Preparing For CCL Fall Conference and Lobby Days

Positioning for Progress: CCL’s Fall Virtual Conference takes place December 6-7, 2024 with the following week - December 9-13 - designated as our virtual lobby week. CCL Congressional Liaisons and chapters are working together to help volunteers find training and plan their corresponding virtual lobby meetings. This page walks through important details regarding the upcoming conference, recommended training, the lobby meeting appointment setting process and team creation, and how to plan and best prepare for lobby day.

Most Important Training and Resources

The below training is recommended to get you ready for the conference & lobby day and familiar with the Asks we will be making to Congress. Click the links below to RSVP for the live sessions, or you can watch the recordings. Note: political dynamics are unpredictable and can lead to changes in our Asks and training between now and lobby day.

• Nov. 21: Fall 2024 Lobby Training: Primary Asks and Legislative Plan
• Training series: Clean Energy Permitting Reform
• Recording: Engaging Challenging Conversations About The Energy Permitting Reform Act
• Recording: What Does the Modeling Say About The Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024?

If you’re new to CCL or you have never taken the Climate Advocate Lobby Training workshop, we strongly encourage you to sign up and attend the live session on Dec. 7th at 11 a.m. ET. This workshop is required to lobby with CCL.

If you've never been to a conference in person before and have questions about what to expect, be sure to attend the live Tues., Nov. 19th training on Fall Conference Lobby Days Q&A.
 
You can also register now for our the National Youth Action Team's special two-hour training by youth for youth, happening Sun., Nov. 24, at 4pm ET. The training includes a really fun mock lobby practice and please pass this on to any middle or high school age student who might be interested.

Additional Training Opportunities

In addition to the Most Important Training listed above, we offer our Core Volunteer Training series (especially great for new-ish volunteers) to help you get ready to lobby.

• Oct. 8th: Understanding Congress Basics
• Nov. 12th: Lobbying Basics: Planning and Practicing Your Meeting
• Recording: CCL's Policy Agenda

For the Working With Congress series training, CCL now offers an interactive design to help provide a more engaging learning experience.

How Appointments For Meetings Are Set

The CCL Congressional Liaison is the designated point of contact with the Congressional office.  

1. All appointments for meetings will be set by CCL congressional liaisons (or someone they designate). If you are not a liaison, please do not try to set an appointment (you can learn about becoming a liaison here). If you’re not sure if there is a liaison or you need help, contact your Regional or State Coordinator.

If there is no liaison to set the appointment for your Senator or Representative, work with chapters in the district/state and your CCL Regional or State Coordinator to designate an appointment setter and email their contact info to liaison.coordinator@citizensclimatelobby.org. CCL's Liaison Coordinator team will distribute details on how to set appointments to appointment setters.

Lobby Meeting Planning

1. If you'd like one resource that can help your team plan is CCL's Meeting Plan Template. It can be used as a guide to solicit, discuss and prioritize everyone’s ideas for the lobby meeting. Key items to discuss include the appreciation, primary goal, secondary asks, and open-ended questions for discussion. You can find planning guidance on the Planning Your Lobby Meeting training page.
2. If there is a primary liaison, but the liaison is not at your meeting, designate someone to send your ideas to the liaison.

Assembling Your Lobby Team

For the fall virtual lobby meetings, lobby teams will be created by the local meeting lead, who is usually the liaison and/or appointment setter. If you have any questions about who that person is for your group, feel free to reach out to your chapter leader. If you have any additional questions please contact CCL's Liaison Coordinator team at liaison.coordinator@citizensclimatelobby.org.

Resources

• Meeting Minutes Form
• Meeting Plan Template
• Congressional Bios
• Primary Ask (Leave-Behind) will be updated closer to Lobby Week
• Secondary Asks will be updated closer to Lobby Week

• Meeting Minutes Form
• Meeting Plan Template
• Congressional Bios