Advocacy

Advocacy is the act of speaking, writing, or acting in support of an issue or person. It may be an educational activity, such as an article about the benefits of art education in the curriculum, or it may be participation in a rally around a particular cause.

Lobbying commonly means discussing issues with legislators. However, for 501-c-3 nonprofit organizations, lobbying is a form of advocacy that has a legal and IRS definition. Generally, this means asking policymakers to take a specific stance on a specific piece of legislation.

The Advocacy Handbook in this section was designed to assist the public in how to effectively express their points of view to legislators. It also includes a section on how the legislative process works in New Mexico.

An informed and involved citizenry is crucial to the democratic process. The How to Host a Candidates' Forum booklet delineates the steps in producing a forum where people can get to know candidates and learn what they think about a variety of issues.

This Advocacy section also has links to useful information on different aspects of advocacy provided by a variety of organizations.

Information about advocating for arts education can be found in the Arts Education section of the New Mexico Arts web site.

Arts Education Field Guide

The Arts Education Field Guide from Americans for the Arts illuminates the complexity of citizens, policymakers, government entities, and organizations that influence arts education from the schoolhouse to the White House and from the living room to the boardroom.

By reading about the motivations and connections for each position in the arts education ecosystem, you can build more effective relationships in your school, community, and state that will allow arts education to thrive.