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Advocacy


MPMA helps its members to get their issues heard at the regional and national levels. MPMA represents the mountain and plains section of the country at the American Association of Museums' Council of Regional Associations (CRA) which discusses and advises AAM on trends and issues from around the nation. MPMA encourages its members to inform MPMA about issues and trends from the field so that it can bring these to the attention of this national body. It also encourages members to alert MPMA to any situation that may require helping public officials better understand the role of museums in a local community or state.


Should you have an issue that MPMA can help with or should know about, please contact the MPMA office at 303.979.9358 or by email at director@mpma.net. All confidential requests will be honored.


Federal Formula Grant Coalition

Did you know that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) provided $210.5 million to libraries in 2006, while museums received only $36.5 million? Why the difference? Federal formula grants given from IMLS directly to the states accounted for $163.7 million of IMLS’ library authorization.

Service organizations representing museums at the state, regional, and national level have joined forces to seek reauthorizing legislation for IMLS in 2009 that includes federal formula grants for museums. This web site is dedicated to asking the museum community for strategic assistance in achieving the 2009 goal.

The Federal Formula Grant Coalition seeks legislation through Congress to provide funding to museums through a federal formula grant program. The model for this program is the one presently used by libraries where federal funds go directly to a state agency for distribution within the state. All monies would go through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS); these monies would be in addition to the grants already distributed by IMLS.

This is an important issue for all of us and an article, If You Want More Money, Now's the Time to Ask: Federal Formula Grants for Museums, in History News may be helpful in understanding it. You can find it on the AASLH web site.

What MPMA is Doing

The MPMA Board, in March 2007, agreed to support efforts to increase funding for museums through Federal Formula Grants (FFG). The FFG and the American Association for State and Local History have worked on this effort for the past four years and hope to convince Congress of this new initiative prior to the reauthorization of IMLS in 2009.

We held a session at the MPMA's 2007 Conference in Fargo to bring a greater awareness to the issue. We are bringing to the Council of Regional Associations to discuss at CRA's meetings.

If you have any questions on FFG feel free to contact MPMA Executive Director Monta Lee Dakin at director@mpma.net. All confidential requests will be honored.

For more information on how the program would work, download this Word document.

For a list of Coalition members, download this Word document.

We are asking our members and non members to fax a letter to their congressmen and senators indicating that there is support for the FFG in the MPMA region. You can find out more about this letter by clicking on the link above that says FFG Letters of Support. Please FAX, don't email or send by letter.

Sending a Letter to Congress about the FFG

As you know, the Mountain-Plains Museums Association (MPMA) is a member of the Federal Formula Grants for Museums Coalition (FFG Coalition). The Coalition’s purpose is a bold one and consequential to our organizations. If successful, Congress will incorporate federal grants for museums when it reauthorizes the Institute for Museums and Library Services (IMLS).

Please see the "Congressional Case" which contains bullet points listing benefits to museums and as a result, enables us to serve our communities better. To that end, it is imperative we present a united front and work together to achieve this worthwhile goal. You might also be interested in the Coalition's Communication Plan.

Therefore, we are asking you to:

  • Review the sample "Letter to your member of congress."
  • Personalize the letter.
  • Fax a copy of the letter, along with the case statement, to your congressional representatives. Google your rep for the fax number.
  • Also, please fax or email a copy to MPMA Executive Director Monta Lee Dakin so she can forward them to the lobbyist group, Washington Strategies, that is representing the Coalition.
  • Immediately following your action, please ask your board member to take the same steps.

    • We would be remiss not to acknowledge our dear colleague and friend, Lorne Render, whose leadership on behalf of the MPMA and participation on the Coalition help to move this initiative forward.

    For more information, please see the AASLH site and see the Word document report on AAM convening for Federal Funds Grant.

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