One of the best ways to make change happen is to reach the hearts of politicians to inspire them to bring changes into parliament.

There are a few ways to get their attention. Writing a letter is one of them.

Politicians get hundreds of letters every day. Here are some tips to make yours stand out so you can reach their intellect and emotion, and — hopefully — inspire them to make a change.

1. Greeting

• I loathe formalities, but I’d use one here. Address the politician by their title to avoid sounding too casual (aka disrespectful) out of the gate. They get a lot of letters. It’s easy to put one down. You don’t want to lose your audience before they even get to the ask.

3. Get in Quick

• Introduce Yourself: Who are you? Where do you live? What do you do? Don’t give your whole life story — keep it to one brief sentence if possible — but show them how you’re connected to their constituency.
• State Your Purpose: Why are you writing? One sentence again, like “I’m writing to urge you to vote against the proposed LNG project.”

4. Body of the Letter

• Explain the Problem: Tell them what you’re worried about.
• GIve Some Facts: Show them why you’re worried. Be specific about how the issue impacts you or your community.
• Deepen the Ask: Tell them what you want from them, in slightly different words, like, “Please speak up in congress against this harmful project.”

5. Personal Connection

• Share Your Story: If you have one, include a personal anecdote. You can reach someone’s heart more easily if you share something meaningful from yours. They can also use your anecdote on the legislature floor to make a compelling case for their colleagues to vote the same way.
• Share A Success Story: Give an example of when what you’re asking for has happened somewhere else — and show how well it worked.

6. Get Out Quickly

• Summarize Your Ask: One sentence again: reiterate your call to action.
• Offer More Information: Let them know you’re available to discuss the issue in person, or provide more information if needed.

Tips for Maximum Impact:

• Use as Few Words as Possible: Politicians get a lot of letters — a page with less words will be more appealing for them to dive into.
• Be Respectful: Use a warm, respectful tone, even if you’re expressing frustration.
• Bonus Points: If you can, compliment them on something they’ve done since taking office. Politicians get a lot of complaints — stand out (and make their day) by calling them out on something they’ve done well.
• Follow Up: If you don’t hear back, follow up with a phone call or email to reinforce your message.
• Copy your local newspaper: Maybe they’ll print it for more people to see. An open letter might also make a politician sit up and take note.

Even if your message feels like it’s falling on deaf ears, it isn’t. Every time we speak, write, or post about making the world a better place, we’re taking a sustainable step we can feel good about.