Advocacy and Your Institution

Advocacy and

Your InstitutionHeather Beggs

Jane Lindsey

Michele Miller

Patricia Relay

Session Overview

Introductions

Why Advocate?

Advocacy or Lobbying?

Local Advocacy

Statewide Advocacy

National Advocacy

Fly-In 2014: HB 333 and Beyond

Q&A

Why Advocate?

• Convince decision

making

• Build credibility, access

& influence

• Educate on issues &

bring expertise

Types of Advocates

• Citizen Advocates

• Organizational

Advocacy

• Paid Advocate

http://www.aam-us.org/resources/publications/museum-magazine/archive/advocate-for-my-museum

More information:

Advocacy or

Lobbying?

AdvocacyAdvocacy occurs when you make

the case for museums & cultural

centers broadly

LobbyingLobbying is one form of advocacy

and usually involves an attempt to

influence legislation

More information:

Alliance for Justice www.afj.org

What do you think?Yes you can! No you can’t

• Make candidates aware of your

agenda?

• Donate personal funds?

• Work on behalf of a ballot measure

example: to set aside 1% of a sales

tax for cultural organizations?

• Spend a substantial amount of time

or money on a ballot measure?

• Tell people who to vote for?

• Ask candidates to fill out a

questionnaire about issues?

• Use office computers, supplies,

telephones, email, fax, or other

resources for partisan political

activity?

Local Advocacy

Jane Lindsey, Director

Juneau City Museum

Juneau

Do local government

officials know what your

institution is doing?

• Are they informed?

• Are they active?

• Do they participate?

• Do they know what your institutional goals are?

Are you and your

institution an active part

of your community?

Statewide Advocacy

Michele Miller

Development Director

Pratt Museum, Homer

Statewide Advocacy Assemble thoughtful project packet

Start locally with city council/assembly and mayor

Work during the interim with state delegation and regional borough

Work during the interim to educate the governor’s office

CAPSIS system application must be submitted for each project before the legislature

Lobbyist: pros and cons for hiring

Personal visits to legislature and governor’s office

Testify at committee hearings

Another personal visit if necessary

Keep working it!

National Advocacy

Patricia Relay

Executive Director

Valdez Museum &

Archive

American Alliance of Museums

Museum Advocacy Day (MAD) Recap

Why Advocate on a National Level?

Relationship building

Network with your peers & understand national issues that affect your field

Testify back home in support of museums

Provide your museum’s posters & brochures to your congressional office

• Build your public speaking

skills

• Advocate for your field on a

national level

• Meet other institutions on a

national platform

• Secure grants & funding for

your institution at home

• Secure an item for an

exhibit

National Advocacy

What can you do now: Advocate from anywhere

Advocacy Resources

http://www.aam-us.org/advocacy/resources Why advocate?

Tools to advocate

Can I advocate?

What can I do in the future?

Plan to attend 2015 MAD in DC, February 23-34, 2015

If you plan to attend

Museum Advocacy Day

February 23-34, 2015

here are a few things to

consider:

• Get rested

• Wear comfortable shoes

• Bring information

• Use AAM mobile app

• Enjoy DC

Museums Alaska Fly-In

Heather Beggs

Executive Director

Museums Alaska

Former Legislative Aide

The Need & The Action

Museums in Alaska have critical capital improvement needs that are difficult for their small budgets and staff to negotiate

Museums Alaska forms Advocacy committee

McDowell Group publishes study of museum infrastructure needs, initiated by the Foraker Group

CHAMP forms and together plan January 2014 Legislative Fly-In

2014 Partners:Museums Alaska

The Alaska Historical SocietyThe Alaska State Council on the Arts

The Alaska Humanities Forum

Culture, Humanities, Art, Museums Partnership

CHAMP Advocacy Delegation in Juneau

How much do our Alaska state

legislators know about our

museums?

CHAMP Fly-In is an opportunity to

create a voice for our Institutions

HB333 & Beyond

Sponsor: Rep. Bob Herron

HB333 – filed in 28th

Legislature (2013-14) and

did not move forward

Granted hearing by

Education Committee at

end of session

Testimony by Museums

Alaska members

Legislation for funding museum capital

projects

Background on current library legislation

Amend library statute to include museums or draft new

legislation

New Legislation for 29th Legislature (2015-16)

GOALS:

Participation of Museums Alaska in ranking projects, as

AKLA does for libraries

Participation by Division of Libraries, Archives, Museums

in review process

Why Participate in 2015

CHAMP Fly-In?

• Other groups visit the

Capitol each year to share

their message

• Telling our story is powerful

• Presenting a unified

message that museums

are essential will have

impact

• Be on the legislative radar

at home and in Juneau

Questions?

Contact us

Heather Beggs [email protected]

Jane Lindsey [email protected]

Michele Miller [email protected]

Patricia Relay [email protected]

Join us

Advocacy Breakfast Roundtable

Friday, at the Breeze-Inn, 7:00 am