Take action today for Museums Advocacy Day!

Today is Museums Advocacy Day! We hope you will (re)read our blog post from last week, Museums Advocacy Day 2014, about the importance of museums and our hope that you, as a friend of the Stowe Center, will encourage your Congressional leaders to support museums as as historic and cultural sites, institutions of learning, program centers, and community anchors.


Below are statistics about museums as well as ways you can take action today and show your support of museums! (courtesy of the American Alliance of Museums)


Did You Know?
Museums spend more than $2 billion a year on education; the typical museum devotes three-quarters of its education budget to K-12 students.

• Museums directly contribute $21 billion to the U.S. economy each year. They generate billions more through indirect spending by their visitors.
• The nonprofit arts and culture industry annually generates over $135 billion in economic activity, supports more than 4.1 million full-time jobs and returns over $22 billion in local, state and federal tax revenues. 
• Governments that support the arts see an average return on investment of over $7 in taxes for every $1 that the government appropriates.
• 78% of all U.S. leisure travelers participate in cultural or heritage activities. These travelers—including visitors to museums—spend 63% more on average than other leisure travelers.
• At least 22% of museums are located in rural areas and engage in programs to bring education and access to their materials to their communities in a variety of ways.

While many working in the museum field know that museums play a key role in education, job creation, tourism, economic development and more, elected officials are not fully aware of our enormous impact. Help us spread the word about the importance of museums on this, our sixth Museums Advocacy Day.


What You Can Do: Advocate from Anywhere
This year, wherever you are, you can use our updated tools and materials to join the nationwide effort to make the case for museums.

• Take Action: Contact Congress: Urge Support for the IMLS Office of Museum Services

• Invite: Meet Your Legislators Locally

• Maximize Your Advocacy Efforts: Use the Alliance Publicity Toolkit

• Improve Your Advocacy Skills: Access our Online Advocacy Programs

• Get the App: Download and share the free Museums Advocacy Day mobile app
• Speak Up for Museums: Use #museumsadvocacy on Facebook and Twitter and "Like" and "Follow" your legislators