Advocacy Alert - April 11, 2025 Grant Terminations: IMLS Appeals
This week, federal agencies, including IMLS and NEH, have continued to send large numbers of grant termination letters to awardees.
If you received an IMLS termination letter, AAM is encouraging museums to file an appeal with IMLS. -
Please review Procedures for Requesting a Review of Suspension or Termination beginning on p. 20.
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Email the appeal to Director Sonderling at ksonderling@imls.gov with copy to grantsadmin@imls.gov and IMLS General Counsel at ogc@imls.gov.
- Also use the eGMS system to file your termination appeal as it is the official record for the government.
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We have been told that it's unclear if organizations will be reimbursed for expenses accrued prior to the date of termination. Thus, it is very important to submit all expenses accrued for federal grants prior to the date on the termination letter.
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If you have received a reimbursement for expenses accrued in February and/or March, please let AAM know.
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Grant Terminations: All Agencies -
Contact your members of Congress immediately. They need to be aware of the direct impact of your grant termination. They will not know if you do not tell them. Call AND write to ensure the message gets received. AAM has set up a template you can use. You will need to add into the template as much information as possible about the grant and the impacts of losing it. During Museums Advocacy Day, we heard from many Congressional offices that they wanted to be notified if any grants were delayed or terminated for museums in their districts.
- If you have connections to Congressional staff, please contact them directly.
- Please also let AAM know if your grant has been terminated.
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Inform and engage the public (see below)
- Review the National Council of Nonprofits checklist "What to do when your federal grant or contract is terminated"
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Recommendations from Holland & Knight "What Recipients Need to Know if a Federal Grant is Terminated by the Government"
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Inform and Engage the Public
It can be very advantageous to inform the public, your members, and your supporters about your grant termination, both for advocacy purposes and generating greater support from the public. -
Share the grant termination with your local media. Customize this draft press release you can use to send to your local media. Below are a few examples of local media stories that have been published:
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Inform and Engage Congress and State Lawmakers: Keep the Pressure On
Whether your grant was terminated or not, it is important to continue to contact and share the information with Congressional offices and state lawmakers. We understand that it may not always feel like these calls and emails make a difference, but it is important to continue to pressure our lawmakers. Don't let them off the hook!
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Visit Your Legislators Locally: Members of Congress will be in their home districts for two weeks in April 13-27, periodically home for extended weekends, and for all of August. Take the opportunity to invite your members of Congress to your museum, schedule a meeting with them in their district offices, or attend public forums that your members of Congress might be hosting.
- Call AND write your members of Congress about your grant terminations (this link is specific to those who have a terminated grant)
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Write AND call your members of Congress about the potential impacts of gutting IMLS and NEH (this link can be used by anyone concerned about the cuts to these agencies)
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Write AND call your state-level elected officials and ask them to join in speaking up to members of Congress.
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Litigation Update
Lawsuits Filed: On April 4, a coalition of 21 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for attempting to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services. On April 7, ALA and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the largest union representing museum and library workers, filed a suit challenging the Trump administration's gutting of IMLS. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of ALA and AFSCME by Democracy Forward and co-counsel Gair Gallo Eberhard LLP, asks the court to block the dismantling of the IMLS as directed by a Trump executive order. The complaint argues that cutting programs at IMLS will violate the law by eliminating programs Congress has provided funding for and directed IMLS to undertake. In this rapidly evolving landscape, we continue to work with legal counsel and peer associations to evaluate the right strategy for the museum sector.
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Special Note About AAM Accreditation: AAM has received questions regarding the impact on the Accreditation Program. We would like to assure you that AAM's Accreditation Program is not federally funded and therefore will not be impacted. |
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Looking for more advocacy tools and resources? Visit the Advocacy section of the AAM Resource Library today!
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