What is Museums Advocacy Day?
Museums Advocacy Day marks the date where the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) sends its advocates to Washington D.C., educating Congress on what they can do to help sustain museums. The event first started in February 2009 when people from 43 different states gathered to discuss museum advocacy with legislators. Now, it aims to inspire a passion for museum advocacy that will last much longer than just one day.
Why is it important?
Many museums are nonprofit organizations, which means they often rely on federal support to remain in operation. And in this case, the word “museum” doesn’t just mean “art museum.” The museum community consists of historic sites, planetariums, public gardens, aquariums, zoos, and much more. All of these institutions offer invaluable public services, providing a means of education, new jobs, increased tourism, and bringing people together. Check out these powerful museum facts.
The 2020 Agenda
This year, AAM will be specifically advocating for:
- Support for federal grant organizations
- Tax reductions for charitable donations to museums and other nonprofits
- Promotion of school/museum partnerships
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for higher education graduates
How can I help?
You don’t need to be a registered AAM advocate to help out your local museum. Learn more about Museums Advocacy Day and how you can participate. For a quick and easy way to take action, this page offers templates on the key issues to make it easy to contact your legislators on what matters to you most.
