Advocacy Playbook

Your go-to hub for taking action. Access our collection of situation-ready tools, including 3-minute testimony tips, strategic talking points, and guides for hosting a legislator at your local arts venue.

Advocating for Public Arts Funding in Montana

Public investment in arts and culture fuels local economies, strengthens schools, and keeps Montana communities vibrant. As lawmakers prepare for the upcoming legislative session, taking action as a constituent is the most effective way to ensure these vital funds are protected and sustained.

1. Do’s and Don’ts of Contacting State Legislators

Reaching out to your House Representative or State Senator does not require policy expertise—it simply requires your voice as a local voter. Keep these core guidelines in mind when calling or emailing:

DO...

Do state that you are a constituent immediately: Give your full name, city/town, and residential address or zip code so legislative aides officially log your input for their district.
Do name the specific funding source: Explicitly ask them to support funding for the Cultural & Aesthetic Trust (C&A Trust) and state arts appropriations.
Do keep it concise: Keep emails and letters under one page, and limit phone calls to 30–60 seconds. Legislators and staffers read and log dozens of contacts daily.
Do anchor your message in personal & local impact: Share a quick story or concrete example of how arts programs benefit your town’s main street, local schools, veterans, or youth.
Do keep it polite, friendly, and nonpartisan: Public arts funding is a proven nonpartisan issue that delivers results across rural and urban districts alike. A kind, courteous message builds lasting rapport.
Do leave after-hours voicemails: If calling during the workday feels intimidating, calling on evenings or weekends to leave a concise voicemail is just as effective and gets logged in official constituent counts.

DON'T...

Don’t feel like you need to be a policy expert: You do not need to memorize complex budget codes or statutes. You are reaching out as a community expert on why the arts matter in your town.
Don’t mix multiple unrelated political topics: Stick strictly to public arts funding and the Cultural Trust in your message so your stance is recorded clearly.
Don’t assume a lawmaker won't listen: Representatives across all political affiliations regularly support public investment when they hear direct economic and community proof from their own constituents.
Don’t worry about lobbyist registration as a volunteer constituent: Unpaid citizens, volunteers, board members, and community advocates can freely contact their legislators without triggering state lobbyist licensing requirements.

2. Who Should Reach Out?

While arts administrators and artists are natural advocates, lawmakers expect to hear from them. To truly move the needle in the state legislature, we need the cross-sector leaders who make a town economy run to tell lawmakers that public arts programs help their businesses and communities thrive.

We strongly encourage local organizations to recruit and activate:

Bankers & Financial Officers: Can speak directly to downtown commercial vitality, business loan stability, and long-term regional economic growth.
Main Street Business Owners & Merchants: Restaurant owners, hoteliers, retail shops, and outfitters who experience the direct "spillover effect"—knowing that theater goers, concert attendees, and festival visitors fill tables, book rooms, and buy goods.
Healthcare Providers & Mental Health Professionals: Doctors, nurses, and counselors who see the direct impact of creative arts therapies for veterans with PTSD, pediatric development, and combating rural isolation and loneliness.
Chambers of Commerce & Economic Developers: Civic leaders who know that cultural amenities and vibrant downtowns are essential tools for attracting skilled workers, families, and new investment to Montana towns.
Local Elected Officials (Mayors, County Commissioners, Tribal Leaders): Local decision-makers who recognize cultural spaces as essential multi-use civic infrastructure and gathering hubs.
School Board Members, Superintendents, & Business Leaders: Community leaders who understand that arts education keeps kids engaged in school, lowers chronic absenteeism, and builds workforce-ready skills.

When a local banker, main street shopkeeper, or primary care doctor tells a legislator:

"Arts programs in our town
...bring customers to my shop
...keep my patients connected
...help us hire young professionals..."

...it completely reframes arts funding from a "special interest" into an essential public economic driver.

3. Who Should Testify at Legislative Hearings on Arts & Culture Funding?

When bills affecting the Cultural Trust or state arts appropriations come before committee, testimony panels should feature a strategic mix of voices:

Anchor Business Representatives & Chamber Leaders: To present hard numbers on how state arts grants leverage local investments and fuel off-site merchant spending.
Healthcare & Veteran Advocates: To share brief, compelling accounts of how state-supported arts programs deliver life-saving mental health and trauma recovery services.
Local Government Leaders (Mayors / Commissioners): To explain how state Cultural Trust matching grants allow small, rural municipalities to maintain historic gathering spaces and public infrastructure.
Program Beneficiaries & Educators: Students, parents, or tradition-bearers who can give brief, authentic testimony on how state arts funding directly preserved local heritage or transformed a school environment.

Testimony can be delivered either in-person at the Capitol in Helena or remotely via the legislature’s virtual public comment portal. Testimony should always be kept brief—typically 2 to 3 minutes max—focusing on 3 simple points and a real-world story.

Contacting your Legislator

Legislator Finder

By phone

Reaching out to Congress or the State Legislature doesn't have to be intimidating.

Here are five tips for making an effective call or sending an impactful message:

State that you are a constituent: Elected officials are there to represent their district. Always provide your name, address, and zip code so your message is officially counted.
Share your personal story: Keep it personal. Tell your legislator exactly why this issue matters to your specific community or profession. Stories provide a human connection that data alone cannot achieve.
Keep it brief and stick to one issue: Whether you are writing a letter or making a call, stay concise. Letters should be no longer than one page, and a phone call only needs to be about 30 seconds.
Relax and be friendly: You won't be grilled on the details of a bill. Staffers and interns answering the phones are usually just busy workers logging your name and your stance. A kind, polite person is a breath of fresh air and builds rapport with the office.
Leave a voicemail: If you are shy or terrified of making phone calls, you can call on evenings or weekends. Leaving a voicemail after hours is highly effective, completely stress-free, and still gets tallied.

By email or letter

Letters and emails are an extremely effective way of communicating with your elected officials. Many lawmakers believe that a single letter represents the position of many other constituents who did not take the time to write.

Use these five tips to ensure your message makes an impact:

State Who You Are and What You Want: In your very first paragraph, clearly state that you are a constituent and immediately identify the issue you are writing about. If you are writing about a specific piece of legislation or funding, include the exact bill number (e.g., H.B. ___ or S. ___) so the legislative aide knows exactly how to categorize your stance.
Keep it Brief: Legislative aides read dozens of letters every day, so your letter should be as concise as possible. Never write more than one page, and strictly limit your letter to a single issue. To make the strongest argument, choose just the three most important points that support your position and flesh them out.
Personalize Your Letter: Hard data is important, but personal stories change minds. Tell your elected official why this legislation matters to their specific community or state. If you have a personal story that shows how the arts have impacted you, your family, or your local town, include it. Lived experience can be highly persuasive.
Personalize Your Relationship: If you have any existing connection to the lawmaker, mention it. Have you ever voted for this official, contributed time or money to their campaign, or interacted with them through a business or personal relationship? If so, tell them!
Remember That You Are the Expert: Remember that your legislator's job is to represent you. While you should always be courteous and to the point, do not be afraid to take a firm position. Often, your elected official may know no more about a given local issue than you do, so speak with the confidence of a community expert.