Advocacy All Year

Take a minute for advocacy each month. Advocacy isn't a one-time thing.  Find a new way each month to support and promote Maine's cultural institutions!

January - Jot a note to your elected officials, members, donors, and friends. Share your calendar year-end attendance/user statistics and thank them for their support over the last 12 months. Prepare for the coming year with a visitor/patron count system, guest register, and guest comment box.

February - National Museum Advocacy Day is this month! Attend in-person or online for free.

March - Finalize your summer programming and share the schedule with your elected officials, members, friends, and donors.  Remind them of the many ways your organization impacts the community, county and state. Don't forget to upload all your major events onto the visitmaine.com website of the Maine Office of Tourism - it's free!

April - April is National Volunteer Month. Let your elected officials, members, donors, and friends know how important volunteers are for your organization. Share information about the number of volunteers who assist at your organization and the hours they donated during the last year. Introduce new volunteers and how they will help in the upcoming season.

May - Get your staff, volunteers, and even your trustees ready for the season by taking the University of Maine's free online customer service certification program called WelcomeME. It is designed for folks who work in the tourism industry in Maine.

June -  Log into Maine Archives and Museum's website and make sure your institutional profile is up-to-date and all visitor information is accurate for the season. Be sure to get members of your city/town council/selectboard and your local chamber of commerce on your mailing list for summertime events!

July - Send a card to your elected officials and let them know how attendance is going for the year. Thank them for their support.

August - Transcribe the comments that have been left at your organization by visitors this season and use them to help show how your organization has made an impact on the visitor from an educational standpoint.

September - Focus on something unique your organization did this year and write an opinion piece for your local newspaper. Send a copy to your elected officials. Use this month's board meeting to talk about your organization's advocacy plan and the board's role in serving as advocates for your organization.

October - Attend the Maine Archives and Museums Annual Meeting and Conference! Reconnect with professionals and volunteers from all over the state, share news, recharge your batteries, and attend sessions that will energize you for the coming year.

November - Before the local elections and the start of the legislative session, introduce yourself and your organization to candidates and elected officials.  Prepare your elected partners for the annual planning and budget work they will do that will affect your organization by making yourself known to them.

December - Connect with new and returning elected officials on social media and make sure they're on your mailing lists for the coming year. Do the same for your local city/town council/selectboard and chamber of commerce. Prepare your organization's economic impact statement for use during the upcoming advocacy session or borrow the one published by MAM in 2019.