As you may know, President Trump's latest budget proposal calls for the elimination of multiple agencies that fuel arts and humanities programs including the Institute for Museum and Library Services. AAM's president Laura Lott has been clear that these cuts cannot be allowed to move forward and are not supported by the data. In fact, the 2017 report Museums as Economic Engines shows that museums contribute $50B annually to the US economy, support 726,000 jobs and generate $12B in tax revenue.

On February 26 & 27, 2018, museum leaders from across the U.S. are converging on Washington, D.C. for AAM's Museums Advocacy Day, but even if you can't get to the nation's capital, you can participate in advocacy from anywhere and we wanted to share some advocacy resources and tools for you to use at the state and local level.

We invite you to participate in museum advocacy. Use the hashtags #museumsadvocacy and #museumsadvocacy2018 to join in the conversation online. Your voice matters!

Advocacy Resources and Tools

Improve Your Advocacy Skills: AAM offers a deep bench of advocacy resources and tools to make it easy for you to join the cause and make the case for your museum and the cause of museums, no matter your current position or advocacy experience level. Get started today. 

• Find your legislators.
• Learn more about getting to know your legislators.
• Get ideas for year-round advocacy.
• Learn how to engage your board in advocacy for your museum.
• Access AAM's Online Advocacy Programs.

Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum: State and district work periods throughout the year are an ideal time to connect with your legislators at your museum. AAM makes it easy with this step-by-step "How To" guide. 

Mobilize Your Board: BoardSource has created Stand for Your Mission, a discussion guide for museum leaders—especially directors and trustees—to get involved with advocacy. Download your copy today and take the first step in harnessing your board's power as advocates.

Make it Local: See these new state-by-state snapshots of NEA, NEH and IMLS funding for museums and share them with your legislators on social media!