By Kelly Klobucher
Museums have always told America’s story.
Today, they are also finding themselves at the center of it.
Across the country, museum leaders are navigating one of the most challenging moments in decades. Financial pressures that began during the pandemic continue to linger. Attendance has not fully recovered for many institutions. Philanthropic dollars are increasingly competitive. At the same time, museums have become part of broader national debates over history, identity, and the role of public institutions.
Recent executive actions affecting the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), along with directives challenging how some federally supported museums interpret American history, have created uncertainty throughout the museum field. While legal challenges have altered or reversed some of these actions and IMLS continues to operate, the debate itself has underscored how vulnerable cultural institutions can be to political change.
For museums, this moment should serve as a wake-up call.
Advocacy can no longer be viewed as something we do during Museum Advocacy Day or when budget cuts appear on the horizon. Advocacy must become part of every museum’s culture, every day of the year.
Advocacy Is Not Politics
The word advocacy sometimes makes museum professionals uncomfortable. We worry about appearing political or jeopardizing our nonprofit status.
But advocacy is not partisan politics. In fact, until the recent executive orders, museums historically enjoyed overwhelming, bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress, with polling showing that 96% of Americans support maintaining or increasing federal funding for museums
Advocacy is educating others about the value of your organization.
It is helping elected officials understand how museums strengthen communities.
It is showing donors that their investments create lasting public benefit.
It is demonstrating to visitors that museums are not luxuries—they are essential civic institutions.
Museums preserve the stories that define us. They educate millions of students every year. They support tourism, revitalize downtowns, preserve historic places, inspire creativity, and strengthen local economies.
If we don’t tell that story, someone else will.
The Public Cannot Support What It Doesn’t Understand
One of the greatest challenges museums face is that many people still see them as places to simply “look at old things.”
Those of us who work in museums know differently.
Museums are classrooms.
They are community gathering spaces.
They preserve family histories, scientific discoveries, artistic achievements, military service, Indigenous cultures, immigration stories, and local identities.
They create jobs.
They support small businesses.
They generate tourism.
They improve quality of life.
Yet much of this work happens quietly behind the scenes.
When budgets tighten, institutions that have not effectively communicated their impact often become vulnerable because the public does not fully understand everything they do.
Advocacy bridges that gap.
Every Visitor Should Leave as an Advocate
Museum advocacy begins long before someone contacts a legislator.
It begins with exceptional visitor experiences.
When guests leave inspired, they tell friends.
They become members.
They volunteer.
They donate.
They return with grandchildren.
They defend the institution when funding is threatened.
The most effective advocates are not museum professionals.
They are community members who believe the museum has improved their lives.
That means advocacy starts with hospitality, excellent interpretation, meaningful programming, and authentic community engagement.
Advocacy Extends Beyond Government
Government funding remains important.
Federal agencies like IMLS have historically supported exhibitions, collections care, educational programming, digitization projects, professional development, and countless initiatives that would otherwise be impossible for many museums to undertake.
But today’s advocacy must be broader.
Museums should also be building relationships with:
- Local businesses
- Community foundations
- Tourism organizations
- Chambers of commerce
- School districts
- Civic clubs
- Healthcare organizations
- Economic development agencies
- Corporate sponsors
- Individual philanthropists
The strongest museums are those with diverse sources of support.
If one funding stream changes, others remain.
Tell Stories, Not Statistics Alone
Economic impact studies matter.
Attendance numbers matter.
Membership totals matter.
But people rarely give because of spreadsheets.
They give because of stories.
Tell the story of the child who discovered a love of science.
Tell the story of the veteran whose military service was preserved.
Tell the story of the family that donated treasured heirlooms.
Tell the story of the downtown restaurant that thrives because museum visitors stop for lunch.
Those stories transform abstract numbers into meaningful community impact.
Museums Must Be Visible
Advocacy cannot happen only within museum walls.
Museum professionals should be writing newspaper columns.
Speaking at Rotary meetings.
Serving on nonprofit boards.
Participating in tourism initiatives.
Collaborating with schools.
Appearing on podcasts.
Building relationships with journalists.
Sharing stories on social media.
Hosting elected officials.
Inviting first-time visitors.
Every interaction is an opportunity to build trust.
Advocacy Is Stewardship
Museums are temporary caretakers of permanent stories.
Every collection entrusted to us belongs not just to today’s visitors, but to future generations.
Advocating for museums is ultimately advocating for history itself.
It is advocating for informed citizenship.
For education.
For preservation.
For curiosity.
For dialogue.
For community.
Whether the challenge comes from changing political priorities, shifting philanthropic trends, economic uncertainty, or evolving public expectations, museums cannot afford to assume that public support will always be there.
Support must be earned.
It must be cultivated.
And it must be renewed every day.
The Call to Action
This is not the time for museums to become quieter.
It is the time to become more visible.
More collaborative.
More welcoming.
More transparent.
More indispensable.
Every museum—whether it operates with a multimillion-dollar budget or is staffed entirely by volunteers—has a story worth protecting.
The responsibility to tell that story belongs to all of us.
Because if we don’t advocate for museums, we risk losing far more than buildings and collections.
We risk losing the places where our communities come together to understand who we were, who we are, and who we hope to become.
About the Author
Kelly Klobucher is a museum executive, public historian, and cultural tourism strategist with more than two decades of leadership experience in museums, nonprofit organizations, marketing, and visitor engagement. She writes about museum leadership, historic preservation, heritage tourism, and the ways cultural institutions strengthen communities. Through The Backyard Tourist, she encourages travelers to discover America’s history by exploring the museums, historic sites, and small towns that tell our nation’s story. Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn for insights on museum innovation, leadership, advocacy, and cultural travel.
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