How to Engage in Grassroots Activity

75 million American families count on the life insurance industry to protect their financial future. Members of Congress need to hear from you, as a constituent and an expert on the value these products provide society.

Participate in “Grassroots Activity”

Put simply, grassroots activity ensures that Members of Congress hear “voices from back home”.  These voices are powerful because these are the people who send Members to Congress to represent them and the same people who have the power to send another representative should their voice not be heard. 

What’s My Message?

75 million American families count on the life insurance industry to protect their financial future.  Life is unpredictable. That's why American families include life insurance, annuities, long-term care and disability income insurance in planning their financial future.

You need to relate these main points to your knowledge of real life experiences as to how the products the life insurance industry provides have helped the Member of Congress’s constituents.

Its also important to note that you are part of a larger effort where the life insurance industry is more united than ever before.  Companies, Agents, Brokers, and General Agents are all working together on a united basis under the banner of Americans to protect family security.  www.Securefamily.org

How Much Time Will It Take?

Grassroots activity can be done easily and efficiently—and most important—it will make a difference.  Here’s a short list of activities that you should consider doing:

Set up a meeting with your legislator and bring 3-4 others who share the same interests to the meeting (20-40 minutes)

• Attend a fundraiser for your legislator (1-2 hours)
• Get more involved in your trade association’s grassroots or political activities
• Host a fundraiser for your legislator (10 hours [organization, fundraising + event itself])
• Attend a town hall meeting and offer your expertise to your legislator (be sure to leave your business card with the legislator’s staff) (1-2 hours)
• Sign up for your legislator’s email list to keep yourself abreast of the issues (and an eye on his/her activities) (read time: 10-15 minutes per email)
• Check out www.securefamily.org for fact sheets, talking points and other information and refer others to this site (15-30 minutes)
• Compile an email list of colleagues, friends and family to whom you can forward legislative information and action alerts (1 hour to assemble the list; 1 second to forward the information)
• Invite your representative to speak to the members of your association or employees of your company (1-2 hours [organization + the event itself])
• Write a letter about an issue or your legislator’s successes to the editor of your local newspaper (30 minutes)

My Representative Will Never Change His/Her Mind, So Why Bother?

On the contrary!

“The old adage in politics is that you don’t have permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests.” – author unknown 

When lawmakers aren’t familiar with an issue, they tend to vote with their party’s leadership.  However, constituents who educate their elected officials can and do often sway a lawmaker from his/her party’s issue position if enough people in the district take the time to phone, write and meet to make their views known.

“It’s scary, the lack of knowledge of our industry [in Congress] is scary. It’s scary.” – former Congressman and insurance agent Ken Lucas (Kentucky-2^nd district)

Where Are My Resources for help?

www.securefamily.org: Has all of the materials you need

NAIFA: www.naifa.org
Contact: Magenta Ishak, mishak@naifa.orgor 703-770-8100

AALU: www.aalu.org
Contact: Brendan Gleason, Gleason@aalu.orgor 703.641.8121 or Justin Brown at brown@aalu.org or (202) 772-2493

NAILBA: www.nailba.org 
Contact: Janay Rickwalder, jrickwalder@nailba.org or 703-383-3071