Archived Alerts
10/7/08: Approval of the IRA Rollover Extension
On Friday, October 3rd, Congress approved a two-year extension of the IRA Charitable Rollover Provision, part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. The Rollover is a tax incentive that allows individuals who are 70 and a half years of age and older to contribute up to $100,000 from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) and Roth IRAs to charities, increasing donations to the nation's nonprofit community.
ACTION: Contact your Representative and Senators and thank them for reinstating the IRA Rollover. Click here to see the Performing Arts Alliance Webpage, an Action Alert on the issue, and to access a sample letter.
6/10/08: IRA Rollover
Arts organizations have received increased and new donations as a result of the IRA Charitable Rollover which allowed donors to make tax-free charitable contributions directly from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA). This provision expired in December 2007 and your advocacy can help convince Congress to reinstate this important measure during this short, election-year legislative session.
ACTION: Contact your Representative or Senators to request reinstate the IRA Rollover. Click here to see the Performing Arts Alliance Webpage, an Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.
6/10/08: Protect Wireless Microphones
The FCC’s introduction of new wireless devices in radio frequencies currently used for wireless microphone and related audio equipment could have a negative impact on our communities, performers, and audiences.
ACTION: Ask your Representative and Senators to oppose legislation that would allow unlicensed devices to threaten wireless microphones used in theaters and nonprofit performance venues. Click here to see the Performing Arts Alliance Webpage, an Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.
6/10/08: Increase Funding for International Cultural Exchange
The State Department’s Cultural Programs Division is the principal office focused on cultural diplomacy. An increased appropriation would expand the State Department’s ability to foster mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through personal, professional, and institutional ties between private citizens and organizations in the United States and abroad.
ACTION: Ask your Representative and Senators to support increased funding for cultural exchange programs at the U.S. Department of State. Click here to see the Performing Arts Alliance Webpage, an Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.
6/10/08: Strengthen Arts Education in No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Despite overwhelming public support for arts education, school systems are focusing largely on reading and math at the expense of arts education and other core subjects of learning.
ACTION: Ask your Representative and Senators to support strengthening arts education in the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Click here to see the Performing Arts Alliance Webpage, an Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.
6/10/08: Support an Increase in Arts in Education Funding
The U.S. Department of Education’s Arts in Education programs provide federal support to performing arts organizations for the development, evaluation and dissemination of model programs that integrate arts instruction into other subject areas. With increased funding, the Arts in Education programs will support and disseminate newly emerging models in high-poverty schools that improve arts learning.
ACTION: Ask your Representative and Senators to support an appropriation of $53 million for the Arts in Education programs in the FY09 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. Click here to see the Performing Arts Alliance Webpage, an Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.
6/10/08: Improve Visa Processing for Foreign Guest Artists
American nonprofit performing arts organizations provide an important public service by presenting foreign guest artists in performances, educational events and cultural programs in communities across the country. Delays by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are making it increasingly difficult for international artists to appear in the United States. Nonprofit performing arts organizations confront long waits and uncertainty in gaining approval for visa petitions for foreign guest artists.
ACTION: Ask your Representative and Senators to support legislation that will improve the visa process for foreign guest artists. Click here to see the Performing Arts Alliance Webpage, an Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.
6/10/08: Increase for National Endowment for the Arts
The NEA provides critical federal funding for performing arts organizations, encourages artistic achievement, and brings the performing arts to Americans in every corner of the country. Direct grants to performing arts organizations--and NEA support allocated through state arts agencies--expand public access to performances, preserve great classical works, and nurture the creative endeavors of performing artists nationwide.
ACTION: Please take a moment to write your Senators and Representative and ask them to increase funding for the NEA. Click here to see the Performing Arts Alliance Webpage, an Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.
4/22/08: IRA Charitable Rollover Provision
In August 2006 the Pension Protection Act authorized several charitable incentives designed to support important charitable works in communities throughout the country. In December 2007 the IRA Charitable Rollover provision expired, no longer enabling persons of 70 1/2 years and older to contribute to charity out of their individual retirement accounts without suffering adverse tax consequences. Please support passage of the IRA Charitable Rollover provision before the end of this year.
ACTION: The IRA Charitable Rollover will increase donations to the nation's nonprofit performing arts organizations. Ask your Senators to support legislation that will reinstate this important charitable giving incentive. Click here to see the Performing Arts Alliance webpage, the Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.
4/1/08: House Approves Artist Visa Act
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to improve the artist visa process. The legislation would require the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to treat as a Premium Processing case, free of any additional charge, any arts-related O and P visa petition that it fails to process within 30 days. The “Arts Require Timely Service (ARTS) Act” (HR 1312) is sponsored by Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) and 10 other bipartisan leaders, and would improve the reliability, efficiency and affordability of the artist visa process. The next step is for the legislation to be approved by the U.S. Senate.
ACTION: Keep your eyes open for a possible request in the near future to show support through sending letters. Click here to see the Performing Arts Alliance webpage.
1/2/08: Congress Approves Historic NEA Increase
NEA funding will grow by $20.3 million in FY08, the largest single increase for the agency since 1979, bringing the total support for the agency to $144.7 million. Congress passed the increase in an end-of-year Omnibus Bill, which the President signed on December 26. This increase in NEA funding reflects years of advocacy since the agency's budget was severely cut in 1995.
ACTION: Please take a moment to thank your Member of Congress for this important increase! Congressional Arts Caucus co-chairs Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) along with Interior Appropriations Sub-Committee Chairman Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA) deserve special thanks. Click here to see the Performing Arts Alliance webpage, the Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.