Be Involved

KNOW THE ISSUES
By joining Heritage, you’ve taken the most important step to ensure that, at any given time, you have all the facts on the most current issues or policy debates in Washington.

We encourage you to use Heritage–our Web  site and our publications–to make sure you have all the facts (not just the media “spin” or political propaganda) any time you need to attend a local meeting with a candidate or representative,, write a letter to the editor, or just discuss an issue with your firends or business associates.

PARTICIPATE IN MEMBERSHIP SURVEYS
From time to time, The Heritage Foundation conducts polls via mail, e-mail, telephone, or Internet to get your opinions and ideas about current issues. Wwe want to know what you think. We use this information to set our research priorities, to improve our communications with our members, and to communicate your ideas to Congress and the administration. We also regularly pubish the results in our newsletter, Heritage Member News.

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

1. Be brief. Try to stay under 300 words. If your newspaper prints length guidelines, follow them. When in doubt, look at the letters that do get printed, and use them as a guide to acceptable length. If your point requires more space, submit an op-ed (750 words).
2. Type or print legibly in black ink. Double-space all text. Use caps and lower case, NOT ALL CAPS LIKE THIS.
3. Use 8 1/2 x 11 white paper unless the publication requires something else.
4. If your newspaper accepts letters by e-mail and you have that capability, use it. Editors often prefer e-mail because it doesn’t have to be retyped before publication.
5. Know your topic and use up-to-date information. You can find and abundance of facts, figures, talking points on most issues at MyHeritage.org. Always double-check dates and the spelling of proper names.
6. Comment on a specific story or a timely issue in the News. Example: “Your editorial about the Pledge of Allegiance (’Schools Don’t Need This,’ Aug 23) over-looked some important historical facts.”
7. Be sure to sign your letter. Include your address and a daytime telephone number.

 WRITE TO YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS

1. State your case briefly in one typewritten or neatly handwritten page–two at the most. If you are referring to a bill, cite its name and number. Example: H.R. 210 for a House bill or S. 44 for a Senate bill. You can find bill number at house.gov or senate.gov.
2. State your purpose in a short paragraph. Then support your position with factual information. You can find information on a number of issues at heritage.org/research.
3. Address your letters this way:
   The Honorable
   United States Senate
   Washington, DC 20510Dear Senator 

   The Honorable
   United States House of Representatives
   Washington, DC 20515

   Dear Representative

4. You can e-mail your representative if you wish. You can find e-mail addresses for Members of Congress at house.gov or senate.gov. Usually, you will receive an e-mail acknowledgement right away, followed by a more detailed letter by mail.
5. Ask for a response. Be sure you include your name and return address.