West Virginia and Maryland Member Information

2025 Upcoming CAUCUS MEETING INFO

  • Thursday, February 11 – VIRTUAL (Legislative Day later in the month)
  • Tuesday, June 3
  • Tuesday, November 4
  • (past Caucus information found at the bottom of the page)
ADVOCACY MATERIALS

From your Fahe Advocacy Team

The election is over and the landscape for the next administration is slowly coming into focus. As of the 14th, the AP called that Republicans have retained their narrow majority in the House of Representatives, resulting in a unified government. This means new faces in both elected and appointed positions and new policy and funding priorities. 

Over the next 3 months as appointments are made, legislation is introduced, and the budget process begins, we’ll be reaching out to help you navigate these shifts. You can expect: 

  • Support in crafting messaging that speaks to these new audiences.  
  • Information on which programs may be poised for cuts or increases – and how you can influence these decisions.
  • Opportunities to meet with the new staff in the Administration and Congress. 

To be well-positioned to have these important conversations at the Federal, State and Local levels, it’s important to have good relationships with these folks.  Remember one of Advocacy’s golden rules:  Don’t let your first contact with an elected office be when you’re facing a problem or asking for something. 

To help streamline this effort, each Caucus has sent letters of congratulations on your behalf to all of the Federal and State election winners in our footprint.  In addition, Jim has sent letters of congratulations from the entire network to all the Federal representatives in our footprint. We are on track to send WELL over 100 letters! Which is fantastic!

But, we know that local decisions are where the rubber meets the road. So we have a small request:

To help ensure we engage at the local level too (where your relationships are VITAL) we’ve drafted a basic letter of congratulations that you can modify for local leaders (new or returning!). 

You can use the template as formatted, make modifications (remove logos etc.), or copy and paste to your own letterhead.  What matters is that you take a few minutes to personalize and send a note (email or snail mail!) to your local leaders. And, if possible, please tell your Fahe Advocacy Staff Member who you’ve reached out to! You can just shoot us a list, or cc us on emails. Whatever is easiest. If you’re not sure where to find good addresses (email or snail) for local winners, please let us know.

And, if you’re feeling ambitious and you’d like to send something to your State and Federal Representatives, we can provide you with that template as well as the best addresses for those candidates/incumbents. Just reach out to your state point of contact, or Kylie Milliken (kmilliken@fahe.org).

As always, we’re here to talk if you have questions or concerns. Otherwise, we look forward to hearing hearing who you’re connecting with and supporting you in this transition over the months to come.

OPPORTUNITIES from the HUB

Due January 17 – Champions for Change Fellowship Cohort

Applications for our upcoming Champions for Change Fellowship are now open. This fellowship is for people like you – West Virginians who are looking to find their voices as community leaders and work collaboratively to make change. Anyone who wants to make a difference in West Virginia communities is welcome to apply.

Fellows learn how to lead public meetings and events, build community teams, resolve conflict, prioritize projects, and build positive relationships in their community. Fellows also connect to a network of West Virginians who care about making a difference in their towns.
Apply for Champions for Change here 

The HUB’s Kickstart Community Learning Library HERE

ARC – Getting the Grant Workshop: Thursday, January 30, 2025 ~ 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET

New Learning Opportunity! The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is hosting the Getting the Grant Workshop in Charleston, West Virginia on Thursday, January 30, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST. Join program staff, state partners, and grantees to learn about ARC’s funding opportunities, hear updates about grant application timelines and processes, and engage with community leaders who are working to strengthen economies across the Appalachian Region! Register for the Getting the Grant Workshop in Charleston, West Virginia here 

Effective October 15: FHLB-Pittsburgh Relocating Headquarters to: 301 Grant St. Ste. 2000, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

From The Fund!

WVHDF Info/Funding Opportunities – Link to WVHDF Programs Page

Board information HERE

Information from Previous Caucus Meetings:

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