I know a lot of you are feeling an urge to get involved these days. It can be very difficult to know where to start. Last week, we mentioned some organizations you could donate to today, to support causes you may feel are threatened in the coming administration.

Today, I’m going to talk about how to get your actual voice heard. As in, your speaking voice. Because get ready to start making some calls.

Dave and I have worked in government for many, many years, and we’ve also worked for government contractors and nonprofits. So trust me when I say, government officials actually want to hear what you have to say. They really do believe their purpose is to serve you, the public, especially their constituents.

There will be a lot of issues coming down the pike in the next few months, some of which might throw you into a frenzy of despair over The State of Things. Well, when that happens, start making calls.

Let’s break down some tips on how to actually accomplish this.

Do I really have to call? Like on a telephone?

Preferably, yes. I know the easiest route might be an email or even snail mail, but there really is nothing like getting someone on the phone and telling them your thoughts and asking them a question about a specific piece of legislation or issue working its way through the government.

While you’ll only talk to a House or Senate staffer, they’ll make a record of your call and the topic you talked about. Congressional offices keep tallies of how many people call about each issue.

Fine, who do I call?

Your representatives! Use WhoisMyRepresentative.com to figure out who represents you in Congress.

What number do I call?

The Senate and House both publish a phone directory. Here is the Senate directory, filterable by state. And here is the House directory, where you’ll have to search for your representatives name.

What do I talk about?

Whatever threw your into that frenzy of despair is a good start.

Preferably, call about something that you’re an expert on. If you work at a hospital, call with specific concerns about Obamacare, Medicare or what replaces them. If you are a veteran, call about a veterans issue that’s in the news. If you own your own business, call about a regulatory or tax proposal that you’re worried about. If you can refer to specific pieces of legislation or a specific proposed rulemaking, even better.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t call if you just want to express frustration over an administrative appointment or some piece of legislation that might not directly affect you. You can do that too. Remember, they keep a tally of how many people call about certain issues, which helps them gauge how big of an issue this is to constituents back home.

Will I really make a difference?

Well, more of a difference than just sitting on your sofa yelling at CNN, that’s for sure. If you want to make an even bigger difference, recruit ten friends who live in your district to make phone calls about the same issue. Numbers get attention.

Remember, these staffers listen to people all day long. That person can either be a lobbyist, a corporation, or it can be you. Why shouldn’t it be you?

I live in SF. You seriously want me to call Nancy Pelosi? Can’t we assume she’s on top of things?

Yes and no. SF’s own Nancy Pelosi is certainly on top of things as Minority Leader, but when faced with a firehouse of issues bubbling out there, her attention can only focus on so many. If there’s an issue you feel needs more attention, call her office.

You can also call just to thank her for taking a certain stand on an issue. That’s allowed and likely appreciated.

I know some of you out there used to work as hill staffers. Do you have any other tips or pieces of advice?