Our hearts, minds, thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to every family, friend, colleague, and life affected by the horrific set of tragedies of September 11, 2001. There is so much feeling and so many words one could try to express. All the space in the world would never be sufficient to accommodate or do justice to them all. Please take a moment to put aside differences, honor the departed, respect those suffering and in need in this time, and provide assistance when and where possible. Our hope is that the following resources may help facilitate this. Criminal Investigation

One type of nonprofit advocacy that does not always get a lot of attention in the context of online advocacy is administrative advocacy. This describes attempts to understand and intercede in agency deliberations and rulemaking processes on the federal, state, or local level. It can include:

• efforts to influence regulatory issues
• the shaping of executive branch and agency budgets and grants
• teaching or assisting others with the filing of comments on governmental actions and proposed regulations
• monitoring program operations

The Congress Online Project is a two-year effort run by the Congressional Management Foundation to help address issues regarding the information and communications flow among Congress, citizens, public interest groups, and lobbyists. On March 19th, COP released "E-Mail Overload in Congress: Managing a Communications Crisis," a report based on work done in conjunction with George Washington University.

The following material is provided merely for background and reference information, and should not be considered or substituted for legal advice. Please consult with your organization's legal counsel for more information.