Happy Holidays Arts Advocates
Tis the Season to share some holiday spirit with our legislators!
While it is important to stay in touch with your legislators all year long, the holidays offer particularly meaningful opportunities for outreach. Here we offer our top three tried and true strategies for holiday advocacy.
Send a Personal Holiday Greetings
Sending a holiday message to your legislators is a great way to initiate a conversation about the arts. Craft a message that highlights the positive impact of the arts in your community, expressing gratitude for their continued support of the license plate program. Consider including a personal touch, such as a story or an anecdote that includes their constituents, to make your message more memorable. While legislators do read their emails, keep in mind many also display actual greeting cards in their offices.
Invite Your Legislator to Holiday Art Events
Who doesn’t enjoy all the wonderful events at this time of year? Invite your legislators to local art events happening during the holiday season. Demonstrating the vibrancy of the arts in your community can effectively showcase their value. Encourage your legislators to attend and experience firsthand the transformative power of the arts. It is appropriate to call the offices to ensure the invitation is received and follow-up on attendance. If your legislators attend and the setting is appropriate, acknowledge their presence, thank them for coming and for their support. Also consider giving legislators the opportunity to speak or introduce the program. Finally, it is a nice touch to follow-up with an email including photos from the evening, if possible, and thanking them again for coming.
And Don’t Forget Social Media
Leverage the power of your social media to engage your legislators and raise awareness about arts advocacy during the holiday season. Create a hashtag specifically for this purpose and encourage people to share their favorite holiday arts experiences or memories. Tag @Tn4Arts and your legislators in these posts, thanking them for their support of the license plate program.
Tn4Arts would like to know how you are advocating during this special season. Let us hear from you! These advocacy activities also present an opportunity to demonstrate your advocacy practices in your Tennessee Arts Commission grant applications!
From all of us at Tn4Arts, we wish you a joyful season!
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If you have any questions please email info@tn4arts.org
