Action Alerts

Current Advocacy Alerts:

Who: Every ACM member
What: Write your Congressional Representatives about FY 2013 federal funding priorities
Why: To ask your legislators to support federal agencies and programs important to children's museums
How: Customize this Sample Letter Template
When: Email or fax your Senators and Representatives by March 10, 2012

Congress annually approves legislation that provides funding to federal agencies. This includes funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Science Foundation and the Department of Education. As part of this annual appropriations process, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have asked Senators and Members of Congress to express their support for federal programs by inputting into the Committees’ database one or more “Programmatic Requests” along with a recommended funding target for each requested program.

While earmarks, or a request to fund a non-governmental entity in a specified site, are no longer accepted, Programmatic Requests by Members of Congress are not only allowed, they are encouraged and expected by the Appropriations Committees as expressions of Senator and Member interest in federal programs. Even in this very tight budget year, Congress will still be making funding decisions and your input can be impactful if delivered in the right way.

March 20 is the deadline for House Members to submit their Programmatic Requests to the House Appropriations Committee and March 29 is the deadline for Senators to submit their Programmatic Requests to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration in the FY 2013 appropriations process. In order to meet those deadlines, Congressional offices make their decisions in advance of those dates.  

We are urging all ACM members to contact your elected Congressional officials (House Members and Senators) by March 10, 2012 via email or by fax and ask them to submit the following Programmatic Requests to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees:

• Programmatic Request for IMLS Office of Museum Services for $45 million;
• Programmatic Request for NSF’s Advancing Informal STEM Learning Program (formerly Informal Science Education) for $64 million; and
• Programmatic Request for the Education Department’s early learning programs at the levels proposed by the President with an accompanying Language Request that urges the Department of Education to ensure, wherever possible, that children’s museums and other informal education entities are eligible to compete for early learning program support.

Use the Sample Letter Template to ask your elected officials to support these recommended Programmatic Requests. Feel free to customize the letter so that it accurately reflects and informs the Member about your institution, but try to stay consistent with the Programmatic Requests we are recommending so that the ACM message is clear and consistent.  

You also may have received a request to assist the American Association of Museums with their Dear Colleague letter. While we respect those efforts, we have been advised by Oldaker Group, who has been in consultation with the Appropriations Committees, that Members of Congress have been directed to utilize the Programmatic Submission system rather than send letters of request. Certainly, Dear Colleague letters support our efforts, but we want to make sure that Programmatic Requests are submitted first.

If you need the name, fax number or form to contact electronically your elected officials, visit www.contactingthecongress.org. Input your address as indicated and you will get the contact information for your House and Senate Members. We encourage you to send your communication by email.

Please share your letter with ACM by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by fax at 703.9 so we can f224.309ollow up if necessary. Questions? Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it in the ACM office.

Below is an archive of ACM Action Alerts.

DATE: February 17, 2012

WHAT: President's FY 2013 Budget Released

President Obama has requested level funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and increases for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in his budget for FY 2013.

The President requested $30,859,000 for the IMLS Office of Museum Services, which is consistent with FY 2012 funding levels. Read the IMLS announcement and budget justification to learn more.  

The NEA budget request projects a $6.7 million increase in grant making, achieved through a combination of new funding and savings in the administrative budget. Read the NEA budget justification.  

The NEH budget request represents a 3.6 percent increase and includes new funds for a "Bridging Cultures" initiative to enhance Americans' understanding of the nation's heritage as well as the cultural complexity of the contemporary world. Read the NEH budget justification.

2011 Activity

October 14, 2011: Advocate that the Senate's recommended FY 2012 appropriation for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) should be sustained in the final FY 2012 appropriation bill.

June 1, 2011: Advocacy Alert: Future Race to the Top -- Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant proposals

May 10, 2011: ACM Letter to Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee re: ESEA Reauthorization

May 10, 2011: ACM Letter to House Education and Workforce Committee re: ESEA Reauthorization

February 18, 2011: Advocacy Alert Re: FY11 Museum Funding Restriction

2010 Activity

December 23, 2010: Advocacy Update

December 8, 2010 ACM Letter to Congress Re: IMLS Reauthorization

December 1, 2010 Advocacy Update

July 28, 2010, Advocacy Alert