Building on the original 2014 Big Think, The Big Re/Think took place between September and December 2025 and included interviews with policymakers and sector leaders, a statewide survey, a virtual convening, and six in-person convenings across Oregon. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed their thoughtful insights.

The process highlighted several key themes, including the need for a clearer and more unified story about the value of arts, culture, heritage, and humanities in Oregon, as well as the importance of identifying more sustainable funding mechanisms for the sector.

The CACO and CACF boards will be looking at these findings over the coming months as we begin shaping advocacy priorities for the years ahead.

If you’d like to dive deeper, you can also read the full report: Big Re/Think Final Report.

Thank you again to everyone who helped make this process possible.

The post The Big Re/Think findings are in! appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

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“The ominibus passed by the House is provisional good news,” Waterhouse told Oregon ArtsWatch. “We are pleased to see steady funding for NEA and NEH, given the overall decrease in the federal budget. We will hold off on celebrations until the bill is passed by the Senate and signed by the President and we see a notice of action from NEH regarding funding for state councils.”

Dear Friends,

As Congress continues negotiations on the Fiscal Year 2026 federal budget, we want to share an important, if mixed, update on proposed funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). (Read the full summary)

The short version:
Funding is flat and flat is not enough, but it is better than the alternative we narrowly avoided.

Where FY26 funding currently stands

Under the House Republican FY26 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations minibus, the NEA and NEH are each proposed to receive $207 million.

These figures match FY25, FY24, and FY24 funding levels.

Why this is not good news, but still matters

Let’s be clear: level funding is effectively a cut.

After years of rising costs, inflation, increased demand, and expanding responsibilities placed on cultural organizations, flat funding means less real-world capacity for arts and humanities work across the country. Grant dollars do not go as far as they did even two years ago, and organizations are being asked to do more with less.

That said, this proposal represents a silver lining in an otherwise hostile federal budget environment.

Earlier House committee proposals for FY26 would have cut NEA and NEH funding to $135 million each, a reduction of roughly 35%. Had those cuts moved forward, the impact would have been immediate and severe: fewer grants, smaller awards, reduced geographic reach, and long-term damage to cultural infrastructure, especially in rural and underserved communities.

Avoiding those cuts matters.

Recent years for context:

• FY21: $167.5M
• FY22: $180M
• FY23–FY25: $207M

We reached $207M through sustained advocacy and bipartisan recognition of the value arts and humanities bring to education, economic development, and civic life. Freezing funding at that level, however, risks undoing that progress over time.

What comes next

This proposal is not final. Negotiations between the House and Senate will continue, and the outcome will determine whether NEA and NEH funding merely treads water or begins to reflect the true cost and value of the work these agencies support.

Holding the line is not the goal. It is the least we can do.

We must continue pushing for funding levels that recognize inflation, demand, and the outsized return on investment that arts and humanities programs deliver in every state.

We will continue to organize and advocate on state and federal levels, but we will need your help. Please let us know if you would like to learn more about how we can advocate to our state and federal officials.

Thank you for staying engaged and for continuing to make the case that culture is not just optional infrastructure.

-CACO Board

The post What flat federal funding really means for arts and humanities appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

From our friends at the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies:

Congress has begun its FY2026 budget deliberations. They will set federal funding levels for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Because the White House “Skinny Budget” recommended elimination of the agency, this work has extra importance this summer. It will take a strong chorus of voices to protect the NEA and sustain the 40% of grant funds that go to states.

The post Contact Senator Jeff Merkley today to advocate for the NEA appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

In May the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) sent grant cancellation notices to dozens of Oregon institutions. These cancellations are a massive blow to many small arts institutions that had already made budget and hiring decisions based on promised federal support, particularly heading into the busy summer season. 

We are asking members of congress to sign on to a letter to President Trump urging him to restore these cancelled grants.  As of this writing, only Rep. Suzanne Bonamici has signed the letter but we are urging full participation from Oregon representatives. We’ve provided a letter template you can send to the staff member in charge of arts and culture issues for our congressional delegations. Please email these staff members directly. 

