In this Alliance Advocacy Alert:

• Registration Opening Soon: Museums Advocacy Day 2025 – Feb. 24-25

• Nominate a Legislator: Nominate a Legislator who has Championed Museums

• Election 2024: What it means for museums

Museums Advocacy Day 2025 – Feb. 24-25: Registration Opens Soon!

Registration will soon be opening for Museums Advocacy Day 2025! With the many changes 2025 has in store including first-time elected members and changes in leadership and committee assignments, the start of the new year will be a pivotal time to advocate for museums.

For over 15 years, Museums Advocacy Day has mobilized museum advocates nationwide to help ensure we reach every member of Congress with our message that museums are worthy of federal support and are essential to their communities. Together, we communicate with lawmakers and their staff to ensure museums are included when relevant legislative policies are enacted and important funding decisions are made.

AAM will provide training and talking points as well as schedule all of your Congressional meetings. On Monday, February 24 at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, VA, participants will attend a daylong program to prepare them for their visits. On Tuesday, February 25, participants will spend the day visiting the offices of their members of Congress in Washington, DC including attending a Congressional reception that evening.

Don’t miss this powerful opportunity to combine our collective voices to share the unique value of museums of all types and sizes across the country. Your participation matters.

Nominate a Legislator Who Has Championed Museums

Has a member of Congress supported or helped advance the work of your museum? Each year during Museums Advocacy Day, we present awards to members of Congress who have demonstrated exemplary support for museums.

See past honorees and nominate a legislator by November 30.

Election 2024: What it means for museums

As noted in its recent statement, the American Alliance of Museums recognizes the 2024 federal election results present the potential for significant policy shifts that could directly impact museums. As your Alliance and as a nonpartisan 501(c)(3), we are steadfast in our decades-long commitment to strong, bipartisan support. There is a lot at stake, and we look forward to reinforcing the message that museums are a critical investment for our country.

President-elect Trump has a “trifecta” with a slim Republican majority in the Senate and and an even slimmer majority expected in the House of Representatives. While we continue to assess the election’s impact on museums, here are our initial top takeaways:

What It Means for Museums:

• IMLS, NEH, and NEA: Recall that previous Republican-controlled Congresses did not enact past Trump budgets that would have eliminated funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). In fact, Congress ignored the Trump Administration’s requests and increased funding. We don’t expect funding increases now due to changes in the composition of the lawmakers in Congress. However, we know that members of Congress do not want to vote for bills that will cost jobs in their district or harm their constituents. We need to keep speaking up for these and other vital federal programs that benefit museums and the communities they serve. Support for museums is strong, regardless of political persuasion:

  • 96% of Americans would approve of lawmakers who acted to support museums.

    • This number is consistently high among respondents who consider themselves politically liberal (97%), moderate (95%), or conservative (93%).

  • 96% of Americans think positively of their elected officials for taking legislative action to support museums.

  • Three-quarters of the public believe museums are an important part of our civil society.

  • The total economic contribution of museums in 2016 amounted to more than $50 billion in GDP, 726,200 jobs, and $12 billion in taxes to local, state, and federal governments.

• Tax Reform: Congress is expected to pivot quickly to debate a major tax package in 2025 as the 2017 Trump tax cuts are set to expire. Museums could see increased revenue and public support if a non-itemizer charitable deduction, such as the one in the Charitable Act (S. 566, H.R. 3435), which will need to be reintroduced next year, is included in the package. AAM has been a long-time advocate of the non-itemizer charitable deduction and is a member of the Charitable Giving Coalition, a broad coalition of charitable nonprofits working to boost charitable giving. AAM also will be working to oppose harmful polices some think tanks are currently proposing, such as the Tax Foundation’s disastrous proposal to require nonprofits, including museums, to pay the regular corporate income tax rate on any earned income. Additionally, Congress previously has shown interest in establishing rules for private foundation museums to ensure they are adequately accessible by the general public.

