Voter Engagement, Latest Policy Updates, and Resources

August 26, 2020

Nonprofit Resources for Voter Engagement

As the election cycle accelerates, learn more about how your orchestra can take action to support voter engagement! As 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, orchestras are strictly prohibited from supporting the election or defeat of any candidate for office, but they can engage in non-partisan voter engagement activity that encourages all voters to register and participate in the election process. Nonprofits are also allowed to expend funds and take public positions on referenda, ballot initiatives, propositions, and tax levies, as long as they do not cross the line into party or candidate endorsement. The League of American Orchestras resource, Playing Your Part: An Orchestra’s Guide to Public Policy Advocacy, includes a Q & A on the rules that allow issue advocacy and voter engagement by orchestras as nonprofit organizations. Please also see the following resources for more information about nonprofit participation in voter engagement:              

• National Voter Registration Day – Celebrated this September 22, consider promoting voter participation messages on social media.
• Elections Call to Action Toolkit – This new collection of resources is provided by Independent Sector, the national organization for the nonprofit and philanthropic sector, of which the League is an active member.
• Vote.org  – Works to ensure that “the electorate matches the population,” providing registration links and deadlines, polling location details, and other essential voting information for each state.
• Nonprofitvote.org – Helps nonprofits engage the people they serve in voting and elections, and includes a very helpful guide to “What Nonprofit Staff Can Say about the Election.” (PDF)

Federal COVID-19 Relief Negotiations Still Ongoing

Congress is continuing to consider the scope and scale of the next federal COVID-19 relief package, and key discussions are still underway regarding expanding access to Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans, extending unemployment benefits, creating new and expanded tax credits, incentivizing more charitable giving, and delivering funding to support our nation’s schools and communities.

The details when it comes to eligibility matter greatly and will directly determine how much support is available. Orchestras, artists, and partners are facing critical decisions that will affect jobs, livelihoods, and services to communities for the remainder of 2020 and beyond. Advocates must make sure their elected officials know exactly what is happening back home and what kind of federal relief is needed. Never assume policymakers are aware of the nuances and how they might affect your organization, workforce, and community. Please be sure to Contact Congress while you can! The League’s advocacy campaign includes key talking points and a customizable message to Congress that will help you lend your voice alongside partners in the broader arts and nonprofit sectors!

Data Drives Decisions: Explore New Arts Education Data Toolkit

For far too long, inadequate data about the state of arts education in schools has allowed structural inequities to persist, which has prevented many students from experiencing, learning about, and becoming practitioners of the arts in their schools. Earlier this month, the National Endowment for the Arts and Education Commission of the States released a new suite of resources that has been two years in the making–the Arts Education Data Toolkit. This toolkit, which offers detailed guidance on how to manage an arts education data initiative from start to finish, can help users take advantage of new state data systems, which can in turn have an enormous effect on planning an arts education data initiative. The toolkit will help users find, analyze, and report on such data, which most states already collect, and it is part of the State Data Infrastructure Project for Arts Education.
 
As students return to school, remember that school-based music education needs advocacy more than ever, and National Arts in Education Week is quickly approaching: September 13 through 19. Join others throughout the country in shining a bright light on the importance of school-based music education, using the hashtags #AIEWeek and #artsed. See the League’s Music Education Advocacy Tools for additional resources.

Visa Policy: Engaging Artists from Abroad Amidst COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only forced the cancelation and postponement of countless concerts, it has also caused tremendous uncertainty regarding the participation of international artists in future events. Here’s where things stand today:

• USCIS visa petition processing: While a potential furloughing of USCIS employees has been canceled, the USCIS deputy director for policy has warned that “averting this furlough comes at a severe operational cost that will increase backlogs and wait times across the board, with no guarantee we can avoid future furloughs.” In addition to this prediction of backlogs, petitioners should take note that steep filing fee increases go into effect beginning October 2, 2020, so it would be best to file as soon as possible and to consider coordinating with others to file multiple-venue petitions.
• Consular processing: U.S. embassies and consulates are beginning to resume routine visas services on a post-by-post basis. Conditions vary widely, and there is no timetable for when services will be reinstated at each location, so it’s important to check the website of the individual U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain the information pertaining to that specific location’s operating status, range of services, and estimated wait time. In some cases it is possible to request an emergency appointment, but petitioners should be prepared to enlist Congressional assistance in urgent cases, and to explore whether artists might be able to interview elsewhere.
• Travel restrictions still in place: Several COVID-19 related travel restrictions are still in effect. As of today’s date, travel to the U.S. by most non-U.S. citizens is not permitted if someone has been in any of the following countries within the previous fourteen days prior to attempted entry into the U.S.: Brazil, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the 26 countries that comprise the Schengen Area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland), Iran, and China. Please review the Presidential Proclamation for detailed information. Furthermore, COVID-19 related travel restrictions across the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico have been extended through September 21, 2020, barring travel for “non-essential purposes.” In some exceptional cases, there may be a possibility to request a waiver, so interested parties should review this State Department news item to learn more about the national interest waiver opportunity.

The path to bringing international guest artists to the U.S. is certainly becoming increasingly difficult and expensive, but it is still possible. The League’s website, Artists from Abroad, is updated to reflect the latest developments, and please don’t hesitate to be in touch and let us know what you’re experiencing! Hearing from our members helps us shape the policy requests to improve the overall process.