The post Urge the reversal of NEA grant cancellations appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

What’s at Stake:

We are urging lawmakers to champion three key funding priorities:

• Oregon Arts Commission: $10 million to elevate Oregon’s per capita arts investment and support arts organizations statewide. (HB 3189)
• CREF Slate Funding: Full funding for 13 shovel-ready capital projects across Oregon to create jobs and strengthen arts infrastructure. (HB 3191)
• Support for Large Arts Organizations: $5.5 million in one-time funding to sustain Oregon’s flagship institutions and match private donations. (HB 3189)

These investments are more than just numbers—they represent jobs, economic recovery, education, and the soul of our communities.

What You Can Do:

Contact your legislators today—whether or not they represent your district. The time is now to push them to act on behalf of Oregon’s arts and culture sector. Below is a draft letter you can send to any legislator or member of the Oregon Arts & Culture Caucus.

Sample Letter:

Dear [Legislator’s Name],

As the legislative session wraps up, I urge you to support critical arts funding:

$10 million for the Oregon Arts Commission (HB 3189) to support arts organizations statewide.

Full funding for CREF (HB 3191) to create jobs and improve arts & culture infrastructure.

$5.5 million for large arts & culture organizations (HB 3189) to sustain flagship institutions.

These investments are essential to Oregon’s economy, culture, and community well-being. Please advocate for these priorities before the session ends.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Organization]

Why Now?

The clock is ticking—these funding decisions will shape Oregon for years to come. Contact your legislators now and urge them to act before the session ends. Your voice makes a difference.

Thank you for standing up for Oregon’s arts and culture sector!

The post Urgent Call to Action: Advocate for the Arts in Oregon appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

THANKS to all of you who came together last week to share your stories and amplify our message in support of funding the arts & culture sector!

It was so wonderful to connect and spend a little bit of time together, and I found myself continually inspired by the brilliant and passionate testimony shared throughout the day. Cheers to all of you who showed up! In nearly 50 meetings with legislators and staff across the Capitol last Tuesday, we made an impact, and we could not have done it without each of you who attended.

If you attended this year’s Advocacy Day, we would love to have your feedback, as well as any insight you might have gained in personal meetings and interactions with legislators. Please take this 5-minute survey (we promise, it won’t take longer than that!). Your continued engagement and perspectives are so valuable to us as we look to carry the momentum of Advocacy Day through the rest of this session, and again, we are grateful!

One last shout-out of love and thanks (for now) to Ryan Fisher and Alec MacDonald-Factor, our fantastic lobbying team; Tom Fohn, Mark Woodworth, and the whole staff at the Elsinore Theatre; Lisa Lipton, Emily Cole, Dana Whitelaw, Claire Blaylock, the Oregon Arts Commission and Oregon Cultural Trust; and the CACO Board of Directors. All of them helped to make this year’s Advocacy Day possible.

And again, thanks to each of you who made the effort to get to Salem for the day. This work truly takes every single one of us–every email to your representatives, every meeting with their staff members, every relationship you forge and maintain–and we are so grateful for your time and energy. View some photos below.

We’ll be sure to keep you posted as the session moves forward, and we encourage you to stay in touch, continuing to share your stories, build connections, and inspire us all along the way.

Best,
Cassie Greer, Advocacy Day Chair

Advocacy pays off! We got mentioned in Senator Lisa Reynolds’ email update:

Andrew had the pleasure of meeting with folks as part of the Arts and Culture Caucus lobby day. From the World Forestry Center to the Children’s Theater and the Portland5, Senate District 17 is home to several important art organizations, which are vital to Portland and our state! As a member of the Arts and Culture Caucus, I urge my colleagues on the Joint Ways and Means Committee to fully fund these essential organizations.

The post Thanks for being great advocates in Salem! appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

Big thanks to those of you who joined our “Advocacy 101” session this week, as we look ahead to our April 15 Advocacy Day! If you were unable to be with us in real-time, you can watch our meeting recording.

The slide deck from our session is available here. You can access the additional resources we discussed in this folder, including a summary of CACO’s legislative priorities for this session, a one-pager on the OAC funding increase (HB3189), details on the current slate of CREF projects (HB3191), and the full ECOnorthwest Literature Review. ECO is distilling this into a one-page format that we share with you on (if not before) April 15.