• Reinforcing Bipartisan Support for Museums Is Critical. Museums have always enjoyed support from both sides of the political aisle, and we will continue to build relationships with all our elected officials—learning about their priorities, finding common ground, and ensuring that lawmakers know that museums are essential to their communities.

• Big Picture: Here’s a broader agenda on what could be expected in Trump’s second term.

• AAM Statement: Read the American Alliance of Museums Statement on the 2024 Elections.

“Firsts” in the 119th Congress

The 119th Congress will usher in a number of notable “firsts” when it kicks off in early January. Here are some of the incoming members who are poised to make history:

• Sens.-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) will become the first two Black women to serve together in the Senate. Neither Delaware nor Maryland have ever had a Black senator. Delaware has never been represented by a woman in the upper chamber.

• Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.) will become the first openly transgender member of Congress. Her election comes at a time when Republicans have increasingly targeted transgender rights.

• Rep.-elect Julie Johnson (D-Texas) will be the first openly gay member to not only represent Texas but the entire South.

• Emily Randall (D-Wash.) will become the first openly LGBTQ Latina in Congress.

• Sen.-elect Andy Kim (D-N.J.) will be the first Korean-American senator.

• Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) will become the first Hispanic senator from Arizona.

• Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) will become the first Hispanic lawmaker to represent Ohio statewide. He will also become the first senator born in South America.

What You Can Do Now

• Take Action to Support Funding for Museums: Urge your legislators to support FY 2025 OMS funding.

• Take Action to Support Increased Charitable Giving: Urge your legislators to support the nonitemizer deduction.

• Share Your Connections: The AAM Government Relations & Advocacy staff looks forward to working with the new Congress. We know that you may already have connections with your new or returning members of Congress. We hope you will share that information with us by filling out our Washington Connections Contact Form, so we can work together on outreach.

• Invite Legislators to Visit your Museum: We also encourage you to introduce and/or invite returning and new members of Congress to visit your institution and tell them your story about the positive impact you have on improving your community.

• Engage Your Board Members in Advocacy: Download a copy of Stand for Your Museum Mission and begin a dialogue with your board about how they can play an important role in advocating for your museum.

• Register for Museums Advocacy Day 2025 (Feb. 24-25): Opening Soon.

Lame Duck Congress

Congress returned this week for upcoming leadership elections and a long list of unfinished business, including fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations, hurricane relief funding, a massive farm bill, and the annual defense reauthorization bill. The current FY 2025 stopgap measure keeping the federal government funded at FY 2024 levels will expire on December 20. While Speaker of the House Johnson (R-LA) in recent days has expressed that he’s leaning toward extending the stopgap spending bill into March, president-elect Trump has yet to weigh in and no final decisions have been made. In the meantime, we encourage you to keep telling your legislators to support at least $55.5 million for OMS and support at least $209 million each for the NEH and NEA.

Your steadfast advocacy efforts make a big difference in building needed support for museums and museum professionals.

Looking for more advocacy tools and resources? Visit the Advocacy section of the AAM Resource Library today!

Visit http://www.aam-us.org/advocacy to learn more about AAM’s advocacy for museums.

• 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!

• Speak Up for Museums: Congress Returns for September
• News You Can Use: IMLS Grant Opportunities
• Plan to Participate: National Voter Registration Day 2024 is September 17!
• Save the Date: Museums Advocacy Day 2025 in Arlington, VA & Washington, D.C., Feb. 24-25

Congress Returns – Speak Up for Museums

Congress returns from its August recess on September 9 for a busy few weeks before breaking from September 30 through the November 5th elections. At the top of their to-do list is the need to pass fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations. We are urging legislators to support at least $55.5 million for the IMLS Office of Museum Services.

As the House and Senate set the table for negotiations in the coming weeks, now is the time to contact your legislators!

