January 23, 2017, Florida Cultural Alliance Agenda and Materials
for Advocacy and Information-to-Use Statewide Conference Call

January 23, 2017, Advocacy & Information-to-Use Statewide Conference Call Agenda and Materials
 
     Thank you for registering to participate on this month's statewide call organized by the Florida Cultural Alliance (FCA).  Each month, FCA organizes these calls to keep you informed and engaged in state and federal issues and other information that matter to you and Florida's arts, arts education, and culture industry.



Go here to review who registered to participate on today's call.
 





Number 1
Guest Speaker is Andrea C. Knowles, executive director of the Broward Legislative Delegation




Andrea Knowles
   

   Andrea will share with us the role of legislative delegations and their offices and how you can better communicate with members of your own legislative delegation and their staff members on issues that matter to us.








   



 
Number 2
What is our statewide ask of the 2017 Florida Legislature for the 2017-2018 Florida Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA) grants' programs? 

 

  2.a.  The table below reflects the number of 2017-2018 DCA qualified grant applicants for the 2017 Florida Legislature's funding consideration: 

Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA) Grant Program Categories -- click each program to access ranked list:
Number of Total 2017-2018 DCA Grant Applicants Recommended for Funding:
 
  
Total 2017-2018 Grant Appropriation Requests:
Cultural and Museum Grants for General Program Support   
480  
$35,519,347  
Culture Builds Florida Grants for Specific Projects 
 110  $2,320,109
 36  $11,591,554
 12  $2,880,000
Subtotals:  
638  
$52,311,010  

 


2.b.  Is there a county-by-county list that includes all 638 recommended grant applicants organized under the counties they are based?    Yes, and each applicant's website is linked to make it easier to access information on the grant applicant. 








2.c.  Is there a document that shows a quick look at which counties have which specific 2017-2018 DCA grant-funding requests? Yes.  Access to the numbers of recommended DCA 2017-2018 grants by counties.







2.d.  What are some of the key challenges we face to meet our legislative and congressional arts, arts education, and culture goals? 






2..e.1.  Florida budget/revenue projections for this current fiscal year and next

2.e.2.    DOS FY 2017-2018 Legislative Budget Requests Priority Listing for Possible
            Reduction (page 14) and Appropriation Recommendations for FY 2017-2018
            (pages 56-58)
for DCA Grants' Programs

2.e.3.   Retaining the NEA and NEH -- article one  and two

2.e.4.  Governor's Budget Recommendations TBA  
 
2.e.5.  Ensuring that the Florida Department of Education incorporates arts education
           
policies in its Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Implementation Plan.
 
2.e.6.  Recruiting and sustaining arts, arts education, and culture advocates'
           engagement in advocacy.


 

Number 3
What are the advocacy steps we should take now?





STEP 1:   Please review, learn from, and use the following materials in your advocacy communications  to inform staff,board members, and patrons, and in your communications with   your legislators and those in   legislative leadership and   TED committee members :

a.  2017 Florida Legislative Platform for Arts & Culture

 




b.  F lorida Department of State Grant Lists and Information FY 2017-18  Grants Book.












c.      County-by-county list of recommended 2017-2018 Florida Division of Cultural Affairs grants organized 











d.  Americans for the Arts' 2015 Creative Industries Reports for Florida counties














Communicate Billboard



STEP 2:  Communicate with your Florida Senator and Representative
that your organization and other organizations in your county are recommended for a 2017-2018 Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs' grant. Ask for their help to secure the appropriations needed to fund your recommended grants and others.



     We hope that you participated in the thank you campaign, reached out to your legislators during the 2016 election campaign, and followed through on what we discussed on previous advocacy calls: 

1.  Add the names and emails of your representative and senator in your address books.
.
2.  Check to see if you have representative/s or senator/s that serve in Florida Legislative Leadership or one of the House or Senate TED appropriations' subcommittees.  If so, add those individuals and their staff members to your address books, too.
  
3.  Learn about your representative and senator -- their occupations, education, family, interests, committee assignments, etc.
  
4.  Invite them to a local arts or culture event.
  
5.  Find out if your local arts agency plans to make a presentation that includes the "ask" for support of the DCA 2017-2018 grants at a local county delegation meeting.  If so, see if you and other arts advocate can attend as a group.
  
