Urge Congress to Provide U.S. 250th Anniversary Funding
AASLH has been meeting with Congressional offices about federal support for U.S. 250th anniversary activities. We are asking for robust funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, which could offer avenues for investing in state and local history organizations.

It may seem odd to ask for additional funds for IMLS as current grants have been cancelled. But even as IMLS, National Endowment for the Humanities, and other federal agencies are curtailed, interest in 250th activities may prove a viable way to preserve functions of these agencies. The 250th is also an opportunity for Congress to hear about the importance of IMLS and related agencies to our field and the communities we serve.

To advance these efforts, we are working with a bipartisan group of lawmakers in both chambers to circulate a Dear Colleague letter in support of IMLS and America250. Members of Congress use these letters to gain support for causes or bills from their colleagues. Please send the suggested draft email below to yourCongressional Representative. If you have any questions, you can contact Christine Pellerin or Phil Powell, the lead contacts at the a government relations firm assisting us with this work. (Please note, the Quill Link in the email below is only accessible to an email address in the House of Representatives. The staff you send it to will be able to access it, but you will not.)

Dear Representative [INSERT NAME],

On behalf of [INSERT ORGANIZATION] based in [INSERT CITY AND STATE], I’m contacting you to urge Representative [INSERT NAME] to sign onto a Dear Colleague led by Representative Jen Kiggans (R-VA) and John Larson (D-CT) in support of American 250 activities through the IMLS and A250 Commission. The fast-approaching U.S. Semiquincentennial (America 250) is just over two years away and is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to remind Americans of the ideals of our nation’s founding, including freedom, liberty and justice. The FY26 appropriations process is the last real opportunity before July 4, 2026, for Congress to provide funding to support America 250 activities across agencies which invest in local organizations like mine and are charged with carrying out programming for this purpose.

Please use the following Quill Link to sign on to the letter. Additionally, please do not hesitate to contact Maddie Mitchell in Rep. Kiggan’s office at (Maddie.Mitchell@mail.house.gov) or Collin Duran (Collin.Duran@mail.house.gov) to sign on or to ask questions. Thank you for your consideration of signing onto this letter.

Best regards,

[YOUR NAME]

IMLS Grant Cancellation Appeals

Our partners at the American Alliance of Museum (AAM) are recommending the following steps to file an appeal if you receive notice of a cancelled IMLS grant. Should any information to challenge cancelled grants at other agencies become available, we will be share it with you.

• Review Procedures for Requesting a Review of Suspension or Termination beginning on page 20.
• Email the appeal to Director Kevin 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.
• AAM has 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.
• Review the National Council of Nonprofits checklist “What to do when your federal grant or contract is terminated.”
• Recommendations from Holland & Knight “What Recipients Need to Know if a Federal Grant is Terminated by the Government.”

If your grant has been cancelled, please send AASLH your cancellation letter or email. In addition to deepening AASLH’s understanding of the challenges our field faces, copies of grant cancellation notices could bolster analysis of potential legal options in support of IMLS. You are also encouraged to fill out a survey from AAM.