Contact Congress: Support Critical Funding for Museums

In early August, the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Labor-HHS-Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill and released report language with Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) budget details, which included a recommendation of $51.3 million in FY 2025 funding for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) programs. The result, if enacted, would be a $4.2 million funding reduction of overall museum programs from the agency’s historic high of $55.5 million – a disappointing result even acknowledging the tight budget caps restraining the Senate’s FY 2025 spending. Not all programs would be cut. Some would be increased and others would remain level (See the August 2 Alliance Advocacy Alert for details). On the House side, the House Appropriations Committee approved a bill on July 10 that, if enacted, would slash funding for OMS by $9.3 million and make other cuts to IMLS. (See the July 19 Alliance Advocacy Alert for details).

Similar to previous years, Congress is unlikely to pass all appropriations bills by October 1 and is expected to require a (or multiple) Continuing Resolution(s) or CR(s) to keep the federal government operating at current levels. With ongoing partisan wrangling, there’s always some potential for a federal government shutdown. The CR is likely to extend into at least mid-December. In the meantime, it’s critical for you to keep telling your legislators to support at least $55.5 million for OMS.

NEH and NEA: In late July, the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill with a funding increase of $2 million for FY 2025 for each the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a total of $209 million each. Previously, the House of Representatives passed a bill that if enacted would cut funding to $203 million for each agency. Senate and House negotiators will need to resolve the differences in the coming weeks. Please contact Congress now to urge support of at least $209 million each for the NEH and NEA.

News You Can Use

Grant Opportunities Available from IMLS: The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting applications for several museum grant programs. Museums and related organizations across the United States are encouraged to apply to the programs by November 15. See IMLS Grant Application Resources. 

National Voter Registration Day 2024 is September 17

National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) 2024 is just around the corner. Will your museum be participating? AAM is a Premier Partner of National Voter Registration Day, designed to ensure every eligible voter has the information and opportunity to vote. Get National Voter Registration Day communications and registration resources (including state-by-state guides) and learn more about the additional Civic Holidays, including National Voter Education Week and Vote Early Day. 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.

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. Mark your calendar now and stay tuned for additional information and registration details this fall!

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!

• August Appropriations Update: Keep Speaking Up for Museums – Contact Congress

  #InviteCongress 2024: It’s Time for Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum

• Civic Holidays 2024:Resources to Get #VoteReady Today

Prior to the August Congressional recess, the full Senate Appropriations Committee on August 1 approved the Labor-HHS-Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill and released report language with Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) budget details (pp. 312-314), which included a recommendation of $51.3 million in FY 2025 funding for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) programs. The result, if enacted, would be a $4.2 million funding reduction of overall museum programs from the agency’s historic high of $55.5 million – a disappointing result even acknowledging the tight budget caps restraining the Senate’s FY 2025 spending.

Not all programs would be cut. Some would be increased and others would remain level. Museums for America would be funded at $28,730,000 a $1.4 million increase. Native American/Hawaiian Museum Services would be level funded at $3,772,000. National Leadership Grants would be funded at $9,348,000, a $1 million reduction. The 21st Century Museum Professional program would be reduced in half to $1 million. African American History and Culture Act Grants and National Museum of the American Latino Act Grants would each be funded at $4,200,000, a $1.8 million reduction to each program. In addition, the bill would provide $24,000,000 ($1.35 million increase) for overall IMLS Administration and $5,500,000 for overall IMLS Research, Analysis and Data Collection ($150,000 reduction).

On the House side, the House Appropriations Committee approved a bill on July 10 that if enacted would slash funding for OMS and IMLS. (See the July 19 Advocacy Alert for details).
Regardless of the above developments, the appropriations process has a long way to go. Similar to previous years, Congress is unlikely to pass all appropriations bills by October 1 and is expected to require a (or multiple) Continuing Resolution(s) or CR(s) to keep the federal government operating and there’s always potential for a federal government shutdown. Negotiations are unlikely to be resolved prior to the December holidays. In the meantime, it’s critical for you to keep up your efforts urging your legislators’ support for at least $55.5 million for OMS.

