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The NSCDA Supports Funding for NEA, NEH and IMLS

Washington, DC (February 21, 2020) – The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America issues the following statement in response to the proposed FY21 Federal Budget that includes the elimination of the Institute of Museum Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, and National Endowment for the Arts:

“As one of the oldest historic preservation organizations in America, whose mission is to inspire all people to understand and honor the origins of our nation, we stand in support of continued funding for the IMLS, NEH, and NEA.

Since our inception 129 years ago, the NSCDA has remained dedicated to preserving the American story and ensuring that our history endures. We recognize the critical role of museums and historic sites in building community, contributing to economic progress, establishing shared cultural experiences, and furthering educational opportunities.

Today, the NSCDA owns, operates, or substantially supports over 90 historic sites, museums, and collections across the country. From our first preservation effort – led by NSCD-New York – in partnership with the City of New York in 1896 to save Van Cortlandt House Museum; to raising the funds to build a memorial church at the site of America’s first settlement at Jamestown and to construct a protective canopy over Plymouth Rock; to preserving President Hoover’s boyhood home in Oregon, our focus has always been on ensuring that our collective history lives on for future generations.

Three federal agencies stand as partners with the NSCDA and so many other history organizations in preservation and education: the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The impact of these agencies on museums and historic sites nationally is unparalleled.

Grant funding from IMLS, NEH and NEA help NSCDA museums—and many others—leverage private dollars to expand our reach and invest further in our communities. These agencies create jobs and drive economic investments in each and every state, each and every community.

We feel a responsibility, as members of the NSCDA, to ensure that these vital agencies continue to receive robust funding and by extension retain the ability to bring Americans together to celebrate our past, our democratic ideals, and the enduring, creative American spirit.

We encourage you to read statements presented:

To learn more about how these agencies directly contribute to the mission and work of the NSCDA, click here.