Department of Education and Public Programs
Writing a Formal Letter to the President
Letter writing is a powerful way to communicate your concerns to the president. In the digital age,
most people use email and texts. In the past, letter writing was the main way to send a message to
the president. Writing a formal letter shows you took the time to give your opinion on an issue of
concern. Since formal letter writing might be unfamiliar to you, we’ve provided two different
templates to choose from to help craft your letter to the White House.
Brainstorm
1. What is one major concern that you have for your community, state, or country?
2. Why is it important?
3. What can people do to help? What can the president do?
Write a Letter
Write a draft of a letter to the president or vice president concerning your issue, and what steps you
think the official should take to address it.
Business letter format:
Return address line 1 (street address)
Return address line 2 (city, state, zip code)
Date (Month Day, Year) [April 19, 2018]
Mr. /Mrs. /Ms. /Dr. Full name of recipient
Title/Position of recipient.
Company Name
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Dear (Title) (Last name):
Body Paragraph 1: Introduce yourself, the community you represent, and the reason you are writing the
letter.
Body Paragraph 2: Explain the details of your issue: Who is affected? What is the effect? How long has
it been going on?
Body Paragraph 3: Help the recipient of the letter relate to the issue. Why should people care? What
can people do to help?
Closing: Thank the person for their time and attention.
Sincerely,
(Sign your name)
(Print your name)
