What is FCNL offering so that Friends can make their voices heard?
There is dedicated time in the schedule (Friday, Nov. 13, from 8:30 – 11 a.m.) for attendees to drop by congressional offices. FCNL staff will be available at the Quaker Welcome Center, located next door to FCNL’s office building at 245 2nd St NE, with legislative leave behinds, to provide light support to prepare for drop by visits, directions to offices, and answer questions.
As of mid-September, our plan is to offer the legislative asks that FCNL’s advocacy programs (Advocacy Teams, Advocacy Corps, Diaspora Organizing) are working on in November. We are closely coordinating with our Strategic Advocacy team staff and will adjust the specific asks if needed, with the goal of reinforcing and amplifying the work across FCNL’s programs.
We are also encouraging Friends to share a copy of their Quaker community’s priorities that were submitted as part of FCNL’s Priorities Process for the 120th Congress. We can provide copies of the specific group’s priorities upon request.
Can I schedule my own lobby visit(s)?
Of course! You are welcome to schedule a visit by contacting the congressional office(s). We encourage you to use the meeting request form on your legislator’s website or reach out to your contact in the office if you have one. To not miss Annual Meeting programming, please schedule visits for Friday morning (8:30-11 a.m.) or Monday, Nov. 16 if you are able to stay in town longer.
If you schedule any visits, let us know by emailing Lobby@fcnl.org. Depending on the volume of visits scheduled, we may be able to offer a brief prep session or provide talking points and advice ahead of time.
Lobbying has been a highlight of my past Annual Meeting experience. What can I do to keep having that experience?
As part of the Executive Committee’s 2024 decision to alternate Annual Meeting being online only in odd years and hybrid in even years, FCNL consolidated its D.C. based lobbying events – Quaker Public Policy Institute and Spring Lobby Weekend – into an annual intergenerational conference each Spring: Friends Changemaker Weekend.
To stay committed to this decision, we will have reduced staff capacity to support constituent lobby visits during Annual Meeting.
We encourage you to use our resources to engage your members of Congress at home and in D.C., to join an Advocacy Team, or organize a group to attend Friends Changemaker Weekend.
