Communicating Our Impact with Policymakers

Clarissa Balbalian (Editor)
The Communicator: Volume 6, Issue 3, March 2025 

Dr. Alicyn Smart’s GPDN webinar “Telling your Story: Impact statements and communicating with policymakers” was a fantastic presentation of a very timely topic. A recording of the presentation is available on the NPDN website under the Communication, Website, and Branding Guidelines tab, along with a template, and tips for effective writing. A brief listing of useful online resources is provided below.

Congressional members for your state can be found online on the Find-Your-Member page at Congress.gov by typing your state’s name into the Find address or place field.

The American Phytopathological Society (APS) Public Policy Board has listed NPDN as one of its top priorities this year.

The Entomological Society of America is encouraging its members to communicate with their Congressional representatives about how Federal government cuts are impacting their science. A form is provided on their website to facilitate this process.

Tips for Crafting Impact Statements

• Make concise statements using simple language (avoid scientific jargon)
• Use quotes from stakeholders
• Outline the consequences of failing to act
• Provide data on
  • Economics (leveraging x amount of growth)
  • Environmental impacts
  • Social impacts
• Highlight benefits to the public