History Advocacy Day in Wisconsin

History advocates from around the state are invited to join the Society to thank lawmakers for their ongoing support of Wisconsin history and highlight the critical role that state and local history play in collecting, preserving, and sharing stories. Write a letter, make a call, or schedule a meeting to advocate for history in Wisconsin!

Your participation makes a tremendous impact. History advocates like you create enthusiasm and promote the need to preserve and share our stories from generation to generation. Help us thank our lawmakers for their past support of history and spread awareness of all that our organizations do throughout the entire state and in local communities!

What is Advocacy?

Advocacy confirms with elected officials that support from the state and federal government is a critical part of investing in history and cultural assets. The support allows for the Wisconsin Historical Society to continue its mission and vision across all 72 counties of Wisconsin. The goal of developing and implementing a state and federal advocacy plan is to secure state funding, federally designated spending, and competitive grant opportunities while showcasing the Society's current value proposition with statewide programming and democratizing its vast national collection. Additionally, advocacy will help our decision-makers understand the importance of the museums, local history organizations, and historic sites throughout Wisconsin while endorsing the unique way the Society and affiliates inspire and engage guests throughout Wisconsin and beyond.

Over the last six years, the Wisconsin Historical Society has hosted History Advocacy Day in the Capitol. Advocates include local affiliates, historic preservationists, Society members, teachers, researchers, Wisconsin Historical Society Press authors, and more from all across Wisconsin. We have approximately 50 advocates attend each year, resulting in meetings with over 80 legislative offices…AND WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED!

Talking points and training will be provided to advocates by the Wisconsin Historical Society.

2024 Key Resources

• 2023 Scorecard (PDF, 76 KB)
• Legislative 411 2023 (PDF, 3.2 MB)
• Legislative Advocacy 101: How to Be an Advocate (PDF, 242 KB)
• Web Traffic to WHS Website (PDF, 287KB)
• State Historic Preservation Outreach Map (PDF, 1,926 KB)
• Certified Local Governments in Wisconsin Partner Communities Map 2023-2024 (PDF, 575 KB)
• Certified Local Government Annual Report 2023 (PDF, 1,156 KB)
• 2023 Legislative District Maps (PDF, 2.6 MB)

Learn More about Becoming an Advocate Year-Round

• Becoming an Advocate for Wisconsin History
  View a presentation from the Local History & Historic Preservation Conference on becoming an advocate for history.
• How to Write to Your Local Officials
  A step-by-step guide to writing to your local officials.
• Wisconsin History Advocate Checklist
  Follow our checklist for a simple guide to becoming a history advocate year-round.
• A Mini Master Class in Advocacy
  Learn key lessons on how to effectively engage elected officials from a Capitol Hill chief of staff in this Museum Magazine article, from the American Alliance of Museums.

To find your representatives or learn more about the Wisconsin State Legislature, visit legis.wisconsin.gov.

Hotel Information

A block of hotel rooms has been organized at the Madison Concourse Hotel with special rates for Advocacy Day attendees. Reserve by March 25 by clicking here.

2023 History Advocacy Day Recap

The sixth annual History Advocacy Day in Wisconsin was held on March 22, 2023. At the event, 40 advocates met in-person with 73 legislative offices, including 26 state senators and 47 state representatives. The day was a great success and helped to secure unanimous support for the following initiatives:

• Transition funding of $2.5 million for the Wisconsin Historical Society's Information Technology Services from DoIT with UW-Madison to the Department of Enterprise Technology at DOA.
• The re-enumeration of the Wisconsin History Center project for $160.5 million after the project budget increased by $60.5 million due to inflation and project cost escalation.
• One-time funding of $2 million in transition costs for the Wisconsin History Center.

See a listing of the 2023 supporting documents, below:

• 2022 Scorecard (PDF, 75 KB)
• Legislative 411 2022 (PDF, 1,008 KB)
• Legislative Advocacy 101 (PDF, 226 KB)
• WHS 2023-2025 Operational Budget (PDF, 1,398 KB)
• WHS 2023-2025 Capital Budget (PDF, 6,737 KB)
• 2022 Legislative District Maps (PDF, 2,582 KB)

Have Questions?

For more information about advocating, please contact either:

Kate Easton, Director of Government Relations, kate.easton@wisconsinhistory.org or (608) 264-6442, or

Kennedy McCarthy, Executive Staff Assistant, kennedy.mccarthy@wisconsinhistory.org or (608) 264-6029