The SPN Communication Excellence Awards are designed to recognize the outstanding accomplishments in the network to communicate and market ideas.
Strong marketing and communication empowers organizations not only to create policy and ideas, but to engage, empower, and sell these ideas. This leads to impactful policy wins and creates lasting change in states as our ideas proliferate the public space.
Learn more about the awards:
Announcing the 2025 Communications Excellence Award Finalists
Congratulations to all our outstanding finalists! Voting for the 2025 Communications Excellence Awards is now closed. The 2025 awards will be handed out at a special reception during SPN’s 33rd Annual Meeting, August 25-28, New Orleans, LA.
Jump to a category:
Excellence in Storytelling
An organization that tells powerful stories will boost its brand, spread the message of policy impact, and change public sentiment. This award recognizes storytelling that truly impacted an organization’s brand image and policy impact
Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty – One Mother’s Fight: Exposing Discrimination in Special Education
When Colbey Decker learned that her dyslexic son was denied reading support—not because he didn’t qualify, but because he wasn’t in a racial “priority group”—she turned to the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) to share her story. In December 2024, WILL released a short documentary revealing how the Green Bay Area Public School District’s equity policy created race-based barriers to disability services. Despite qualifying for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), Colbey’s son was waitlisted in favor of students from preferred racial categories.
The video reached more than 95,000 viewers across platforms and gained national media attention, including coverage from Fox News, The Federalist, and National Review. The campaign prompted a Title VI civil rights investigation by the US Department of Education in May 2025. By spotlighting the real-world consequences of race-based education policies, WILL established itself as a leading voice for parental rights and equal treatment under the law.
Opportunity Arkansas – The Bean Family: Defending Educational Freedom
When a last-minute bill threatened to limit homeschoolers’ access to Arkansas’s Education Freedom Account (EFA) program, Opportunity Arkansas sprang into action. The team elevated the story of Paula Bean—a former public school teacher and homeschooling mom of four—who shared how EFA support gave her family access to vital resources like internet, curriculum, and therapy tools.
Opportunity Arkansas shared Paula’s story through social media, email, and YouTube, then helped her testify at the Capitol—her first time speaking to lawmakers. Her voice directly led to key amendments that softened or removed harmful provisions in the bill.
This campaign showcased Opportunity Arkansas’s people-first approach and ability to drive real policy change. By equipping Paula and other families to speak out, OA helped protect education freedom for thousands of Arkansans.
Palmetto Promise Institute – Restoring Hope to South Carolina Families
When South Carolina’s Supreme Court abruptly halted ESA funds mid-school year, Palmetto Promise Institute quickly mobilized to protect the families affected. The organization began collecting parent testimonies and filmed interviews with more than 35 families across the state.
Palmetto Promise then launched a multi-platform campaign—targeting lawmakers with digital ads, distributing personal letters, and showcasing emotional videos across social media and streaming platforms. Their strategic pressure helped trigger an emergency Senate hearing, secure a $2.5 million Rescue Fund for families, and elevate ESA legislation to the top of the 2025 agenda.
By putting the voices of low-income parents front and center, Palmetto Promise drove urgent action and reinforced its reputation as one of South Carolina’s most effective advocates for education reform.
John Locke Foundation – “A Letter to the King” Mini-Documentary
To celebrate North Carolina’s revolutionary legacy ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, the John Locke Foundation produced A Letter to the King—a 16-minute mini-documentary on the bold 1774 stand of 51 Edenton women against the British crown. Promoted through trailers, op-eds, social media, and even an in-store play at Edenton Tea Company, the film brought this little-known chapter of American history to life for more than 20,000 viewers.
The documentary helped position the John Locke Foundation as a cultural leader, elevating its NC History Project and expanding its reach to educators, families, and civic leaders. The campaign culminated in a community screening with Edenton officials and continues to gain traction through statewide events and educational resources.
Center of the American Experiment – $7k For Kids
Through its $7K for Kids campaign, Center of the American Experiment—partnering with Opportunity for All Kids—launched a powerful, data-driven effort to build momentum for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in Minnesota. The campaign blended storytelling and strategy: video testimonials, 64 unique digital ads, and a robust call-to-action tool drove over 146,000 visits to the campaign site and more than 7,600 emails to lawmakers.
