Take Action Now: Complete this template and send it to your Congressional representatives.

Please read the template carefully and replace all of the brackets with your own information. Do not send a letter with any brackets in it. This is a fill-in-the-blank template.

 

Subject: Restore the NEA, NEH, and IMLS 

Dear Senator/Representative, 

As a constituent who values not only arts and culture, but also the authority granted to Congress by the United States Constitution, I implore you to take immediate action to restore and protect all funding and staffing to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). As my elected representative I ask that you defend these agencies and the American values they represent. 

These agencies were created by Congress, and Congress has fully funded them through the end of fiscal year 2025. However, recent actions at the NEA, NEH and IMLS by the Trump Administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have stripped those agencies of their priorities, public funding and public servants, leaving them unable to fulfill their Congressional mandates which include: 

• NEA supporting the arts and arts agencies in every state and territory.  
• NEH supporting the humanities and humanities councils in every state and territory. 
• IMLS supporting museums and especially libraries in every state and territory. 

The NEA and NEH make up only 0.003% each of the overall federal budget and work to support more than just the nonprofit arts sector, which alone generates more than $150 billion dollars in economic activity to the American economy and supports more than 2.6 million jobs. IMLS accounts for only 0.0046% of the federal budget and serves a sector that supports more than 726,000 jobs and generates over $50 billion dollars in economic benefit. This is a small investment for a huge return. This is not just good government; this is good business. 

The dismantling of these agencies has already caused damage throughout the country, costing not only jobs, but also educational and community programs in rural areas and other underserved populations. The consequences of these reckless actions are now surfacing, and the reality of what we may lose becomes clearer every day. Will there be no library programs for seniors and children in rural communities? No art therapy addressing the unique and special needs of military patients and veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychological health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? I hope you will act before we find out. 

These agencies are being dismantled on your watch, in direct defiance of the branch of the federal government in which you were elected to serve. I urge you to protect and defend the NEA, NEH, and IMLS, as well as your congressional authority, for the betterment of your constituents, our state, and the entire nation. 

Thank you for your leadership and service.  

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Organization (if applicable)]