state arts action network

Membership Benefits

Advocacy
Americans for the Arts urges Congress and the president to appropriate annual funding for arts education, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Humanities for the Arts. SAAN enables arts advocates to lobby for appropriations in their home states by identifying issues of concern and helping to motivate state arts advocates to take action.

Professional Development
SAAN provides members opportunities for professional development. Members are able to take advantage of conference calls and in-person meetings. Please visit the SAAN calender to see when the upcoming schedule of professional development opportunities.

Online Services
SAAN provides up-to-date reports on states’ legislative activities, best practices for state service organizations, and other key information. SAAN’s moderated listserv allows network members to quickly and easily ask questions of their colleagues, volunteer answers, and provide best practices. SAAN also provides a state legislative tracking service to all members to monitor, track, and act upon state legislation and executive actions in their state. If purchased separately, software of this nature costs $1,500 per state, but SAAN provides this service free of charge. SAAN members also receive The SAANbox, a weekly newsletter with the latest news and trends in the state arts arena via email every Monday.

Arts Advocacy Days
Whether in Washington, DC, or in your state’s capital, arts advocacy days are an excellent tool for furthering your legislative agenda and promoting the arts. While Americans for the Arts organizes national arts advocacy days, SAAN can offer assistance and best practices in helping your state put together its own event.

Congressional Arts Caucus
Congressional arts caucuses are groups of federal or state legislators who join together under the arts banner to promote arts funding and related legislation. States that have arts caucuses have built-in supporters if the need to address an issue quickly presents itself. If your state does not have an arts caucus, SAAN can help.

Networking and Outreach
SAAN provides opportunities for members to congratulate one another for a job well done and offers a forum to provide help and suggestions to a struggling member, further enabling members to meet their peers. Through the listserv, at meetings, on conference calls, or working with SAAN staff, there are many opportunities to learn more about the arts.