SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2009: Your action is needed immediately, as $50 million in federal funds for the arts hangs in the balance. The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 is being considered by Congress today, and a growing number of media reports have portrayed the arts funding included in the House version of the bill negatively. Americans for the Arts is calling on all of our members and arts advocates from around the U.S. to take two minutes to send a short letter to the editor to your local media outlet. We’ve provided the talking points and we just ask you to customize it to your community.

National Endowment for the Arts funds, on average, leverage $7 in additional support through local, state, and private donations, for every one dollar in federal support. Fifty million in economic stimulus will leverage $350 million of investment in the nonprofit arts, which will help prevent 14,422 jobs from being lost.

Please take two minutes to send letters to members of Congress that will make a difference.

http://www.artsusa.org/news/afta_news/default.asp#item6