Government officials value developing relationships with the service organizations in the communities that they are charged with representing. This type of rapport is built up over time and benefits from regular interactions. Below are some suggestions on how agencies can develop that relationship:

      Send a Letter of Introduction: Send a letter of introduction about your agency to your government officials at each level of government. A good time to do this is after each election, when a new mayor is sworn in, and/or the beginning of the year. The letter should include information about the type of services you provide, your agency's mission statement, whom and how many you serve, as well as what the geographic scope of your service is. While government officials know of many of the organizations that make them proud to serve the community, it's impossible to know of every one and your outreach is a great way to bridge that gap.

      Include Government Officials on Your Invitation Lists: Government leaders really do like to have an opportunity to show their support for services in the community. They may not be able to make it to your first event, but they may note it for the following year and/or send a staff member.

      Include Government Officials on Your Press Releases: This form of communication is another great way to remind leaders about your work in the community and to provide any updates about your services.

      Invite Leaders to Tour Your Agencies: For your government officials, this type of visit adds a whole other level of understanding about your organization.

      Keep in Mind that Your Organization Can Serve as a Resource to Your Government Officials: You can monitor legislation on both the state and federal levels of government if there are policy issues that affect your organization. To watch California State legislation, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov. To monitor Federal legislation, go to http://thomas.loc.gov. Frequently, government officials are seeking the personal testimonials that organizations in their communities can provide.