Advocacy Alert – February, 24 2023

Speak Up for Museums During Museums Advocacy Day 2023

We look forward to gathering in person with museum advocates in Washington, D.C. for Museums Advocacy Day 2023 on February 27-28. With a new session of Congress getting underway, this is a critical time to advocate for much-needed funding increases for the Office of Museum Services, urge legislators to support policies that benefit museums, and build important relationships with new and returning members of the 118th 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

Legislative Agenda

Museums are essential community infrastructure and have strong public support: a 2017 national public opinion poll, Museums and Public Opinion, showed that 95% 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, 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 2023 are:

IMLS – Office of Museum Services (OMS)

• Support $65.5 million in FY 2024 funding for OMS.
• Sign on to Appropriations letters supporting “robust funding” for OMS once circulated.

Tax Policy

• Co-sponsor legislation to renew and expand the charitable tax deduction for non-itemizers.

Advocate from Anywhere

Now and throughout the year you can speak up for museums with our updated Advocate from Anywhere tools to:

» 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

» Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum

» Engage your board in advocacy for museums

» Get the 2023 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 2023!

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