Contact Congress: Support Critical Funding for Museums

NEH and NEA: In late July, the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill with a funding increase of $2 million for FY 2025 for each the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a total of $209 million each. Previously, the House of Representatives passed a bill that if enacted would cut funding to $203 million for each agency. Senate and House negotiators will need to resolve the differences in the coming weeks. Please contact Congress now to urge support of at least $209 million for the NEH and NEA.

#InviteCongress 2024: It’s Time for Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum

Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum week is just around the corner on August 12-16!
Do you have plans for legislators or staff to visit your museum this month? Since 2012, #InviteCongress has empowered museums of all types and sizes to invite their federal, state, and local legislators and stakeholders in to the museum for a firsthand look at the meaningful work of museums and museum professionals. Inviting legislators and their staff to experience your museum and its programs is a powerful way to create valuable relationships with them and help them become uniquely invested in the museum. The August Congressional work period provides a critical and timely opportunity for museum advocates to build and strengthen important federal, state, and local support for museums.

Make your plans with our full How-To Guide, which includes these and other resources to help you:

• Find your legislators and their offices’ local contact information

• Send an invitation to your legislators’ offices using our template

• Get step-by-step guidance for planning and preparing for your visit, including key “asks” for federal legislators:

• Support at least $55.5 million for OMS for FY 2025 (level with FY 2024)

• Support at least $209 million each for NEH and NEA for FY 2025 ($2 million increase each)

• Cosponsor the Charitable Act (S. 566/H.R. 3435) to allow taxpayers to deduct charitable contributions regardless of whether they itemize

• Lift the unreasonable and unfair ban that makes museums ineligible for House Community Project Funding (also known as earmarks) in the annual House appropriations process
• Learn about 6 Reasons to Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum (2.5 min. video)

Be sure to share your plans with us and use #InviteCongress on social media!

Civic Holidays 2024: Resources to Get #VoteReady Today

Nonprofits, including museums, can play a powerful civic engagement role in their communities. AAM is again participating as a national community partner of National Voter Registration Day and the additional Civic Holidays, including National Voter Education Week and Vote Early Day. Our expansive 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. These free informational resources are available to help you and your organization participate and ensure that as many communities as possible are #VoteReady and prepared to make their voices heard in the democratic process.

In this Alliance Advocacy Alert:

• Take Action Now! Urge Senators to Support Funding for IMLS

• NEH/NEA: Amendments to Slash Funding Fail on House Floor

Take Action Now! Urge Senators to Support Funding for IMLS

As a follow up to our July 19 Advocacy Alert focusing on the House of Representatives, we are reaching out now to ask that you please urge your Senators to support at least $55.5 million for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and strongly oppose the drastic funding cuts recently approved by the House Appropriations Committee. As detailed in last week’s Advocacy Alert, the House Appropriations Committee recently approved a bill that if enacted would make drastic funding cuts to IMLS and OMS for FY 2025, which begins October 1, 2024.

If enacted, the House bill would cut the Office of Museum Services by $9.3 million by eliminating National Leadership Grants for Museums, leaving an OMS total of $46.1 million–down from an historic high of $55.5 million. National Leadership Grants are vital as they fund cutting edge programs that are models for the museum field at large. The bill also would entirely eliminate funding for overall IMLS Research, Analysis and Data Collection ($5.6 million), which would include ending the agency’s ability to conduct the first ever National Museum Survey, which it has already developed and field-tested. All of this preparatory work would be for naught, and all monies spent, wasted. In addition, overall IMLS Program Administration would be cut by $5 million (22%).

While these proposed cuts are unlikely to make it past the Senate and White House, it’s critical for you to champion IMLS/OMS to your Senators now! The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to consider its bill that includes funding for IMLS next week, but funding decisions are being made now.

