Effective Advocacy Through August Recess

August Recess, a monthlong period when Congress adjourns and members return to their home states, is an important opportunity for you to to meet and reconnect with your representatives, showcase your organization’s impact, and advocate for critical issues.
In-person meetings allow representatives to hear your story directly and to understand the challenges your organization is facing.

2025 Dates

• House of Representatives: July 25-Sept. 1
• Senate: Aug. 4-Sept. 1

Advantages of Scheduling During August Recess

• Accessibility: Without Congressional hearings and competing responsibilities, representatives can focus their time within their district.
• Influence: Meeting directly with representatives is a critical opportunity for representatives to hear your message firsthand. Your voice and passion are critical context for your community’s strengths and challenges, as well as the impact of your organization’s services.

Benefits of Site Visits

Site visits are one of the most impactful ways to engage representatives while they are to their home districts. Inviting your member of Congress to tour your organization allows them to directly witness the impact of your organization and learn from the individuals you serve.

• By encouraging representatives to engage in your programs, as possible, they are able to witness how your services impact community members, which facilitates informed decision making. A strong understanding of lived experience is essential to developing responsive and effective policies that are grounded in a community’s unique needs.
• In creating a forum for dialogue and questions, site visits can help you build solid foundations for lasting relationships, where your organization works alongside your elected officials to address the challenges experienced by your community.

Tips for Planning a Site Visit

Developing Your Ask

• As you determine whether an invitation to a site visit, organizational event, or community roundtable would best suit your organization’s needs, consider what a successful meeting means for your organization. We recommend considering the following goals:
  • A representative gaining an enhanced understanding of the populations you work with and the challenges they experience
  • A representative introducing or co-sponsoring a bill
  • A representative offering support for regulatory changes
• Once you determine the hallmarks of a successful meeting, craft a direct ask, detailing specific opportunities for your representatives to engage and address the issue.

Preparing for Impactful Meetings

• Tell your story and share your why:
  • What brought you to this work with this organization?
  • What are the stakes for your community?
  • What would happen without your work?
• Focus on the current impact of the issue and the cost of failing to act.
• Center your organization’s impact.

After Your Meeting

• Follow up within 24 hours. Send an email thanking the representative and their staff for their time. Consider including supplemental data and reference materials.
• Begin to consider future opportunities for outreach and engagement. Consistent and regular communication facilitates strong relationships and partnerships in addressing the challenges faced by your community.

Considering Local Media Engagement

• Increase Visibility: Local news remains a trusted source of information for communities. Publications offer an essential source of visibility for your organization’s efforts and the issues you work to address.
• Take Back Your Narrative: By collaborating with reporters or publishing op-eds, local media affords critical opportunities for you to frame your narrative and define the issue in your terms.
• Inspire Community Action: Stories may spark interest among community members to become involved in your organization’s advocacy, growing support, and capacity to address critical issues.

Download this article as a PDF tip sheet.

Additional Resources from Social Current

Download Social Current’s Policy, Advocacy, and Communications Toolkits for further information and guidance to support your advocacy.

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