As a 501C3, non-profit organization, HAA is committed to educating our elected officials at all levels of government to the importance of the arts. However, a 501C3 organization is prohibited from advocacy activities, and therefore that work is often directed to a 501C4 with a similar or compatible mission.

Here in Houston, Texans for the Arts (TFA) is the designated agent for advocacy at the state level regarding the safeguarding of Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) legislation – the primary source of public arts support in Houston. For more information about TFA, please go to http://texansforthearts.org/.

Important Information from TFA

Americans for the Arts (AFTA) is the country’s leading voice for the arts in legislation and public policy. For more information about arts advocacy at the national level and elsewhere in the US, go to http://www.artsusa.org.

In Texas, Texas Coalition for Quality Arts Education is one of the advocacy groups working to maintain arts programs in the schools. For more information on them, visit www.GoArts.org.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.  For more information about the NEA, please go to http://www.nea.gov/.