It just takes a couple of minutes to use our template and ask your Senators to sign on.

Contact Your Senators Now to Support Funding for IMLS/OMS!

NEH/NEA: Amendments to Slash Funding Fail on House Floor

Good news for museum advocates! Two House floor amendments, offered by Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK) to cut funding to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) by $48 million each, were soundly defeated last night. The NEA amendment was defeated by voice vote, while the NEH amendment was defeated by a recorded vote of 269 to 147 (See how your U.S. House Member voted). Your ongoing advocacy from Museums Advocacy Day forward helped achieve this success!

In this Alliance Advocacy Alert:

• URGENT! Oppose Drastic House Funding Cuts to IMLS

• #InviteCongress 2024: Use Our How-To Guide to Participate

• Civic Holidays 2024: Find Resources to Participate and Get #VoteReady

URGENT: Urge Your Representative to Oppose Drastic Cuts to OMS

The House Appropriations Committee last week approved a bill that if enacted would make drastic funding cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and its Office of Museum Services (OMS), for fiscal year (FY) 2025, which begins October 1, 2024.

If enacted, the bill would cut the Office of Museum Services by $9.3 million by eliminating National Leadership Grants for Museums, leaving an OMS total of $46.1 million—down from an historic high of $55.5 million. National Leadership Grants are vital as they fund cutting edge programs that are models for the museum field at large.

The bill also would entirely eliminate funding for overall IMLS Research, Analysis and Data Collection ($5.6 million), which would include ending the agency’s ability to conduct the first ever National Museum Survey, which it has already developed and field-tested. All of this preparatory work would be for naught, and all monies spent, wasted. In addition, overall IMLS Program Administration would be cut by $5 million (22%). Libraries were not spared: library discretionary grants were slashed by $25.2 million to $5 million in a bill that would cut education programs by 14% and would eliminate 57 programs. While these proposed cuts are unlikely to make it past the Senate and White House, it’s critical for you to voice your opposition to your Representative now!

The FY 2025 Appropriations process has a long way to go. Senate action has lagged behind the House. In the meantime, it’s critical to oppose these drastic proposed cuts.

#InviteCongress 2024: Use Our How-To Guide to Participate

Have you made your plans to participate in #InviteCongress? Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum week is coming up August 12-16! Since 2012, #InviteCongress has empowered museums of all types and sizes to invite their federal, state, and local legislators and stakeholders in to the museum for a firsthand look at the meaningful work of museums and museum professionals. Inviting legislators and their staff to experience your museum and its programs helps them become invested in the museum. The August Congressional work period provides a critical and timely opportunity for museum advocates to make the case for federal, state, and local support for museums.

We encourage you to use this time especially to urge your Senators and Representative to support at least $55.5 million for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) for FY 2025 and strongly oppose the drastic funding cuts for OMS and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) approved by the House Appropriations Committee. (See above.)

Get started today with our full How-To Guide, which includes these and other resources to help you:

• Find your legislators and their offices’ local contact information

• Send an invitation to your legislators’ offices using our template

• Get step-by-step guidance for planning and preparing for your visit

• Learn about 6 Reasons to Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum (2.5 min. video)

Be sure to share your plans with us, and use #InviteCongress on social media!

Civic Holidays 2024: Find Resources to Participate and Get #VoteReady

Did you know that nonprofits, including museums, can play a powerful civic engagement role in their communities? AAM is again participating as a national community partner of National Voter Registration Day and the additional Civic Holidays, including National Voter Education Week and Vote Early Day. Check out our expanded and updated Nonprofit Voter Resources, which 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 informational resources to participate and help ensure that as many communities as possible are #VoteReady and represented in the democratic process.

In this Alliance Advocacy Alert:

• Appropriations Update: Act Now to Speak Up for Museums!
• Start Today: Plan to Participate in #InviteCongress 2024

Appropriations Update – Speak Up for Museum Funding!

