Advocacy is like a plant 🌱

With a number of events coming up, advocacy is top of mind for many in our field. Some will travel to Washington, DC to make the case for museums, while others can fine-tune talking points and amplify messages from home to prepare for what has already proven to be another high-stakes year.

Annual advocacy events spark new ideas and momentum. What creates lasting change, however, is the advocacy we practice year-round.

Advocacy in the museum, archive, and cultural heritage world extends far beyond four walls and two days of meetings. It’s like a plant. If you only give it water and sunshine every few months, then return it to a windowless basement, it won’t last. Like any living thing, advocacy grows with regular care and attention.

MOMENTS TO WATCH FOR 

Whether you’re participating in-person or from home, these events are worth noting. 

Museums Advocacy Day takes place February 23–24 in Arlington and DC. For the past 15 years, this event has provided training and support to help museum professionals advocate effectively for federal funding. Whether you’ve attended in the past, plan to in the future, or are watching from afar, it’s a reminder that a small group of committed voices can create a meaningful ripple effect.

Shortly after, the National Humanities Alliance (NHA) will host its annual Humanities Advocacy Day on March 10, focusing on the broader humanities ecosystem and year-round advocacy on campuses, in local communities, and through visits to Capitol Hill. Attendance isn’t required to benefit from their resources. 

Looking ahead to May 18, ICOM’s 2026 International Museum Day theme, “Museums Uniting a Divided World,” feels especially relevant this year. It’s also a timely reminder that our institutions operate within global networks of exchange and shared responsibility beyond DC. Updating advocacy plans to reflect those broader centers of influence may be overdue.

Speaking of DC, FY26 funding has now been allocated for most of the federal agencies that libraries, archives, and museums rely on, including funds distributed at the state level through the State Historic Preservation Offices. While understandable funding concerns remain, we appreciate that Congress has continued to support the cultural heritage sector. 

There are other bright spots as well. Philanthropic investment beyond traditional federal channels also continues to shape the landscape. Last month, the Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP) received a $2.5 million grant from the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place program, marking the largest single investment in the organization’s history. The funding will launch the Placekeepers Fund to support community-led preservation projects across the United States and Pacific Island territories.

The centers of influence we discussed last month feel increasingly visible, with advocacy expanding across federal agencies, foundations, international bodies, individual philanthropists, and professional associations. We celebrate this moment while looking ahead. 

SUSTAINABLE WAYS TO ADVOCATE 

If we only practice advocacy when something feels threatened or urgent, the effort becomes exhausting. It can feel like swimming upstream. 

There’s a more sustainable approach, starting with a moment of reflection. Pause and consider your answers to these questions: 

• Is your advocacy reactive or proactive?
• Does your plan extend beyond annual events? 
• Beyond federal representatives, what centers of influence can you include? 
• Are you regularly sharing and celebrating the work of your institution, collection, and community—or waiting until funding feels at risk? 
• Which platforms allow you to engage your community in ways that feel natural and authentic?
• How can you make advocacy feel lighthearted and fun? 

Advocacy outreach isn’t limited to elected officials. Boards, donors, local journalists, community partners, and digital audiences all shape public perception. So does the everyday visibility of your work. Just like a plant: don’t let your work wilt in the basement. We know that sometimes people need to see our work in order to value it.

Relationship-building rarely produces immediate results. Over time, though, it builds trust—and trust makes funding conversations more productive.

CLOSING REFLECTIONS 

Advocacy events can spark a burst of focus. However, that burst can also create the illusion that isolated effort is enough. In reality, influence accumulates slowly.

In The Lion Women of Tehran, Marjan Kamali eloquently writes: 

“Waves begin their journey thousands of miles out at sea. They accumulate shape and power from winds and undersea currents for ages. And so, when you see the women in Iran screaming for their rights, please remember that the force and fury of our screams have been gathering power for years.” 

Advocacy and resistance are rarely a single act of bravery. More often, they gather strength over time. Slowly. Steadily. Consistently. 

As we move through February’s events and toward spring, imagine what advocacy could look like in your community. It doesn’t need to be huge—

It can be slow and steady.
A little bit at a time. 

This blog post content was originally included in our community newsletter: The Moment -- where we respond quickly and thoughtfully to impactful events and decisions that challenge or disrupt our profession.