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This past weekend, many—though not all—National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) direct grantees received grant termination notices. This is a terrible loss for our sector. Numerous community based arts programs will shut down, and public access to the arts will shrink.
The NEA is giving these grantees through the end of May to realize closeout costs and draw down funds. There is also a mechanism for appeals. But these grant terminations nevertheless represent a severe setback for the arts field.
Please see NASAA’s statement on the NEA direct grant cancellations for more information, including the status of funding for state arts agencies. Feel free to adapt this material as needed for use in your state, or use it as is to answer questions from constituents or the media. NASAA’s statement on the proposed elimination of the NEA is also at your disposal, as is our Return on Investment: Public Arts Funding suite of advocacy tools.
If your constituents are looking for positive actions they can take right now, here are some options: |
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If an organization’s grant has been canceled, urge swift action around appeals. The window of opportunity to appeal closes at the end of the week, so any group that feels it has grounds for reconsideration should act fast.
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Contact your congressional delegation. Describe impact of the NEA on your community and respectfully let them know that their voters want to see it fully funded. This is an especially useful moment for nonprofit arts organizations to get their board members involved.
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Engage arts ambassadors from beyond the arts community. Sometimes the best messengers are civic leaders or businesspeople from outside the arts sector. Equip them with the information and tools they need to make the case. The wider the chorus of voices Congress hears, the stronger our cause becomes.
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If your state has a cultural advocacy group, consider joining it. Arts advocacy organizations play an important role in mobilizing citizen support for the arts. Broad memberships amplify their impact.
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Share your impact story with Americans for the Arts. They are aggregating stories and have set up this story portal.
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Sign up for federal updates from NASAA. We will alert the field to moments when additional advocacy can be helpful.
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Even though this is a difficult time, it is not the end of the story. Joined by civic leaders, cultural advocates and concerned citizens across the nation, NASAA is advocating to for full funding of the NEA so that the agency can fulfill its public mission. Thank you for standing with us. |
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President and CEO |
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