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Congressional appropriations process is kicking into high gear. Spending caps enacted in last year’s debt limit deal mean tight spending levels for non-defense discretionary spending, including for federal agencies that benefit museums and their workers such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Programs could face potentially drastic funding cuts, especially in the House of Representatives. With House and Senate appropriators making initial spending decisions now and in the coming weeks, it’s a crucial time to reach out to your legislators to urge their support for the IMLS Office of Museum Services (OMS).

Contact Congress Now: Support Critical Funding for Museums

It’s especially important to reach out if they are a member of the House Labor-HHS-Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds OMS, listed below. It takes just a few clicks to personalize and send your message.

Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04), Chairman
Mike Simpson (R-ID-02)
Andy Harris (R-MD-01)
Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03)
John Moolenaar (R-MI-04)
Julia Letlow (R-LA-05)
Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09)
Jake LaTurner (R-KS-02)
Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06)
Chuck Edwards (R-NC)
Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member
Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05)
Barbara Lee (D-CA-13)
Mark Pocan (D-WI-02)
Lois Frankel (D-FL-21)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12)
Josh Harder (D-CA-10)

In addition, please contact Congress now to urge support for the NEH and NEA.
Legislators need to hear from you–the people they represent–about how their decisions affect museums and museum people. Thanks to the hundreds of advocates who contacted their Representative and Senators to sign on to the House and Senate FY 2025 OMS funding support letters. We continue to hear from legislators your letters make a difference.

Start Today: Plan to Participate in #InviteCongress 2024

Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum week is August 12-16! Since 2012, #InviteCongress has empowered museums of all types and sizes to invite their federal, state, and local legislators and stakeholders in to the museum for a firsthand look at the meaningful work of museums and museum professionals. Inviting legislators to the museum, or otherwise connecting with legislators and their staff during state and district work periods, is a uniquely powerful way to make the case for federal, state, and local support for museums.
Legislators are planning their state and district visits now. You can get started today with our full How-To Guide, which includes these resources to help you:

• Find your legislators and their offices’ local contact information
• Determine the Who, What, When, and Where, and Get to Know Your Legislators
• Send an invitation to your legislators’ offices using our template
• Learn about 6 Reasons to Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum (2.5 min. video)

You don’t have to wait until August to connect with legislators. Representatives and Senators will be in their home states and districts the week of July 1-5!

Your steadfast advocacy efforts make a huge difference in building needed support for museums and museum professionals.
Want to build your advocacy skills while preparing for #InviteCongress? Check out our comprehensive Speaking Up: Museum Advocacy in Action toolkit today. AAM Members get best pricing!
Visit here to access all of AAM’s advocacy resources.

In this Alliance Advocacy Alert:

• Act Now: Urge Your Senators to Support OMS Funding!

• Save the Date: Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum is August 12-16

Act Now: Urge Your Senators to Support OMS Funding!

Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) is circulating a letter to her Senate colleagues calling for robust funding for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

It just takes a couple of minutes to use our template and ask your Senators to sign on. The letter is a key measure of legislators’ support for federal funding for museums, and it is especially important to continue building on our momentum from Museums Advocacy Day. In addition to submitting a letter, we also urge museum advocates who participated in Congressional meetings during Museums Advocacy Day to follow up directly with their Congressional contacts and encourage their Senators to sign on. Note that multiple touches may be required to secure a sign-on.

The following Senators already have signed on (alphabetical by state): Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Mazie Hirano (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Angus King (I-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Joe Manchin (D-WV). Please thank them.

Legislators need to hear from you—the people they represent—about how their decisions affect museums and museum people. Thank you to all advocates who contacted their Representative to sign on to the House OMS funding support letter that circulated earlier and is close to being finalized.

