Advocacy 101: Power in the Collective

NEFA has a long history of providing cultural organizations with data-driven research to be used for advocacy. Recently, we’ve increased our focus on cultural policy through building relationships with regional and national advocates, connecting with legislators, and partnering on related professional development and research initiatives. 

At our first New England state arts advocacy retreat we held in September, where we gathered with colleagues from the New England state arts agencies and advocacy organizations, we recognized the need to build regional power by sharing and creating coordinated strategies to bolster all of the work across the region. That recognition inspired an advocacy panel conversation at our annual Idea Swap – where New England-based nonprofit cultural organizations network and share ideas for performing arts, literary arts, and film projects - earlier this month. Moderated by NEFA board member Susan Evans McClure of the Vermont Arts Council and with advocates Rufus de Rham of the Connecticut Arts Alliance, Shoshona (Shoni) Currier of the Bates Dance Festival and Cultural Alliance of Maine, and Emily Ruddock of MASSCreative, this panel aimed to engage the presenting sector in this work at a critical time.  

Launching - or increasing - your advocacy work may feel daunting. But cultural organizations and artists already have established building blocks of advocacy: you know how your work impacts your community, and you know how to foster relationships with your partners, your board, and funders. Noted Susan Evans McClure during the Idea Swap advocacy panel, “Presenters and artists can see themselves as advocates, and they have an important seat at the table.”  How do you turn those building blocks into advocacy? Here are some fundamentals.

1. Know Your Story: Data matters, but stories transform. Share the specific, tangible ways arts and culture shape your community. How did a theater program change a young person's trajectory? What happened when a cultural center opened in a neighborhood long denied resources? These stories are proof. And in the hands of policymakers, they become impossible to ignore.  “When I’m on the stage welcoming audiences to the Bates Dance Festival, I acknowledge the key role of public funding in making that event happen, and reinforce those messages in our program,” shared Shoni Currier.
2. Build Relationships Before You Need Them: Advocacy is not a one-time ask; it's a sustained practice of relationship-building with elected officials, community leaders, and fellow advocates. Don't wait until there's a crisis! Invite your local, state, and federal legislators and leaders to performances and events. Introduce them to artists in their districts. Help them understand how supporting the arts is necessary for the communities they serve. “I dedicate five minutes each week to be in touch with officials about what is going on in Connecticut, and I show up at public meetings and hearings whenever possible,” shared Rufus de Rham.
3. Leverage Collective Power: At our retreat, we talked about asset mapping—identifying who's already doing this work and where we can learn from and amplify each other. We recognized that by gathering the state arts advocacy organizations (Arts4NH, the Connecticut Arts Alliance, the Cultural Alliance of Maine, MASSCreative, and the Vermont Creative Network), we can share ideas and strategies. “We bolster local power by providing accurate and timely information that a community needs about an issue, whether local or state-wide,” said Emily Ruddock. Join your state’s advocacy organization and join national and discipline-specific networks. Show up for coalitions. Participate in initiatives like Create the Vote. Connect with other sectors about the collective benefits. Your voice matters more when it's part of a chorus. “We’ve begun to partner with the restaurants – who see their tables full when there is a performance nearby – as well as tourism to create a coalition of advocates for public funding,” said Rufus de Rham.

4. Make the Public Case: While it is true that public support for the arts remains strong, we cannot take it for granted. Write op-eds in your local paper. Speak up at town halls. Use your social media to share why the arts matter. Frame it broadly: this isn't just about elite institutions—it's about children's access to creativity, veterans healing through art therapy, immigrants preserving cultural heritage, and rural communities building economic resilience. It’s what you do day after day. 

   As Emily Rudock observes, “We also work on key related areas, such as tax policy, that can have a big impact on the sector and impact funding.”

5. Remember: Individual Contributions Add Up: While we fight for robust public investment—understanding that government funding leverages private support and signals societal commitment—individual giving also plays a crucial role. Every donation to an arts organization, every membership purchased, every ticket bought is an investment in the ecosystem. When we advocate for public funding, we're not diminishing individual contributions—we're recognizing that a cultural ecosystem requires multiple streams of support flowing together.

Find national and regional advocacy resources on NEFA’s Advocacy page – and let me know if we are missing one you find useful.

If you are concerned about advocacy versus lobbying, you are not alone! It is crucial to understand the difference. Very simply, advocacy is about issues (such as funding for arts and culture) and lobbying is about legislation (such as asking a legislator to vote in a particular way). Learn more about limits on lobbying for 501 c3 orgs.