By targeting both parents and empathetic voters statewide, the campaign reached 1.3 million Minnesotans and delivered over 9.7 million impressions. The campaign also strengthened both organizations’ networks, expanding email lists and building a growing base of engaged school choice advocates.
Center of the American Experiment’s work is laying the foundation to make ESAs a top legislative priority by 2027—and redefining the education conversation in Minnesota.
Innovation in Marketing
Organizations that experiment and implement new ways to reach audiences carve out a unique value to that audience. This award recognizes those in the Network that used a new tactic or idea to promote, reach, or empower an audience.
Commonwealth Foundation – Shapiro’s Self-Promotion Madness
The Shapiro’s Self-Promotion Madness campaign by Commonwealth Foundation creatively transformed investigative research into a viral, multi-platform initiative that exposed Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s $1M taxpayer-funded PR team. Instead of releasing a standard report, CF launched a March Madness–style bracket asking the public to vote on Shapiro’s most self-indulgent social media posts. Timed with the NCAA tournament and boosted with targeted ads, the campaign blended humor, cultural relevance, and digital savvy to drive public engagement and attract national media coverage.
It reframed a serious government waste issue in a shareable, entertaining format that resonated across audiences—from journalists to younger voters—while growing CF’s digital footprint. Internally, it showcased CF’s ability to break and amplify original stories using its own platforms and strategy. More than a one-time success, the campaign now serves as a model for CF’s media efforts, proving that agility, originality, and timing can turn policy research into headline-worthy storytelling.
Washington Policy Center – Pioneering Viral YouTube Content
Washington Policy Center (WPC) successfully addressed a critical challenge facing modern think tanks: converting research into accessible public content. Recognizing the communications challenges that come with traditional white papers, WPC strategically transformed their YouTube platform into a primary distribution channel.
Their comprehensive approach included streamlined content processes, AI-powered video production, and audience engagement optimization. Key strategies involved strategic video titles, consistent speakers for trust-building, and algorithm-focused timing.
Results were exceptional: subscriber growth from hundreds to 17,000+ within six months, with videos reaching tens of thousands of views. In 2025’s first half, WPC achieved over one million organic views and 72,000 watch hours, demonstrating how strategic digital adaptation can exponentially expand institutional reach while reducing traditional media dependence.
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii – Ohana Voices: Personalized Advocacy Through AI
In 2025, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii launched Ohana Voices, an AI-powered civic engagement tool built with CiviClick to transform how residents submit public testimony. Designed to overcome barriers like complex submission processes and impersonal form letters, Ohana Voices uses artificial intelligence to generate personalized, emotionally resonant testimony in just a few clicks. The result: faster, easier, and more authentic participation in Hawaii’s legislative process.
Marketed through email and social media, Ohana Voices mobilized over 1,900 submissions during the legislative session, with more than 50% directed toward official testimony or conference committee emails. Notably, 220 testimonies helped defeat a proposed capital gains tax increase, and 118 supported wildfire recovery efforts in Lahaina. The platform particularly resonated with digital natives and first-time participants, offering a mobile-friendly, 90-second path to action. By combining the convenience of automation with the power of personalization, Ohana Voices set a new standard for civic tech and scalable grassroots advocacy.
Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty – Email Marketing for Permanent Infrastructure
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) developed a targeted communications strategy to promote its annual School Board Summit and expand the reach of its Restoring American Education initiative. WILL acquired and refined a comprehensive list of school board members, administrators, and education leaders from Wisconsin’s 422 school districts. To ensure high email deliverability without risking its main communications infrastructure, WILL—working with Platform Communications—launched a dedicated IP, domain, and email system. Over 10 strategically crafted emails were sent, resulting in a high-performing list of 1,600 engaged contacts with a nearly 68% open rate.
This email-driven outreach led to 108 paid attendees at the 2025 summit—a 44% increase over the prior year—and over 75% of attendees credited the campaign for their registration. The campaign not only boosted summit participation but also helped promote model policies, including those influencing classroom cell phone bans in 25% of Wisconsin school districts, making the effort both meaningful and sustainable.
Institute for Reforming Government – Civil Society Summit: Bridging Wisconsin’s Divides on Education and Opportunity
The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) launched the Civil Society Summit: Bridging Wisconsin’s Divides on Education and Opportunity to bring together diverse voices in a deeply polarized state. Held after a contentious election, the summit united five Harris voters from Milwaukee and five Trump voters from rural Wisconsin to find common ground on education, opportunity, and values. IRG amplified the event through a written report, a powerful recap video, talk radio appearances, social media, and earned media—including an op-ed by participants published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and syndicated in 10 outlets, reaching thousands.
