Advocating Your Position

Once you know what piece of legislation you want to advocate for, now its time to do what you can to let your legislators and the public know what your position is. 

Letters to Editor or Op/Ed pieces

Sending a letter to a newspaper allows you to share your viewpoint with the reading public.  To see special rules and submissions for various newspapers around the state of Colorado, see the Editorials tab.

  1. Be concise.  Short and simple. Most newspapers limit number of words. Denver Post = 200
  2. Make the letter personal. Tell your side of the story in a polite, firm way
  3. Respond quickly. Respond on the same day the article or issue comes out
  4. Demonstrate local relevance. Write about local issues, using local statistics and facts if needed
  5. Include your contact information.  Always include your real name, address and contact information. Don't forget to include your credentials if you have expertise in the subject
  6. Consider writing op-ed pieces. These are guest "opinion editorials" in newspapers and don't have the stringent word limitations so you can support your point better.
  7. Submit your letter by email.  It's more expeditious to send your letter by email - see our website under  Editorials for email addresses to various papers.
  8. Include your full name and complete contact information. Remember to also submit to your own professional or trade periodical (medical, business, union, etc)

Letters to your Legislators

Your written story helps to make the issues real and demonstrates the human impact of policy decisions. It should illustrate the problem and the need. If possible, make a strong connection between the local community that the legislator represents and the intended message.
  1. Develop a main goal: What is the problem the letter is illustrating? 
  2. Showcase the policy: What is the issue being illustrated?   Is there current legislation that is being debated?
  3. Spell out the need: What is the logical policy solution to this problem?
  4. Be concise: There are typically many aspects, social and emotional, to every story, yet we need to remember to keep it as concise as possible, only using the details that forward the letter to the intended conclusion.
  5. Thank them for their time.
  6. Include your contact information: Make sure that you include your complete address and full 9 digit zip code (if possible), as this helps to identify your House and Senate districts. Also, include some direct contact information, phone number or email address, in case they want to contact you about your written letter.

Blogging

There is nothing more effective than using the online tools already available to get word out about our position, not only giving you the ability to reach a potentially large number of people, but giving you the ability to share more of the nuances behind your position.  Using blogs, conversations can be started, allowing you to support your position.  There are a few places you can setup an online blog and reach out to the general public.
  1. 9News allows you to setup your own account and gives you space to blog on the current issues.  If you don't want to blog, it also allows you to comment on their news pieces. 
  2. Colorado Pols is a progressive website that allows you to blog in a like-minded community. 
  3. Square State/ is another progressive blog website that allows you to setup your own blog within their community.