Contact Senators Now to Restore Arts Funding

by Erica McCreedy

Below is an e-mail sent from Louisiana Citizens for the Arts which is our statewide nonprofit organization responsible for advocating for arts funding for the entire state. The budget for Decentralized Arts Funding – the annual grant that provides essential seed money to over sixty arts organizations in the region – has currently cut $500,000 from last year’s budget. This number represents one third of DAF funding for Louisiana, which means that all of our organizations that apply for a DAF grant will received one third less than last year. Take a look at the e-mail below, and contact your senators through LCA’s website. Make your voice heard!

The Senate Finance Committee sent the budget to the Senate floor yesterday WITHOUT the restoration of the $500,000 for the Decentralized Arts Funding Program to bring the program's funding back up to last year's appropriation which means we're down to $1 Million for DAF it the budget passes as is. This will have a negative impact on every parish in the state with organizations that provide cultural programming, summer library programs and arts in education in the schools. This is our last chance to have the $500,000 restored on the floor, so don't hesitate. Contact your Senator NOW!

Please take 3 minutes to contact the Senators NOW.  It's as easy as 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . just go to http://louisianacitizensforthearts.org/      Under the Take Action box, “Click Here to Write Your Legislators” and you will be taken to the ALERT page.  Under Louisiana, click Take Action.  You'll see the action alert at the top of the page and as you scroll down, you will see the MESSAGE to the Senators.  Scroll down to the Sender Information. If you have never sent a CapWiz message, you will need to complete the information requested.  Once this is done, just hit "send message" and you're done!  Don't forget to forward this message on to all your friends and other arts advocates.  Remember, with your help we were able to have the arts funding reinstated last year.  We NEED everyone's help again this year to do it again!  

Send a message NOW asking the Senators to support our request for restoration of the $500,000 in Decentralized Arts Funding.  Go to http://louisianacitizensforthearts.org/ and TAKE ACTION NOW! Thanks in advance for your help!