In this Alliance Advocacy Alert:
- Speak Up for Museums: October Appropriations Update
- Resources: Was your Museum Impacted by the Hurricane?
- Mark Your Calendars: Museums Advocacy Day 2025 in Arlington, VA & Washington, D.C., Feb. 24-25
- Voter Resources: Vote Early Day and National Voter Education Week
Speak Up for Museums – October Appropriations Update
While a federal government shutdown has been avoided for now with a stopgap measure maintaining funding at fiscal year (FY) 2024 levels through December 20, Congress still has a lot of work to do to pass appropriations legislation for FY 2025, which began on October 1. Congress has recessed until after the election. When they return in November, there will be a rush of activity to get much needed work done.
Contact Congress: Support Critical Funding for Museums
Earlier this summer, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees each released their proposed spending levels for the Labor-HHS-Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The House proposed a $9.3 million decrease for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) while the Senate proposed a $4.2 million decrease. The Senate proposed a $2 million increase for each of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) while the House proposed decreasing each by $3 million.
See previous Alliance Advocacy Alerts for more on the proposed House and Senate funding levels.
The House and Senate will need to negotiate the differences in the two versions, which is why it is critical for you to keep telling your legislators to support key museum funding sources.
- Urge Congress to support at least $55.5 million for OMS.
- Advocate to legislators to support at least $209 million each for the NEH and NEA.
Was your Museum Impacted by the Hurricane?
Our thoughts are with the Southeast communities devastated by the recent hurricanes. The Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF) shares resources to support institutions impacted. Find additional disaster and risk management resources.
Save the Date for Museums Advocacy Day 2025 in Arlington, VA & Washington, D.C., Feb. 24-25
Museums Advocacy Day 2025 provides a critical opportunity with a new Congress to make the case for museums early in what is sure to be a high-stakes year for museums and other causes. Your participation matters! Mark your calendar now and stay tuned for additional information and registration details this fall!
Never participated in Museums Advocacy Day? Read testimonials from past Museums Advocacy Day participants and check out AAM’s Advocacy Resources.
Vote Early Day and National Voter Education Week 2024
Vote Early Day 2024, taking place on October 29, is an effort focused on helping voters know how, where and when they can vote early to avoid any long Election Day lines or last-minute scheduling conflicts that might prevent voters from having their voices heard. View Vote Early Day resources to learn more.
National Voter Education Week took place October 7-11, 2024. View resources including:
- Registering to vote or checking your voter registration status
- Making a plan to vote
- Learning what’s on your ballot
Our robust Nonprofit Voter Resources provide a wide range of information about the many ways museums and nonprofits can engage in advocacy, lobbying, and permissible nonpartisan voter engagement activities. Use these free informational resources to participate and help ensure that as many communities as possible are #VoteReady and prepared to make their voices heard in the democratic process.
Your steadfast advocacy efforts make a critical difference in building needed support for museums and museum workers.
Looking to deepen your own advocacy skills this fall? Check out our comprehensive Speaking Up: Museum Advocacy in Action toolkit today. AAM Members get best pricing!
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