Save the Date: Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum is August 12-16

Mark your calendars for Invite Congress 2024, August 12-16. This is an opportunity to show local, state, and federal officials the unique impact of your museum through exhibitions and community engagement. Use our easy how-to guide to get started!

Your steadfast advocacy efforts make a huge difference in building needed support for museums and museum professionals.

Now is a great time to make a plan to advocate for museums throughout 2024. Use our year-round advocacy ideas to get started today.

Visit http://www.aam-us.org/advocacy to access all of AAM’s advocacy resources.

In this Alliance Advocacy Alert:

• Contact Congress: Urge Your Representative to Support FY 2025 OMS Funding Now!
• Final FY 2024 Appropriations: Good News for Museums
• Be a Blue Star Museum!
• President Biden Releases Budget Request for FY 2025
• Join the Cause: Advocate from Anywhere

Contact Congress: Urge Your Representative to Support FY 2025 OMS Funding Now!

Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY), Andy Barr (R-KY), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) are circulating a letter to their House colleagues calling for robust funding for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

It just takes a couple of minutes to use our template and ask your Representative to sign on. The letter is a key measure of legislators’ support for federal funding for museums, and it is especially important now to build on our momentum from Museums Advocacy Day. We also urge museum advocates who participated in congressional meetings during Museums Advocacy Day to follow up with their congressional contacts and encourage their Representative to sign on.

Legislators need to hear from you—the people they represent—about how their decisions affect museums and museum people.

Final FY 2024 Appropriations: Good News for Museums

Good news! The IMLS Office of Museum Services (OMS) will retain its FY 2023 $8 million increase to $55.5 million for FY 2024 in the most recent appropriations package signed into law March 23. Congress finally completed the FY 2024 appropriations process that has been extended well beyond the October 1 fiscal year start date. Museum grant programs are funded as follows:

• $30.3 million for Museums for America grants;
• $9.3 million for National Leadership grants;
• $3.8 million for Native American/Hawaiian Museum Services grants;
• $6 million for Museum Grants for African American History & Culture; and
• $6 million for Museum Grants for American Latino History & Culture.

A previous spending package signed by President Biden earlier this month included $207 million each for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, amounts level with FY 2023 funding for these agencies.

It also included $189 million for the Historic Preservation Fund. Within this amount, $62 million for State and $23 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, $25.5 million for Save America’s Treasures grants, $24 million for the African American Civil Rights Grants, $5 million for History of Equal Rights grants, $1.2 million for grants to underserved communities, $11 million for grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and $7 million for the National Park Service’s Semiquincentennial Preservation Grants. In addition, funding for the Department of Education includes $20 million for American History and Civics National Activities.

Thank you very much for your steadfast advocacy efforts. Your advocacy on behalf of museums and museum professionals makes a huge difference. We look forward to continue advocating together throughout this year!

Be a Blue Star Museum

The National Endowment for the Arts has opened registration for the Blue Star Museums Program, in partnership with Blue Star Families. The program encourages museums of all types, including historic houses, zoos, botanical gardens, etc. to offer free admission to active-duty military personnel and up to five family members. The program will launch on May 18—Armed Forces Day. It will run through Labor Day. This program is a great way to express appreciation for their service and sacrifice, and a great way to recruit lifetime museum goers! Sign up to participate.

President Biden Releases Budget Request for FY 2025

The Biden Administration released its FY 2025 budget proposal March 11, which requests Congress fund the IMLS Office of Museum Services at $46.7 million. If enacted by Congress this would be a surprising and disappointing $8.8 million funding cut. (Recommended library program funding, if enacted, would see a similar cut.) In addition the budget request, if enacted, would also cut funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities by $7 million to $200.1 million. On a positive note, the proposal would add an additional $3 million for a total of $210.1 million for the National Endowment for the Arts.