The campaign positioned IRG as a civic catalyst, expanding its audience beyond typical policy circles to include local leaders, state lawmakers, and national influencers. The summit built lasting relationships among participants and inspired others to replicate the model. By telling human stories over partisan soundbites, IRG redefined its role and laid the groundwork for bipartisan reform.
Campaign of the Year
A communication and marketing team is most successful when it is able to design, build and implement a messaging campaign that leads to an accomplishment in your organization. This award recognizes those in the Network that created a marketing or communication campaign that led to a policy or organizational win.
Beacon Center of Tennessee – Tennessee Together for Every Student
The Beacon Center of Tennessee achieved a remarkable victory in Tennessee by not only securing passage of the state’s first universal Education Freedom Scholarship Act in November 2024 but also ensuring its successful implementation through the “Tennessee Together for Every Student” campaign.
Recognizing that a smooth rollout was critical for future expansion, Beacon launched a comprehensive digital strategy targeting parents through email, social media, and SMS marketing, creating a resource hub at TogetherforEveryStudent.org. The results were extraordinary: within six hours of the May 15 launch, over 33,000 applications flooded in, far exceeding the 15,000 needed to guarantee program expansion. Over 40,000 families have now applied for the 20,000 available scholarships, prompting discussions about expanding capacity.
Beyond the immediate success, Beacon built lasting infrastructure with nearly 9,000 new email contacts, over 8,700 SMS subscribers, 10 grassroots education advocates, and delivered 330,000+ messages to lawmakers, creating a sustainable advocacy network for future education reform battles while proving that Tennessee families overwhelmingly want school choice options.
Pacific Research Institute – Stopping “the Great Classroom Collapse” on Reading Instruction in California
The Pacific Research Institute achieved a landmark victory in California’s reading instruction reform by strategically promoting the research-backed science of reading through Lance Izumi’s book “The Great Classroom Collapse,” which profiled Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio’s fight against entrenched education bureaucracies.
Despite fierce opposition from California’s powerful teachers’ union, PRI’s comprehensive campaign—featuring book distributions, earned media, speaking tours, and targeted outreach to school board members and policymakers—successfully advanced AB 1454 through the State Assembly in June 2025. The legislation requires administrator training in science of reading pedagogy and incentivizes districts to adopt evidence-based materials.
Even more significantly, Governor Newsom included $200 million for science of reading professional development in his 2025-26 budget, signaling a major policy shift. PRI’s strategy of combining compelling storytelling with coalition-building established the organization as a leading authority on education reform while proving that strategic advocacy can overcome even the most powerful political opposition to advance children’s literacy.
Nevada Policy – Stop Question 3
Nevada Policy successfully defeated a 2024 ballot measure promoting unnecessary election reform by a 14-point margin, reversing their 2022 loss. Their three-pronged strategy included educating voters through videos, infographics, and research highlighting confusion and errors from other states’ experiences with this voting system. They partnered with statewide organizations, training over 512 advocates through an online learning platform to expand grassroots outreach, and the campaign distributed over 300,000 printed materials during door-knocking efforts targeting independent voters.
The media campaign was massive—over a million Nevadans hit through radio, partnerships with KRNV and Highlander Magazine, plus journalism schools. They quadrupled their Good Governance army from 500 to 2,000 die-hard supporters who later unleashed 10,000+ advocacy letters on lawmakers. By focusing on evidence-based research and real-world examples, they overcame challenges reaching apolitical audiences who were apathetic to election reform, or only saw it in a positive light.
Empower Mississippi – Waitlisted: Time Is Running Out
Over 150 special needs students were trapped on Mississippi’s Education Scholarship Account waitlist—some waiting years for help while funding stayed frozen at $3 million. Empower Mississippi launched the “Waitlisted” campaign to break the logjam.
Five brave families stepped forward to share their stories across social media, op-eds, and direct lawmaker meetings. The pitch was simple: just 0.07% of state education spending could clear the entire waitlist. Over 250 advocates flooded lawmakers with calls, while strategic geofencing ads delivered nearly 800,000 impressions around the Capitol and key events.
