Building Trust & Effectiveness in Congress
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Gold Mouse Awards for the 113th Congress

It's that time of year when CMF gears up to begin the Gold Mouse Awards project. The good news for Congress—evaluations won't begin until Labor Day. We will, however, be offering tips throughout the summer on how you can improve your online communications.

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Managing Budget Cuts

To assist Hill managers with the recent funding cuts, CMF produced a short manual containing 46 budget-cutting ideas and strategies for saving on big-ticket and small-ticket items, which can be applied to both House and Senate offices.

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The Power of Citizen Advocacy

Contrary to popular belief, citizens have more power than they realize. According to our research, most of the congressional staff surveyed said constituent visits to the D.C. or district/state offices have 'some' or 'a lot' of influence on an undecided Member of Congress, more than any other influence group or strategy.

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Life in Congress

CMF and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) have partnered to conduct groundbreaking research with congressional staff and Members. The second of three reports from this project, "Life in Congress: The Member Perspective," focuses on the Member's viewpoint of work-life in Congress.

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#SocialCongress

This report, part of the "Communicating with Congress" project, represents the first research into how Congress uses social media to gauge opinion and communicate with constituents.

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Recent Updates

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112th Congress Gold Mouse Award Winners

by CMF on November 29, 2011

Shown at the CMF Gold Mouse Awards ceremony on November 16, this video highlights some of our award-winning Members of Congress and staff for the 112th Congress. In it, they discuss why it’s important to communicate with constituents online.

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Tags:bronze mouse, citizen engagement, committee, constituents, gold mouse, house, Inside the Hill, senate, silver mouse, transparency, websites
 

Inside the Hill: What Makes an Award Winning Website

by PMPU on June 20, 2010

In the second installment of "Inside the Hill", congressional staff discuss what it takes to create and maintain an effective and useful website.

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Back to Basics: The Foundations of a Good Website

by Collin Burden on April 13, 2011

Members of Congress are always coming up with new and innovative ways to engage citizens online, but no congressional office should neglect their website. After all, in our survey of over 10,000 citizens, we found that the website of the Senator or Representative is the one of the first places they turn for information. So it's essential that congressional websites provide at least a basic level of information and services. With limited time and resources, where should offices focus their efforts? Here are the 4 most critical areas to focus on, the questions to ask yourself as you improve your website, and examples from award winning websites from the 111th Congress:

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Tags:bronze mouse, casework, democrats, gold mouse, methodology, republicans, silver mouse, websites
 

112th Congress Gold Mouse Evaluations Begin on June 15!

by Collin Burden on May 25, 2011

Ask Us Q & A Image

Offices now have an extra 2 weeks to finish any last minute changes to their websites. Evaluations will begin June 15! To help you prepare, we have compiled an extensive FAQ.

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Tags:Ask Us, bronze mouse, citizen engagement, facebook, gold mouse, methodology, platinum mouse, silver mouse, twitter, websites
 
Read More CMF Updates
 

CMF works internally with House and Senate offices to foster improved management practices. From interns to Chiefs of Staff to Members themselves, CMF provides services adapted to the unique congressional environment. Read more

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WE'VE MOVED!

NOTE: CMF is moving the week of June 17, which may result in email delays and telecommunications downtime. If you need immediate assistance, please call 202-716-7036 or 202-657-4839. Our new address is: 710 E Street SE, Washington, DC 20003.