Making an impact in policymaker visits
Face-to-face meetings with policymakers—whether in Washington or back home—are an essential part of credit union advocacy. But with so many others competing for legislators’ time and attention, how do credit unions stand out?
The latest episode of A CU Seat at the Table features a panel of advocacy experts discussing just that: how to maximize impact in conversations with lawmakers, sharing tips on establishing long-term relationships, and the power of credit union impact stories.
“It can be hard to break through the noise, to be memorable and to build a relationship,” said Gordon Holzberg, legislative advocacy director at America’s Credit Unions. “You’re not going in there swinging for the fences, to hit a home run that’s going to change everyone’s mind. This is a long-term relationship. You’re going in to build something, whether it’s with a staffer, a member of Congress, or a chief of staff.”
In addition to Holzberg, America’s Credit Unions Chief Membership and Engagement Officer Anthony Demangone brought Tinker Federal Credit Union Vice President of Government Affairs Keili McEwen and Wisconsin Credit Union League President/CEO Sarah Wainscott to the table to share how credit unions can advance their priorities.
“The awareness of credit unions’ value in their community and the impact they make with members isn’t something that’s intuitive to legislators. It’s fortunate if we have a legislator that has financial institution background, let alone a credit union background,” Wainscott said, adding that it’s on credit union advocates to connect the dots for legislators who get hundreds of visits per year.
McEwan said the work that goes into a meeting starts well before the meeting starts.
“Before you go into a meeting with a member of Congress, it’s important to do your homework on that member. What committees are they on? How long have they been in Congress? What are their policy priorities, and how can we as credit unions connect the work we’re doing on policy issues back to the issues that are important to them?” she said.
The podcast is available on podcast apps.
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