians, genealogists, community historians, museum exhibit designers. (see the NHPRC Fact Sheet for more details) NHPRC grants are a good investment. The average non-Federal contribution is almost 50%. Make your case with tangible examples if at all possible.
4. What action needs to be taken? End the letter by asking the member to take a specific action such as:
March 2006 (rev) |