Now that the May revise is out and money has been properly dispersed: Does your organization know what to do next? We know the idea of sipping on Mai Tais on a beach is really tempting, especially in summer.  It is important to mix fun and work, so you don’t become overwhelmed as an organization. However, it is equally important to stay engaged with the legislature through the summer break period. How to do this? Simply follow these three steps:

• Look for any public events hosted by your legislative representatives. This can be found on their home pages.
• Attend these events: Typically each event-booth has the representative’s name on them. Introduce yourself and your organization.
• Enjoy the event for what it is. Do not worry about making an impression; be yourself. Just get the introduction out of the way.
• Make sure to get contact information for that office during your introduction.
• About a month or so after the event, make a call to the office thanking the legislative representative for hosting the event and see if they would do an introductory meeting.

That is all that is needed during this period of fun, relaxation and regeneration. Having a pre-existing relationship with an office helps your organization get issues through the legislature when it comes to decision making.