When the regular session ended empty-handed, the team pivoted fast. The “Don’t Forget About Us” campaign reached 10,000 devices and mobilized 220 advocates in just two days. The pressure worked—lawmakers passed House Bill 42 in special session, adding $2 million and wiping out the waitlist, giving over 150 kids a shot at the best education option to fit their needs.
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs – Oklahoma Judicial Campaign
Oklahoma made history in 2024—voters booted a Supreme Court justice for the first time since retention elections began in the 1960s.
The secret weapon? Oklahoma Council for Public Affairs’ (OCPA) first-ever Supreme Court Judicial Scorecard, exposing how justices actually ruled on key constitutional issues. While voters had always ignored these races due to lack of information, OCPA changed the game with a coordinated blitz.
The campaign was relentless: 260 events in 75 counties, 33,500 miles driven, TV and radio ads, targeted digital campaigns, and grassroots mobilization. The scorecard website alone got 161,000 views from 54,000 users. The result was the removal of Justice Yvonne Kauger, one of the state’s most left-leaning judges, after she failed to secure enough votes in the retention vote.
Categories
The backbone of a great communication strategy is storytelling, innovation, and marketing. The categories for this year’s awards are focused on these three key areas because we know they show significant value to an organization.
Excellence In Storytelling
Storytelling is the most fundamental element of communication. In marketing, storytelling can inform and persuade. An organization that tells powerful stories will boost its brand, spread the message of policy impact, and change public sentiment. This award recognizes storytelling that truly impacted an organization’s brand image and policy impact.
Innovation in Marketing
New ideas and tactics are at the heart of the best communication and marketing efforts. Organizations that experiment and implement new ways to reach audiences carve out a unique value to that audience. This award recognizes those in the Network that used a new tactic or idea to promote, reach, or empower an audience.
Campaign of the Year
A communication and marketing team is most successful when it is able to design, build and implement a messaging campaign that leads to an accomplishment in your organization. This award recognizes those in the Network that created a marketing or communication campaign that led to a policy or organizational win.
Timeline, Process & Criteria
Important Dates
June 3-18 – Nominations accepted for SPN Affiliates
June 30 – July 10 – Finalists announced and peer voting begins
August 25 – Winners announced at a special reception during SPN 33rd Annual Meeting
Nomination Process
Individuals and organizations can use the nomination forms to nominate a project from an Affiliate organization (this can include your own organization) for consideration in a category. The window for submissions is June 3-18. We encourage Affiliates to choose the best option for each category and submit once per category.
Finalist Selection Process
SPN’s panelists will review, discuss, and identify the top 3-5 finalist selections for each category.
SPN panelists include:
- Taylor Anderson, Communications Specialist and Writer
- Corey Burres, Sr. Director of Communication Strategies
- Aizess Jones, Programs Associate
- Ladan Nowrasteh, Sr. Director of Communications
- Camille Walsh, Media Relations Manager
Criteria
Each category will be judged on the following criteria:
- Strategic Thinking | Is the project planned implemented in a strategic manner that drives the organization and policy goals forward?
- Brand Alignment | Does the project build on the brand of the organization and better position it for success?
- Impact | Did the project clearly show verifiable impact and measurable outcomes?
- ROI | Did the project maximize impact based on the investment of the organization?
Peer Voting
Finalists will be announced via email and peer voting will open.
Voting will be limited to SPN Annual Meeting registrants to ensure that all votes are not duplicated and that it is an accurate representation of Affiliates.
Final Winners & Presentation
Winners will be notified in late July and will receive their award and recognition at SPN Annual Meeting in New Orleans at 7:30pm on August 25 at a special reception. Winners and finalists will also be recognized on SPN’s website and social media accounts.
FAQ
Who is eligible to be nominated?
Only SPN affiliates (state-based policy organizations with a 501c3 status) are eligible to be nominated.
How many times can an organization be nominated?
We encourage each organization to only nominate one project per category.
Who in our organization should apply?
While anyone in your organization can fill in the nomination, we encourage a representative from your communications team to be available for follow up questions and responses.
What if my nomination fits more than one category?
We suggest that you choose the best category for the project you want to nominate.
What projects are eligible for the 2025 Communications Excellence Awards?
Projects and initiatives that took place from June 2024 through June 2025 will be eligible for the 2025 Communications Excellence Awards.
Questions?
Contact Info
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Corey Burres at cburres@spn.org.