How to Get Involved with AMS Policy Engagement and Giving

Updated

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) offers two main paths for engagement beyond membership: policy and advocacy work and giving to the society. You can explore policy resources, position letters, and statements through the Policy & Engagement section of ametsoc.org, and you can support the society through the Giving section, which covers donations, AMS funds, and giving stories. Both areas are accessible from the site's main navigation and do not require a paid membership to browse, though some actions—such as joining a local chapter or volunteering—may involve additional steps described on their respective pages.

Policy & Engagement: What AMS Offers

The Policy & Engagement area of ametsoc.org organizes the society's public-facing policy work into several parts:

  • Position letters and statements — official AMS documents that communicate the society's stance on science policy matters.
  • Policy Program and Policy Studies — the society's structured policy efforts, including a policy colloquium and policy memos.
  • Policy resources — reference material for members and the public interested in science policy.
  • NCAR information and support — AMS content related to the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
  • Responses to proposed federal rules — for example, the site lists a response to proposed federal grantmaking rules and a response to a federal science crisis.

These pages are informational: they let you read what AMS has said and how its policy program is organized. If you want to act rather than read, the site points to a separate Get Involved area.

Get Involved: Concrete Ways to Participate

The site's Get Involved section lists specific actions, each with its own page:

Option What it involves
Take Action Advocacy-oriented entry point for policy engagement
Publish Your Work Submitting manuscripts through AMS Publications
Educate with AMS Using AMS education programs and curricula
Give to AMS Donating to the society
Organize a Webinar Hosting an AMS-affiliated webinar
Get Certified Pursuing AMS professional certification
Advocate for Science Policy Policy advocacy through AMS
Corporate Opportunities Engagement for corporate and institutional members
Join a Community Connecting with AMS communities
Become a Member Joining AMS
Volunteer with AMS Contributing time to the society
Join a Local Chapter Connecting with a regional AMS chapter
Attend a Meeting Participating in AMS meetings and events

The practical starting point depends on your goal. If you want to influence policy, start with Advocate for Science Policy or Take Action. If you want to contribute professionally, Publish Your Work, Get Certified, or Volunteer with AMS are the relevant pages. If you want to build local connections, Join a Local Chapter is the direct route.

Giving: Donating and Understanding AMS Funds

The Giving section is organized around three elements:

  • Donate to AMS — the donation entry point.
  • About AMS Giving — background on how giving supports the society.
  • Learn About Our Funds — descriptions of the specific funds you can support.
  • Giving Stories — accounts of donors and the impact of contributions.

If you are deciding whether and where to give, read Learn About Our Funds first to see which fund matches your interest, then use Donate to AMS to contribute. The site does not publish donation amounts or processing details in the material available here, so check the donation page itself for current options.

A Practical Sequence

  1. Clarify your goal. Reading policy positions, advocating, volunteering, publishing, or donating are different activities with different pages.
  2. Start from the top navigation. Use Policy & Engagement for position letters, statements, and the policy program; use Get Involved for actions; use Giving for donations and funds.
  3. Check membership status where relevant. Some activities—such as member resources, certification management, and community participation—are framed around AMS membership, and the site includes a "Renew your AMS Membership Today" prompt. Membership and giving are separate: donating does not substitute for joining, and joining is handled under Membership & Giving.
  4. Use the site search. Because policy letters and statements are spread across several pages, the search function is the fastest way to locate a specific statement or response.

Common Stumbling Points

  • JavaScript dependency. The site notes that parts of it are written in JavaScript and asks visitors to enable it for the best experience. If menus or member details (such as a personalized account greeting) do not appear, check browser settings first.
  • Account vs. membership. Logging in to "My Account" and holding AMS membership are related but distinct; membership renewal has its own page under Membership & Giving.
  • Policy content is scattered. Position letters, statements, policy memos, and federal-rule responses sit in different subpages, so browse the Policy & Engagement headings rather than expecting a single index.
  • No pricing shown here. Subscription information exists as a separate page under Journals & Publications, but the available material does not state prices or access terms—consult that page directly rather than assuming free access.