Association Advocacy

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Advocacy Policy

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We encourage members to advocate on behalf of their gardens and the collective membership of the Association.

When you make advocacy a habit, you are growing awareness of public gardens everywhere.
Issues affecting your garden affect gardens across the field, and the world.

Engaging in regular advocacy means you are position to have a favorable impact on local, state or federal policies affecting your garden and the world.

YES YOU CAN!

Public Gardens that are nonprofits can engage in advocacy and lobbying in support of their mission. 501(c)(3) organizations must remain strictly non-partisan; may not endorse specific candidates; have strict limits on expenditures (including time).

Government, Private, College, and University related gardens should check their institution’s specific policy.

ADVOCACY

A broad term covering a range of activities that includes “lobbying” but also including issue education, executive branch activities, issue organizing, and nonpartisan voter engagement.

LOBBYING

Lobbying is any attempt to influence specific legislation.
DIRECT: stating a position to legislators or government employees
GRASSROOTS: encouraging your members to contact their legislators on a specific position

Find Your Representatives

Get the names and contact information for the people who represent you on the federal, state, and local levels. USA.GOV
FIND NOW

Connecting with Your Representatives

ASTC.org has some useful tips that can help ensure that public gardens and plants are in the conversation.
Get Tips

Your Economic Impact Statement

Start with some basic information – employees, budget, visitors – and add what makes your garden special. AAM-US.ORG

Create Now

Field-Wide Letter from Museums to Congress

Congress authorized nearly level funding for IMLS and the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities in FY2026, despite the Administration’s recommendation to eliminate the funding. The Association is joining museum Association peers in a Field Wide Letter thanking Congress for its continued support and encouraging continued support in FY2027 as the Administration has again recommended closing the Institute and Endowments.
This letter is for Institutions to sign, not Individuals or Corporate members.

The Association encourages our members to sign on to the letter by April 30, 2026.

ASSOCIATION RESOURCES

Individual staff at public gardens should always use their personal contact information for issue advocacy

unless authorized to speak on behalf of your public garden by your public garden’s leadership.

The resources below can help you increase education and cultivation efforts with key policy influencers and public officials about the value of public gardens to help encourage government and other funding sources for your garden and Association members.

Public Garden Benchmarking

The Association’s benchmarking study platforms provide the facts you need to develop a compelling case to promote your garden’s value and the facts the Association needs to effectively advocate on behalf of public gardens.
Learn More

Public Garden Magazine

The August, 2025 issue of Public Garden magazine put a specific focus on public garden advocacy at the State, Federal, and International level.
Read Issue

Collective Impact

The Association’s short survey about the Collective Impact of Public Gardens on their Communities. Use your Economic Impact Statement and help public gardens everywhere.

Get Data

PEER ADVOCACY PARTNERS

The Association regularly convenes with these organizations – and others – in pursuit of a united voice in support of museums.

American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums works to unite the country’s museums from art museums to zoos. The Alliance helps museums tell our story and promotes a deeper understanding of museums with policymakers, the press and the public.

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Museums Advocacy Day

The American Alliance of Museums Advocacy Day is held each February and provides training, resources, and the experience of visiting legislators on the hill to champion museums and gardens to your legislators.

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American Association of State and Local History Museums

The American Association for State and Local History is a national membership association dedicated to helping the history community thrive. For the better part of a century, AASLH has provided leadership and resources to its members who preserve and interpret state and local history to make the past more meaningful to all people.

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Association of African American Museums

The services provided by AAAM enhance the ability of those museums to serve the needs and interests of persons of African ancestry and those who wish to know more about the art, history and culture of African-derived cultures.
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Association of Art Museum Directors

The Association of Art Museum Directors advances the profession by cultivating leadership capabilities of directors, advocating for the field, and fostering excellence in art museums.
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Association of Children's Museums

The Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) monitors issues important to children’s museums and updates members about how their organizations may be affected.

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Association of Science & Technology Centers

ASTC champions public engagement in science and elevates the work of our science and technology center and museum and allied members.
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Association of Zoos & Aquariums

AZA represents the interests of the Association before the U.S. Congress and Federal agencies on matters pertaining to animal welfare, wildlife conservation field programs, conservation research, education initiatives and the public display of wildlife including animal care, transport and conservation breeding.
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National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture

The National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture documents, comprehensively measures, and disseminates the economic impact and benefits of consumer horticulture. Discover how plants benefit society in many ways.
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PA Gardens

A potential model for statewide advocacy on behalf of public gardens, PA Gardens is a diverse collective of organizations whose mission is to amplify the collective voices and impact of Pennsylvania’s public horticulture organizations who promote the connection between plants and people, by way of advocacy and visibility to our state government officials.

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