WashU Unveils Innovative Advocacy Program and Interactive Impact Map

As the 2025 legislative session kicks off, the Office of Government & Community Relations at Washington University in St. Louis has launched an advocacy program as well as an online map demonstrating WashU’s impact across the state.

WashU Advocates is a collaborative group of students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends who support the university’s mission by reaching out to government officials and sharing powerful stories about the difference WashU’s work is making at the local, state and national levels. The program aligns with the “Here & Next” Strategic plan and helps to reinforce WashU’s dedication to addressing society’s most pressing challenges. Faculty, staff, students and other supporters can learn more or join the advocacy program on the Government & Community Relations website.

The program is designed to empower both internal and external advocates of WashU and will focus on strategic institutional initiatives supporting education, research and patient care.

Surround-sound advocacy

Through outreach to government officials, WashU Advocates will raise awareness about key issues; share personal stories; leverage insightful data on WashU’s impact; and amplify voices for the university’s main focus areas. WashU Advocates will offer many tools to help participants navigate local, state and federal legislative processes. WashU Advocates members will receive:

• Action alerts: Timely notifications including calls to take action on legislation that affects the university.
• Training and resources: Access tools to easily contact elected officials and receive training on how to effectively advocate for the university.
• Year-round updates: Receive behind-the-scenes updates around legislative actions in Jefferson City, Washington, D.C., and St. Louis that affect WashU.

WashU Statewide Impact Map

To support data-driven advocacy, Government & Community Relations, in partnership with the WashU Information Technology data team, recently unveiled the WashU Statewide Impact Map to showcase the university’s extensive contributions and influence across Missouri. The Statewide Impact Map provides advocates, government officials and the public with a clear understanding of WashU’s contributions at a district level. The interactive dashboard allows users to explore:

• Student data: Enrollment of undergraduate students across legislative districts. Graduate and professional student data will be added later this year.
• Financial aid: Information on the distribution of financial aid from federal and state programs as well as by WashU across the state
• Alumni presence: The number of alumni residing in each district, highlighting WashU’s extensive network
• Patient care: The number of inpatient and outpatient visits with WashU physicians in Missouri
• Economic data: Total WashU employees as well as the amount of construction, purchasing and supplier spending by legislative district

The new WashU Statewide Impact Map demonstrates WashU’s commitment to providing world-class education, research and patient care. The dashboard will be updated regularly to reflect new legislative information and data sources, ensuring that advocates, legislators and the public have access to current insights about WashU’s statewide contributions.

Government & Community Relations is also organizing a “Bears Caucus” advocacy organization for WashU students and alumni mentors. Selected students, along with Chancellor Andrew D. Martin, Board of Trustees members and WashU alumni, will be invited to speak directly with legislators in small-group meetings during WashU Advocacy Days, which will take place Feb. 5 in Jefferson City and in April in Washington. WashU Advocates also may lend their voices to such events by calling and sharing other messages of support.