Association staff joined advocates from across the country at two national advocacy days in Washington, D.C.
Association CEO Michelle Provaznik and Marketing & Communications Manager Richard A. Doran attended the American Alliance of Museums’ (AAM) Museums Advocacy Day (MAD) on February 25 & 26. Richard then joined advocates from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Legislative Fly-In on March 5 & 6.
You can find and contact your federal representatives here.
MUSEUMS ADVOCACY DAY
Museums Advocacy Day saw over 300 advocates from across the country taking over 300 meetings focused on funding resources for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) within the Institution for Museum and Library Services – a primary federal funding mechanism for museums of all kinds. Over the past years, AAM advocates have been successful in securing increases in OMS funding to the $55.5M level it is at for FY2024. Advocates encourage legislators to secure that funding level in the current budget and to increase to $65.5M for FY2025.
OMS received over $122M in applications for the $55.5M in funding distributed.
Advocates also championed the Charitable Act (S. 566/H.R. 3435) – a bipartisan, bicameral effort to restore a charitable giving donation to individuals who donate to non-profits of any kind. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act amended the standard deduction for individuals and effectively removed itemized deductions for most taxpayers. A temporary fix during the 2020-21 years of the pandemic allowed for a $300 individual, $600 couples, itemized deduction which expired in 2021.
While tax deductions by themselves do not encourage people to donate, they can affect the amount they decide to donate. For example, non-profits reported a significant increase in exactly $300/$600 donations when the deduction was available.
This was Michelle’s second Museums’ Advocacy Day as CEO, meeting with legislative offices from Colorado and Wyoming. Richard attended his sixth, meeting with legislative offices from Pennsylvania and Delaware. Other garden advocates met with offices from Illinois, Washington, and Connecticut.
The Association was a Leading Sponsor for the event, joining the American Association for State and Local History, the Association of African American Museums, The Association of Art Museums Directors, Association of Children’s Museums, Association of Science and Technology Centers, and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
You can learn more about the Museums Advocacy Day issues here.
ASAE LEGISLATIVE FLY-IN
“The Association of Associations” the American Society of Association Executives gathered in support of the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (S. 722/H.R. 1477), bipartisan, bicameral legislation they have been supporting for three years.
The Act would expand the use of “529” saving accounts, known colloquially as “college savings accounts” to allow more people to use such investments to support other professional development – creating “career savings accounts”.
Programs identified in state Workplace Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) databases, or certified by ANSI or NCCA would be covered by this expansion – meaning many professional development opportunities that do not involve a 2- or 4-year degree process would be available to the more then 60% of people who do not pursue advanced degrees.
Richard met with staff of Senators from Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Learn more about the ASAE Legislative Fly-In Issues here.
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