-excerpt from the constitution of
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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MAASH Goals

• Develop strategies to increase and stabilize the state's investment in the Massachusetts Cultural Council for years to come.

• Establish effective legislation that allows tax deductions for charitable contributions.

• Develop new sources of public funding for the arts, sciences, and humanities.

MAASH Report - March 2007

In four years, we have made remarkable progress in our work to educate the people of Massachusetts about the economic, social, and educational value of the arts, sciences, and humanities. In 2002, state cultural funding through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) was slashed by 62 percent - one of the most drastic cultural funding cuts in the nation. In just four years - thanks to your help and advocacy - state leaders have increased funding for the MCC budget nearly $5 million and the Legislature has created a committee dedicated to arts and culture, the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development. And, the Legislature has voted to support as much as $250 million over ten years for investments in cultural facilities across the Commonwealth.

In 2002, each of the nine candidates running for Governor refused to endorse restoration of cultural funding with variations of the same answer: "I love the arts, sciences, and humanities; but we can't restore funding until the economy recovers." Politicians viewed arts and culture as a luxury, frills that are among the first to cut when government tightens its belt. Now, MAASH and its members have persuaded our leaders that arts and culture are one of our economic development tools.

In three short years, your investment in advocacy through MAASH has paid off:

• The Legislature has established the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund to invest $250 million in cultural facilities over the next 10 years. Cultural facilities funding passed overwhelming in both chambers with solid bi-partisan support. The House voted 165-0 and the Senate 33-3 to override Governor Romney's veto.

• MAASH has led the fight to increase cultural funding increasing the funding for the Massachusetts Cultural Council by $4.75 million from $7.3 to $12.1 million.

• The FY 06 MCC budget increase ranked Massachusetts among the top five state council funding increases nationwide.

• MAASH advocacy was instrumental in the creation of a new legislative Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development by House Speaker Sal DiMasi and Senate President Robert Travaglini.

• MAASH, The Boston Foundation and MCC formed the Campaign for Cultural Facilities, coalition of business and cultural leaders to advocate for the cultural facilities fund.

• MAASH proposed and successfully advocated for a new fund, the John & Abigail Adams Fund for cultural tourism and economic development.

• MAASH won approval for a bill that has saved small arts organizations thousands of dollars by raising the threshold for a certified audit from $250K to $500K.

• Please take the time to support MAASH. We have come a long way, but there is still much to do. We must continue to advocate for increased MCC funding and annual appropriations for the Cultural Facilities bill. To build on our success, we need continued investment in advocacy through MAASH from you and your colleagues. Get information about joining MAASH.