Agenda-Setting Process Overview - Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon

As a 501(c)4 non-partisan advocacy group formed to lobby in Salem, the Cultural Advocacy Coalition advocates for policies and funding that will create a thriving environment for art, heritage and the humanities across Oregon and to ensure that Oregonians have the opportunity to enjoy and benefit from cultural programs in their communities. Volunteers serve on the Board of Directors and include representatives from a broad number of interests to best represent the diverse mix of Oregon’s cultural community. The coalition’s position to support or oppose relevant legislation is set by the CAC’s policy committee, executive committee and board, within the guidelines outlined below.
To forward a concept or idea to be considered for an upcoming legislative session please contact Coalition staff or a member of the Board.
Each session, the Coalition’s goal is to create and implement political strategies in cooperation with business, community and cultural leaders to increase funding for non-profit providers of cultural programs in Oregon and achieve the best possible legislative outcome for the cultural community, within the unique challenges and opportunities that arise in a given session.
How does the Coalition achieve these goals?
CAC’s professional lobbyists, staff and board of directors work with the legislators and partners to support the development of new funding to benefit culture statewide. During session CAC’s lobbyists track and protect budgets of partner organizations and identify and track bills which impact the cultural sector.  Coalition members and cultural advocates are essential partners in this work, participating in Advocacy Day activities and communicating with legislators and the governor’s office as needed throughout the session.
The Cultural Advocacy Coalition’s Legislative Agenda addresses two types of issues:
Arts, Heritage & Humanities issues: Issues of concern specifically to the nonprofit cultural sector, such as public funding for arts, heritage and the humanities; state agency functions that may impact arts, heritage and the humanities through programing, technical assistance and funding; laws and rules concerning use of public funding for arts, heritage and the humanities, state tax policy which directly impacts culture and the nonprofit sector, content restrictions, state laws and rules that impact the cultural sector, and other issues that are of unique concern to the nonprofit arts, heritage and humanities sector.
Nonprofit issues: These include issues that directly affect Oregon’s nonprofit infrastructure and the status and operation of nonprofit organizations, and are thus of importance to nonprofit arts, heritage and humanities organizations. In the past, these have included work on various tax exemptions, incentives for charitable giving, and an array of state regulations. The Coalition collaborates with the Nonprofit Association of Oregon or national coalitions of nonprofits on these issues, adding our nonprofit arts, heritage and humanities voices to the voices from the entire sector.
The Coalition’s Board has adopted the documents below to clarify their positions and provide brief overviews of some of the issues the Coalition has supported in the legislature.
Modernizing the Cultural Trust
Strengthening Percent for Art
Seeking Repayment of Swept Funds
Preserving the OCT Tax Credit