Inside IECA Government Relations | Iowa Extension Council Association Iowa Extension Council Association

Legislative Breakfast. Tuesday, February 11, 2025 from 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. in the Legislative Dining Room at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines

Share the Public Value of Extension and Outreach

Any council member can share the message about the extraordinary public value that Extension and Outreach has for Iowans. Here are a few resources you can share.

Familiarize yourself with your county's stakeholder report. If you will be seeing someone in person, your county office can help print off copies, as needed. Some counties may have their 2024 impact report available. Ask your county or regional director if it's ready.
Review Extension and Outreach financial information. The ISU Extension and Outreach Funding at a Glance and County Agricultural Extension District Tax Asking Limits Explained are both helpful documents to understand where our funding comes from and how counties are limited in their allowable levy ask.
Read through the 2023 Impact Report for Extension and Outreach to familiarize yourself with some of the million dollar impacts we had last year. A 2024 Impact Report will be available in January 2025.

2025 Legislative Priorities

Share Extension and Outreach’s impact in each legislative district.
Show how ISU Extension and Outreach has good public value for the tax dollar investment.
Educate how Extension and Outreach builds partnerships in the community, creating a ripple effect to achieve greater impact.

How Council Members Can Help

Share your county stakeholder report and the 2023 Extension and Outreach Impact Report with your legislators at local legislative coffees they hold in your county. Highlight one or two key program successes that show how Extension and Outreach makes an impact in your 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

A portion of the funding for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach from the Iowa Legislature is funneled through the Board of Regents appropriation and then through the Iowa State University line item. County extension district funding does not filter through the Board of Regents. For information about the Iowa Board of Regents, visit the website.