Advocacy Day Frequently Asked Questions

Registration

Advocacy Day preparation requires significant time and money. We ask that you consider waiting to register until you are sure you can commit to attending. FORCE will incur costs and logistical issues as a result of last-minute cancellations.

Meetings are scheduled based on your voting address, so it's important that you register using the address where you are registered to vote. If you have questions about this, please contact our Public Policy staff at [email protected] or 1-866-288-7475 x708.

The registration fee is $25 per person. This helps offset the costs of training, materials, and event coordination. Please let us know if this presents a financial hardship.

FORCE provides training and prep materials as well as more in-depth education regarding the issues and talking points in advance of Advocacy Day. We will arrange conference call/video links for the event, all congressional meetings, and provide a schedule of your appointments (along with the names and contact info of fellow meeting attendees) and. An easy-to-use Advocacy Day web platform will enable you to access everything you need including your meeting schedule, appointment reminders, materials, legislator and bill information, meeting notes, and more. A helpline with day-of support staff will be available should you experience any scheduling or technology problems.

Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email. We will follow up with additional emails prior to the event containing information about training, meeting resources, and tips to make Advocacy Day a success.

We will host two Advocacy Day trainings. Choose the one that is most convenient for you: Wednesday, May 3 from 8:00 to 9:30pm EDT -or- Thursday, May 11 from 6:00 to 7:30pm EDT

Space is limited so don’t delay! Registration for Advocacy Day 2023 closes on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

Capitol Hill Meetings

No. Advocacy Day participants will be coming from all across the country, and we will group you with other people from your city, state or region. It is very important that you do not set up your own appointments! If you have existing contacts with members of Congress or their staff, please let us know when you register, or contact our Public Policy staff at [email protected] or 1-866-288-7475 x708.

We will make every effort to secure appointments with your two U.S. senators and your U.S. representative. If a senator or representative is not available, the meeting will be scheduled with a member of their staff. It’s possible that you will be asked to take part in meetings with other lawmaker offices from your state or region of the country. Please note that meetings with Hill staff are just as important as meetings with the actual legislator; Hill staff play a critical role in the legislative process.

No. We ask that you do not directly contact congressional offices to schedule appointments. If you set up an appointment yourself, it could create complications with meetings that we are scheduling. If you have special connections with individual members of Congress or their staff, please let us know as soon as possible. We can take that into consideration when we are scheduling meetings. Please contact our Public Policy staff at [email protected] or 1-866-288-7475 x708 with any concerns or questions.

General Information

While our Advocacy Day meetings will be virtual, it is still important to appear professional. What you wear is nearly as important as what you say. Since it’s a video call, it’s okay to take it down a notch, but not too far. Business casual attire is acceptable. Nix the t-shirt or sleeveless top. Go for a more polished look… a collared shirt, blouse or pretty summer sweater set on top. Lean towards solid colors. Clothes with busy patterns can look fuzzy on camera and big patterns can be distracting. Similarly, reflective jewelry can be distracting. Stick to natural looking make-up (if you wear makeup) and be sure your hair is neat/styled.

Ideally. This training is crucial for anyone taking part in Advocacy Day. We will cover important issues and information that you should cover in your meetings, and what we will be asking Congress to do. It is important for you to appear confident and knowledgeable when meeting with members of Congress or their staff.