6.  Follow your senator and representative on Twitter and FaceBook to learn what is important to them.

7.  Do you know others who personally know your legislators or other key legislators who would also speak to them personally about supporting our "asks" and getting involved as an arts, arts education, and culture advocate?
  
8.   Make sure that info@FLCA.net is an acceptable email on your system, and please pay attention and follow through in timely manners on action alerts sent to you.

NOW, please communicate in both written format on your stationery and in emails to your Florida Representative and Senator AND those legislators who serve in leadership and on the TED appropriations' subcommittees if they represent your county in the Florida Legislature.

INCLUDE IN YOUR MESSAGE:  Thank them for their service to our state; inform them that your organization and others in the county or counties they represent are recommended by the Florida Department of State for a 2017-2018 Florida Division of Cultural Affairs' grants.  Let them know that your organization and others on the ranked list went through a rigorous and thorough review process to be placed on these ranked lists in the DOS Grants List and Information 2017-2018 Book that was submitted to each of them by the Department of State.

Enclose the 2017 Platform; copy the county pages that show the recommended grants in your county; circle the name of your organization; highlight how this state grant will help your organization leverage other necessary matching private and public dollars; create and sustain jobs; help with greater access for all; arts education, etc.  Share how these state grant investments are positive returns on investment -- for every $1 invested, $5 is returned to local and state government treasuries.

Ask for their help and leadership to secure these appropriations needed to fund all of these recommended state matching grants fully.  Begin and/or continue to build greater understanding about the value of arts, arts education, and culture and stronger relationships with your legislators.  Your engagement and voice matter.




STEP 3:   Register now for Arts & Culture Day 2017 in Tallahassee on March 22.  Together, in large numbers, let's demonstrate that arts, arts education, and culture matter to Floridians.  It's important you and other advocates who care SHOW UP and SPEAK UP.







Time to pay attention

STEP 4:   Please pay attention to action alerts that are emailed to you, and follow through on them in a timely manner.  Issues move through the legislative process quickly, and all of us must pay attention throughout this process and engage in it.  Your follow through in a timely manner on these alerts make a difference.  Please make sure that info@FLCA.net is an acceptable email address on your address book.
 







  
Legislative Resources for Your Use

3.c.1.  2017 Florida Legislative and Appropriations' Leadership Excel worksheets

3.c.2.   Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development  ( Senate TED )

3.c.3.    House Transportation & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee ( House TED )

3.c.4.   Combined list of TED subcommittee members

     3.c.4.a.  
 by counties represented and how many DCA 2017-2018 grant requests

     3.c.4.b.   contact information by counties represented and

      3.c.4.c.     by pictures, counties, and quick emails

3.c.5.  Your state senator and representative --   access here.

3.c.6.     Senate Directory and  House Directory in Excel format with staff contacts and emails, links, telephone numbers, addresses, and committee assignments

 

Number 4
Invitation from Florida Division of Cultural Affairs



Morgan Lewis
Rachelle Ashmore
Curtis Young












Staff members from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs will review the highlights of the upcoming Convening Culture 2017 scheduled for February 22 and 23 in Gainesville. Click on the logo below to access details and registration.


   


Number 5
Quick Updates




1.  Please sign this petition to President Trump to
     demonstrate our support  for the NEA and arts.

     Support funding for NEA -- take action here

     Join the Americans for the Arts' Arts Action Fund here.

.     Post on   Facebook  and  Twitter  to help rally national support to save the
     NEA. 
There is strength in numbers and your social media friends can help.

2.  Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) -- states receive final regulations.

3.  Mark your calendars and register to participate in arts and culture advocacy days:

     Wednesday, March 22, Arts & Culture Day in Tallahassee -- register here.
     Monday, Tuesday, March 20 & 21, National Arts Advocacy Days --
      register here.
 
4.  Register for the 2017 Convening Culture Conference in Gainesville, February        22 and 23.

5.  Other quick updates from you?



Number 6
What are future dates for FCA Advocacy and Information-to-Use Statewide Calls?

Please mark your calendars and plan to participate.

All Calls are on Mondays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. EST:

February 13
March 13
April 10
May 8
June 19 
 


Thank you graphic

 


Florida Cultural Alliance
FCA Advocacy Button

  Post Office Box 2131
 West Palm Beach, FL 33402-2131
info@FLCA.net
www.FLCA.net