The next important way to take action is to register to attend Advocacy Day on April 15. As part of your registration, you will be asked to provide the ZIP code of your residence and your place of work/organization. This will enable our NW Public Affairs lobbyist team to set up meetings with the legislators who represent your districts. We will share more details about meeting times and groups of attendees in the first week of April; part of our time on the morning of April 15 will be spent connecting with other advocates from your district(s) to prepare for your group meetings. 

Between now and then, you can prepare your own brief (1-2 minutes) personal story that illustrates:

• A powerful learning moment you’ve witnessed
• A powerful moment of connection between unlikely people
• An example of healing or contribution to a person’s well-being
• An example of how people saw the world differently after an encounter with art or history

Ryan Fisher at NW Public Affairs has provided a basic template for meetings with legislators:

• Vision: We want to live in a state where kids can visit museums and be inspired by music, theater and dance; where artists can thrive and create; and our communities can have cultural and artistic anchors with thriving economies.
• Problem: Right now museums and the arts are important to Oregonians, but there’s a disconnect between the tremendous value Oregonians see in the arts and the small investment the state makes in the arts and culture sector.
• Solution: By raising the Oregon Arts Commission’s budget to $10 million, we can move Oregon’s per capita ranking from 39th to 23rd—boosting investment from just $0.51 to $1.18 per person. This funding increase will ensure that Oregon’s vibrant arts and culture sector can grow and thrive. Funding the Cultural Resource Economic Fund (CREF) slate of 14 capital construction projects will boost local economies and strengthen the resilience of the arts and culture sector across every corner of our state.
• Next several people in the group can share their brief personal stories.
• Ideally, someone in the group can talk about economic impact using one of the talking points provided in the ECOnorthwest one-pager.

You can also register to attend and testify at sessions of the Ways and Means Roadshow, with six stops around the state over the next month. This could be a great spot to practice your 1-2 minute impact story, and it will also give you a sense of the many priorities that our legislators are confronting this session.

If you are newer to advocacy work or don’t have an existing connection with your elected officials, you can use this tool to find your legislators, including their email addresses and websites.

Here’s a rough outline of this year’s Advocacy Day activities, so you can plan accordingly:

• Monday, April 14 – 4:30-6:00 PM – Community Reception at Willamette Heritage Center, presented in partnership with the Oregon Arts Commission and the Oregon Cultural Trust
• Tuesday, April 15 – 8:30-10:30 AM – Advocacy Day kickoff at the Elsinore Theatre
• Tuesday, April 15 – 11:00 AM-1:00 PM – Floor sessions at the capitol; lunch on your own
• Tuesday, April 15 – 1:00-5:00 PM – Meetings with individual legislators

Thank you, all, for your dedication to the well-being of our sector! If you have questions or are looking for additional resources, please contact me at cassie@cassiegreer.com.

Best,

Cassie Greer
Advocacy Day Committee Chair

The post Advocacy 101 recap appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.

Did you know?

Legislators can be influenced to vote a certain way if they hear from less than 50 of their constituents.

Talking to legislators about arts & culture is a highly effective way to encourage them to take action.

This year’s Advocacy Day will be on Tuesday, April 15.

Please save the date in your calendar now!

We’ll kick it off the night before at 4:30 p.m. with a community reception at the Willamette Heritage Center, cosponsored by the Oregon Arts Commission and the Oregon Cultural Trust. Register now!

REGISTER FOR ADVOCACY DAY 2025

Then, on Tuesday morning, we’ll gather at the Elsinore Theatre to hear some remarks, receive some final advocacy resources, and enjoy some community together, before heading over to the Capitol. A change for this year: we will schedule the meetings for you! Registration details coming soon.

Our message is powerful when our voices and intentions are united. In 2025 we are focusing on increasing the grants budget of the Oregon Arts Commission to $10 million to support providers across the state; providing capital to 14 arts & culture community projects; and encouraging investment in preservation and reuse of historic properties. Read more about these legislative priorities on our website.

We’ll help you get prepared for Advocacy Day. Read on!

Thank you for all you do to keep our Oregon communities vibrant. We look forward to continuing to advocate with and for you!

Best,

Cassie Greer
Advocacy Day Chair

The post Advocacy Day 2025 and Advocacy 101 training appeared first on Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon.