• Educate how county extension districts are funded (mainly property taxes)
• Share Extension’s impact by the numbers
• Show relevancy of ISU Extension and Outreach

How Council Members Can Help

• Share your county stakeholder report and the Extension and Outreach annual report with your legislators at local legislative coffees they hold in your county. Highlight one or two key program successes that show how your county is helping to build a #StrongIowa.  There are also new Your County by the Numbers handouts highlighting program and contact data specific to each county. If you are unable to meet with them in person, you could also mail or email the report to them, along with a message to reach out to you if they would like to talk further about how ISU Extension and Outreach impacts the citizens they represent. 
• The ISU Extension and Outreach Talking Points document has some great suggested highlights to share with your legislators.
• Help your legislators understand the unique 3-way partnership ISU Extension and Outreach has with federal, state, and county funding sources.  Share the Extension Funding Handout with them and highlight that local property tax revenues are used to fund local programming, staff, and facilities.
• Familiarize yourself with County Agricultural Extension District Tax Asking Limits that guide the amount (in dollars and levy rate) that a county extension district can levy.

Federal Resources

• Congress.gov - This is really the only Federal Government website that you need. From here, you can look up Iowa's U.S. Senators and Representatives, view committee membership, search the congressional record, and more.
• U.S. House of Representatives
• U.S. Senate

State Resources

• Effective Education | Simple tips to help you approach elected officials and share your message effectively.
• Briefing Information on ISU Extension and Outreach  | A brief summary of statewide ISU Extension and Outreach impacts.  This information can be used as support material when talking with elected officials.
• Making Contacts for ISU Extension and Outreach | This handout is designed for copying and direct distribution to your volunteers. The information provides some basic tips for anyone who wants to talk with decision-makers about the importance of ISU Extension and Outreach's educational programs.  
• Helping Volunteers Prepare a Message for Decision Makers  | This reference gives pointers for council members to develop a story about the importance of the local Extension program. The tool suggests local data that your Extension staff should have on hand to build facts into the message about the numbers of people involved in Extension, local impacts, etc.
• Iowa Legislature Link | The website below is your link to State Government information including legislator names, email addresses, committee information and district maps. 

Board of Regents

For information about the Iowa Board of Regents, visit the website.