Welcome!

WESTAF is pleased to present the digital 2021 WESTAF Federal Advocacy Toolkit (Toolkit). The Toolkit is an online, mixed media, learning tool which can assist in meeting the needs of art leaders and decision makers. This online tool serves as a central resource of information on how to implement and sustain best practices in community organizing and federal advocacy. A printable/.pdf-ready copy of the Western Advocacy Toolkit is also available here.

While the learning process is not linear, we recommend that you first move and read through this learning tool in sequence, by clicking the "NEXT" button found at the bottom right of your screen, to understand the entire process of advancing, informing, and building actions for federal advocacy for the arts through this Toolkit. But, if you would like to explore different approaches to learning the content, feel free to utilize the Table of Content listed below.

We have restructured our toolkit this year to be more action oriented and support this new vision for the work.

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How to use this site

The purpose of this document is to assist local arts organizations within the region to recognize and navigate the complexities of coordinating and engaging Members of Congress for continued support for federal funding of the arts. Western members of Congress are significantly represented in the Congressional voting body, on appropriations committees and subcommittees and on House and Senate Cultural Caucuses. Taken as a whole, Western members are a vitally important constituency to engage in building support for the arts.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Program Goals

As part of a plan to continue to reinvigorate WESTAF’s federal advocacy program in FY21, WESTAF is again offering funds to the 13 member states in the region in support of federal advocacy activities.


The WESTAF FY21 federal advocacy program aims to inspire the following actions as we collectively undertake this work for the remainder of this year and beyond.


  1. Advance

  2. Inform

  3. Build

ADVANCE advocacy for federal arts funding and support for the arts in the West.

INFORM constituents and elected officials about the role and value of federal support for the arts in the West.

BUILD or deepen the relationships of western states with their congressional delegations.

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