On Humanities Advocacy Day, state-based delegations will meet via video or conference call with Members of Congress and their staff.

It is essential that Congress hear about the challenges humanities departments, museums, libraries, archives, and other humanities organizations are facing due to the pandemic and what is to be lost without additional federal support. 

Together, we will advocate for increased FY 2022 funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the Department of Education’s international education programs (Title VI and Fulbright-Hays). 

In the weeks leading up to Humanities Advocacy Day, we will offer an orientation on virtual advocacy and training on Capitol Hill advocacy more generally. New and seasoned advocates are welcome!

Advocacy Guide

The NHA Guide to Virtual Advocacy offers an overview of how to prepare for, conduct, and follow up after meetings on the Hill. It also offers a brief overview of each of our funding priorities.

Guide to Virtual Advocacy

New Advocate Training

If you missed our New Advocate Training session on February 23 you can view the recording here. This session is great for folks who have never advocated with us before or those who would like an overview of the appropriations process and the mechanics of a meeting with a congressional office.

New Advocate Training Recording

Humanities Policy Priorities Booklet

Our Humanities Policy Priority booklet offers detailed information about our funding priorities. It is also intended as a handout for congressional offices—we encourage you to share the link provided here using the chat function during your meetings.

Humanities Policy Priorities

NEH for All Website

NEHforAll.org offers examples of exemplary NEH grants from every state. Additionally, it houses briefing documents that provide deeper dives into specific impact areas including humanities programming for veterans and K-12 teachers, the importance of preserving our nation’s history, and the impact of COVID-19 on humanities organizations across the nation.

NEH for All

What is the registration rate? 

We have worked to keep costs low to ensure as much participation as possible. Registration will be $150.

I thought a virtual conference would be free? Why should I pay for an online conference?

Webinar and video-conferencing platforms like Zoom are not free—especially when used on a large scale. A virtual advocacy day is particularly complicated, and we will be using an advocacy scheduling platform to make sure everything runs smoothly. A tremendous amount of staff time also goes into planning the Annual Meeting and Humanities Advocacy Day, from orchestrating the panels to creating all the resources for Humanities Advocacy Day and training advocates. It is also important to note that there are no travel or hotel costs for attendees this year, making the total cost for conference participation much lower.

I do not have the funds for the registration fees, what should I do?

Recognizing that institutional support for conferences has been eliminated at many institutions and that many members of the humanities community lack access to institutional funding, we will offer a limited number of grants to defray conference registration costs on a first-come, first-served basis. If you wish to apply, please fill out this form. If you are planning to submit a request for support, do not register for the conference until you complete your application and hear back from us.

What will I need in order to participate in the online conference?

A computer, tablet, or smartphone that has a camera, microphone, and internet access (preferably high speed). The web interface will work best on a computer or tablet.

Will sessions be recorded?

Yes. Plenary and concurrent sessions will be recorded and made available for 30 days after the conference. Networking events and congressional meetings will not be recorded. We are recording plenary and concurrent sessions to better provide access to participants in a wide range of time zones and with dependent care challenges, among other commitments. We recognize that some attendees may be concerned about privacy issues, which is why we are requiring login access and prohibiting individual downloads of recordings.

I need accommodations to participate actively in the conference. Will you provide accommodations?

If you need accommodations, please contact us at [email protected] by March 1 so that we are able to do our best to accommodate you. 

Is there a deadline to cancel and receive a full refund?

The deadline to cancel to receive a full refund is March 1, 2020. Any cancellations after March 1 will not be refunded.

How do I modify my registration?

If you need to make any changes or to cancel your registration, please contact Kassie Wahlstrom at [email protected]

When will I receive instructions on how to join the Virtual Conference?

Your registration confirmation email will contain a personalized link to join the virtual event.