Advocacy Action Center
February 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis included $32 Million for arts and culture funding in his 2025-2026 budget recommendation. As session begins March 4th, advocates are encouraged to share with legislators their interest in fulling funding the arts and culture grants that were submitted and passed their panel reviews as well as bring their attention to bills of concern and the need for amendments that will allow the arts and culture to flourish and continue to bring Florida together.
Tuesday, March 11
2PM
@ The Historic Capitol Building
Guided Tour of the Historic Capitol
5PM-9PM
@ Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee, 200 S. Duval St
Social Networking
Live music
Film Screening
Heavy hors d’ouvres
Beverages
Wednesday, March 12
8AM
@ 22nd Floor Gallery, The Capitol, 400 South Monroe St
Local Arts Agencies Meeting
10AM
@ 22nd Floor Gallery, The Capitol, 400 South Monroe St
Advocacy Rally
Legislative Update
Guest Remarks
Advocacy/Platform Review
Morning beverages provided
2025 Arts & Culture Advocacy Resources Shared Folder
What Vetoed Stakeholders Are Doing
Raising Awareness
Writing Letters to State Lawmakers Find Your Representative
- illustrating the negative affects of the veto
- the positive impact of the work the grant would have funded in their district
- requesting restoration and protection of future funding
Florida 2024 Legislative Primary Candidates Directory rev 7.6.24
Publishing Open Letters
Hosting Arts Town Halls
Engaging candidates for political office to discuss the importance, accountability and transparency of these grants programs.
Seeking allies with political heft to speak on their behalf and join their boards. Florida campaign contributions search.
Raising Funds
Community Foundations Support Emergency Fundraising Campaigns
Retailers make local arts organizations recipients of their pay it forward programs. The Good Pour Gainesville, Longwood, College Park
Primary Election 2024
Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: July 6
Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters: July 11–18
Deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation: July 22
Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: August 8
Early voting period (mandatory period): August 10–17
Election Day: August 20
Search your community news, Women’s Clubs, Chambers of Commerce, League of Women Voters’ calendars and announcements for local Candidate Forums.
General Election 2024
Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: September 21
Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters: September 26 – October 3
Deadline to register to vote: October 7 (no deadline to change party affiliation)
Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: October 24
Early voting period (mandatory period): October 26 – November 2
Election Day: November 5
Florida 2024 Legislative Primary Candidates Directory rev 7.6.24
(links to campaign sites being added now)
Media Coverage of Veto
Governor’s Press related to veto.
Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Fiscal Year 2024-2025 “Focus on Florida’s Future” Budget
7/1/24 Governor's Press Conference on Infrastructure ...Media Coverage/Events
Fringe Festival Live Press Conference Thursday, July 11
A final bow for Florida’s arts? The impact of arts and culture budget cuts on Tampa Bay
Bloomberg: Billionaire Perez Slams DeSantis for Eroding Miami’s New Appeal
Tallahassee art community stunned, but rallies in wake of DeSantis funding cuts
Collier arts left behind in Florida budget that hints at patronage as a prime need
Stay in touch
stay informed
Florida Cultural Alliances holds monthly statewide advocacy call on the 4th Monday of each month (with some exceptions). The calls occur via zoom at 10:00 AM Eastern/9:00 AM Central.
Upcoming call dates are:
December 18, 3023
January – no call in lieu of Arts Advocacy Day in Tallahassee
February 26
March 25
April 22
May 27
June 24
July 22
August 26
September 23
October 28
November 25
December – Not Meeting
previous year's advocacy resources
We have opened a shared document for stakeholders to share media coverage of the impact of the funding loss and are building a Post Veto Advocacy Toolkit; updating it regularly.
Your legislators are still your legislators until after the November General Election.
You can find the 2024 Florida Legislative Directory, template for social media posts and graphics to build your own advocacy collateral.
Follow this link for Florida’s Statewide results of the AEP6 Study.
It shows that “for the $41,055,962 allocated by the legislature Arts and Culture Organizations and their Audiences spending leveraged $369,495,165 in state and local tax revenue…that is nearly a 9 to 1 ROI!“