Chereesse Thymes

Mature microenterprise development organizations with a record of successful programs can benefit from building relationships with local, state, and federal elected officials. These relationships can lead to opportunities for further growth and funding.

There are five reasons to get to know your elected officials:

Funding. Members of the California State Legislature and the U.S. Congress can request appropriations for projects within their districts. In the 2001-02 California State budget, for example, the East L.A. Community Development Corporation received $75,000 for its community development incubator. In 2003, Representative Nancy Pelosi requested $1 million for the Center for Public Service and the Common Good, to be established at the University of San Francisco.

The process starts when an organization submits a letter to its legislator asking for funding for a specific program within the district. The legislator chooses priority items from among those received during the year, and submits a request to the budget committee and his or her party leadership. If approved, the appropriation is made in the budget. While legislators receive numerous funding requests each year, they only approve proposals received from groups familiar to them and with whom they have longstanding relationships. Given California’s fiscal crises and the slowing economy, this may not be the best time to submit a request, but it is a great time to start a relationship that could pay off in the long run.

Inform public policy. Legislators are always looking for new ideas and many of them want to create policy that will endure. Your organization could become one of the resources they use to develop new legislation which furthers the field and incorporates “best practices” into state or federal policy.
A good relationship will also help when you write regarding AEO policy priorities such as PRIME or CDFI funding. Your concerns will carry more weight if legislators are familiar with your organization’s work in the community. Letters from organizations they know have more impact than requests from organizations they have never heard of.

Public education. As CAMEO and AEO work to make the case for microenterprise, organizations can help by meeting with their elected officials to discuss microenter-prise’s impact on the community. Highlight the number of business startups and the families that are increasing their incomes through microenterprise. It is very important for elected officials to know what’s going on in their communities, so they can advocate for greater funding or policy improvements to help microenterprise.

Legislators have unique networks and aspire to higher office. Today’s city council member is tomorrow’s Assembly member. Legislators who move from local to state to federal office wield increasing influence over policies affecting microenterprise. As your organization builds a relationship with a representative whose influence is growing, opportunities will arise to increase funding and influence policy for the good of the field. Since 1998, ten state legislators have been elected to Congress: nearly one-fifth of the California delegation has moved from state to federal office in five years. This year, of the 32 new members of the California State Assembly, the majority have served in local government. Get to know your local representatives early and stay in touch because they will advance to higher office.

Constituent casework. The staff in your elected official’s district office can help you. For information about federal programs, call the office of your U.S. Representative or U.S. Senator; for state programs, call the office of your Assembly member or State Senator.