The President’s budget proposal marks the beginning of the annual federal appropriations cycle. It is important to recognize that the President’s budget is a funding recommendation, and that it is Congress that ultimately decides how much to appropriate. The museum field must continue to work with its allies in Congress on both sides of the aisle to ensure support for museums is expanded. We are committed to helping ensure that all legislators understand that museums are essential community infrastructure, and will continue to bolster the efforts of thousands of museum advocates nationwide through Alliance Advocacy Alerts in the weeks and months to come.

Advocate from Anywhere

Museums Advocacy Day is just the beginning of our efforts to advocate for museums in 2024. You can speak up for museums with our updated Advocate from Anywhere tools, including:

•  Download and share updated Museum Facts and Data
• Contact Congress about key issues affecting museums
• Learn about your legislators and find your legislators‘ social media information
• Engage your board in advocacy for museums
• Get the 2024 Advocate Materials
• Stay tuned for further updates from AAM with important and timely opportunities to advocate this spring.
• P.S. National Civic Learning Week was March 11-15. Check out #CivicLearningWeek on social media and see the available free resources and classroom activities.

Your steadfast advocacy efforts make a critical difference in building needed support for museums and museum professionals.

Looking for more advocacy tools and resources? Visit the Advocacy section of our newly updated Resource Library today!

Visit http://www.aam-us.org/advocacy to learn more about AAM’s advocacy for museums.

Speak Up for Museums During Museums Advocacy Day 2024

Hundreds of museum advocates are gathering in Washington, D.C. for Museums Advocacy Day 2024 on February 26-27. Together as a field, we have defeated several threats to eliminate federal agencies supporting museums in recent years, including as recently as November 2023, and have been instrumental in securing more than $3 billion in relief funds–but we must keep making our case to Congress. While Museums Advocacy Day is a unique and powerful opportunity to make the case for museums directly to Congress, you don’t have to be in Washington, D.C. to join the cause.

Legislators need to hear from you–the people they represent–about how their decisions affect museums and museum people.

Use our advocacy templates, tools, and resources to make your voice heard today!

Contact Congress: OMS Funding for Museums

Contact Congress: Charitable Giving Incentives

Contact Congress: House Ban on Museum Earmarks

Legislative Agenda

Museums play a key role in education, job creation, tourism, economic development, historic preservation, environmental conservation, and advancing scientific literacy and global competitiveness. They are essential community infrastructure and have strong public support: a 2017 national public opinion poll, Museums and Public Opinion, showed that 96% of voters would approve of lawmakers who acted to support museums and 96% want federal funding for museums to be maintained or increased. The museum community–which includes aquariums, art museums, children’s museums, culturally-specific museums, historic sites, history museums, maritime museums, military museums, natural history museums, planetariums, presidential libraries, public gardens, railway museums, science centers, and zoos–has worked together to develop this updated federal policy agenda, including detailed information and issue briefs.

Our key legislative asks for Museums Advocacy Day 2024 are:

IMLS – Office of Museum Services (OMS)

• Support at least $55.5 million in FY 2024 funding and at least $65.5 million in FY 2025 funding for the IMLS Office of Museum Services.
• Ask legislators to sign on to Appropriations letter supporting “robust funding” for OMS once it circulates.

Tax Policy

• Include a non-itemizer (universal) charitable deduction in any forthcoming tax package and co-sponsor the Charitable Act (S. 566/H.R. 3435) to renew and expand the deduction.

Earmarks (House of Representatives Only)

• Lift the House ban on museum earmarks, also known as Community Project Funding.

Advocate from Anywhere

» Now and throughout the year you can speak up for museums with our updated Advocate from Anywhere tools including updated Museum Facts and Data and the 2024 Advocate Materials.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stay tuned for further updates from AAM for timely opportunities to advocate this spring.

Your steadfast advocacy efforts on behalf of museums and museum professionals make a huge difference. We look forward to advocating together this year, including at Museums Advocacy Day 2024!

Visit http://www.aam-us.org/advocacy to access all of AAM’s advocacy resources.