Museums Advocacy Day Advocate Materials

The Alliance shares the Museums Advocacy Day 2022 information and Advocate Materials below for reference. Updated 2023 materials will be available prior to Museums Advocacy Day 2023.

Monday, February 28, 2022 Schedule

All times are Eastern Time (ET). Speakers and times subject to change.

2:00-2:30 p.m. – Welcome
Barry Szczesny, Director, Government Relations and Public Policy, American Alliance of Museums
Dale Strange, President & General Manager, Arts & Cultural Solutions, Blackbaud
Crosby Kemper, Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services

2:30-2:45 p.m. – Why We’re Here and What’s at Stake in 2022
AAM President and CEO Laura Lott welcomes advocates from around the nation.

2:45-3:30 p.m. – Advocacy Essentials
Stephanie Vance, “Advocacy Guru” of Advocacy Associates

3:30-3:45 p.m. – Break

3:45-4:00 p.m. – Hill Staffer’s Perspective
Kimberly Rudolph, Chief of Staff, Representative André D. Carson (D-IN)

4:00-4:45 p.m. – Preparing for Capitol Hill – Key Issues and Asks
Barry Szczesny, Director, Government Relations and Public Policy, American Alliance of Museums
Andy Finch, Director of Policy, Association of Art Museum Directors

4:45-5:00 p.m. – Pro Tips for Being an Effective Advocate

5:30 p.m. – State/Group Delegation Breakout Meetings: If you selected Congressional meetings in your registration, use this time to convene with fellow advocates from your state or region to plan, prepare, and practice for your Congressional meetings.

Pre-Event Webinars

Wednesdays in February: 2-3 p.m. ET – A series of weekly webinars giving advocates the opportunity to connect, learn, and prepare in advance for Congressional meetings and other advocacy opportunities. All webinars were recorded and made available to registered Museums Advocacy Day 2022 participants.

• February 2: Strategic Storytelling: Communicating Your Museum’s Impact
• February 9: Making the Case with Critical Data
• February 16: Advocacy Deep Dive: How to be an Effective Museum Advocate
• February 23: Preparing for Capitol Hill: Setting the Stage

Legislative Agenda

View the Legislative Agenda here. The page includes Issues at a Glance and links to more information about each issue. Policy issues include:

• Museums and the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Office of Museum Services Funding
• Tax Policy
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• National Endowment for the Arts
• Elementary and Secondary Education
• Higher Education
• Lifelong STEM Engagement
• Historic Preservation
• Environmental Sustainability and Museums
• Public Diplomacy and the Protection of Cultural Property
• Shutdown Prevention and Economic Impact
• The Multinational Species Conservation Funds and Wildlife Conservation

Find the Capitol Hill Leave Behind 2022, FY23 House-Senate OMS Sign on Letters (DRAFT), and Legislative Record for Museums (you will be prompted to log-in to access this Member’s-only resource).

Online Meeting Report Form

Museum Facts

• Download our Museum Facts PDF, which includes the updated infographic for 2022 and details pages following.
• Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion issue page.
• Ethics and Best Practices for Museums issue page.

Key Committees

Browse these lists below for your legislators:

Senate:

• Senate Committee on Appropriations
• Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
• Senate Committee on Finance
• Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

House:

• House Committee on Appropriations
• House Committee on Education & Labor
• House Committee on Ways & Means
• House Committee on Small Business

Additional Advocacy Resources

• Getting to Know Your Legislators
  Taking the time to learn about your legislators is an invaluable asset to your advocacy efforts at any level of government. Legislators’ personal history informs their public policy decisions and provides information that you can use to make connections with them. Learn more about where to find biography and background information about your legislators and use our Legislator Directory to identify your federal and state legislators and find basic bio information, key staff names, committee assignments, district office information and social media information.
• Ten Rules for Engagement
  From remembering that All Politics is Local to Remembering Your Manners, get our top ten tips for engaging in effective advocacy.
• How to Make Your Case When Meeting with Elected Officials
  Whether meeting with legislators and their staff in-person or virtually, there are best practices to help ensure your meeting is effective. Here are some tips for making your case with elected officials and their staff.
• AAM Nonprofit Voter Resources Guide
  The Alliance encourages museums to engage in nonpartisan voter engagement activities. Learn more about how nonprofits—including museums and their staff, board, and leadership—can participate in nonpartisan election activity and voter engagement throughout the year. Learn more about staying nonpartisan in your nonprofit voter engagement activities in this recorded webinar from our partners at Nonprofit Vote.
• Year-Round Advocacy for Museums
  You don’t have to be in Washington, D.C., to make a difference. Let your legislators know about all the work your museum does and essential ways museums serve their communities, and several ways you can participate in advocacy for museums every day of the year.
• See AAM’s full suite of online Advocacy Resources for more ways to further your own advocacy skills and learn more about engaging your board in advocacy in our Trustee Resource Center.

Get Involved on Social Media

Looking for ways to share about Museums Advocacy Day in your communications or social media posts? Check out your Digital Engagement Kit if you are:

• If you are a participating advocate, access this kit.
• If you are with a museum with representatives participating in Museums Advocacy Day, access this kit.
• If you are a Museums Advocacy Day Partner, access this kit.

If you’re looking to share or join the conversation on social media throughout your participation in Museums Advocacy Day 2022 and beyond, check out these resources and tips:

• Find sample social media posts for anyone to use and refer to your kit for more ideas
• Graphics for Advocacy that can accompany your social media posts
• Post using #MuseumsAdvocacy2022 for this year’s event as well as #MuseumsAdvocacy to post about your advocacy in general or year-round.

Tag us in your posts! Twitter: @aamers | Instagram @aamersofficial | Facebook or LinkedIn: American Alliance of Museums