Visit the Californians for the Arts website for a template and more information. Personalised letter are the most effective. Below are two sample letters sent my the California Alliance for Arts Education.

Sample Organizational Letter: Download here.

Sample Personal Letter: Below

To the Members of the Senate Budget Conference Committee,

I was fortunate enough to make a living as an artist for many years. Most artists never get compensated for their devotion to their work. They do it because it connects them to a higher calling and their example reminds us that there's more to life than meets the eye.

For centuries funding for artists was built into the budgets of royalty, who considered it an investment in the well being of their people. In Venezuela, where they have a national program called "El Sistema" that engages 600,000 children in orchestras, the funding comes through their mental health system. They seem to clearly understand something we're still struggling to define - the way in which the arts feed the well being of the child and the community.

Last year's increased investment in the Arts Council sent a message of hope through the artist community that perhaps the tide is changing, and that the role of the arts might again become a priority in California spending. Half the Arts Council's budget is designated for arts education. It's a good investment. Raise your voice to increase our state's financial commitment to the Arts Council today!

Joe Landon