Help aquariums get through this crisis

Tell Congress you support emergency funding for aquariums and zoos.

Nonprofit aquariums nationwide have lost tens of millions in revenue by closing to the public for months on end as part of the global effort to control the spread of COVID-19. Some aquariums have reopened to welcome enthusiastic visitors for socially distant experiences, which means revenues will have to remain low, while others are still closed.

We need your help to ensure there will be a day when each non-profit aquarium nationwide can fully return to its work of strengthening communities and educating visitors young and old about our blue planet and how to care for it.

The U.S. Congress is days away from negotiating the next round of COVID-19 relief. Even if you have done so already, please join our aquarium in asking Congress to deliver emergency funding to aquariums, zoos and other nonprofit cultural organizations.

Despite huge losses, aquariums continue to prioritize the health and wellbeing of our animals. We’ve ramped up our digital education resources to support teachers, parents and students all across the country and continue to deliver a sense of hope through live content and remote learning.

But the pandemic’s impact on revenue and the continued high costs of providing excellent animal care are having a severe impact on our operations and our staffing.

Please act today. Reach out to Congress to ask them to help aquariums and zoos during this emergency. Just follow the easy steps below.

Thank you for being a champion for our aquarium. We hope you’ll stay connected with us online and we look forward to welcoming you back in person.

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Dear [recipient position will go here] [recipient name will go here],

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Public aquariums, zoos and museums provide sources of inspiration, knowledge and enjoyment for millions of Americans, including me. I care deeply about the future of these treasured community institutions and urge you to please include them in emergency relief legislation in the face of the global pandemic.

In particular, I urge you to provide critical aid to save zoos and aquariums including:

Forgivable Loans. Protect nonprofit and public zoos and aquariums of all sizes from significant debt, compounding job losses, and permanent closures by providing access to forgivable loans large enough to stabilize operations. Congress can do this by making the legislative changes necessary to ensure the Main Street Lending Program provides forgivable loans and the Paycheck Protection Program offers increased access to relief for all zoos and aquariums as follows:

1.  Main Street Lending Program: Amend Section 4003 (c)(3)(D) of the CARES Act to:
i. Require the Federal Reserve to offer a facility designed for all nonprofits that includes loan forgiveness for loans sufficiently sized to stabilize operations and protect against permanent closures; and
ii. Eliminate the requirement that no more than 30% of an organization’s 2019 revenues come from donations.

2. Paycheck Protection Program: Sufficiently expand funding and amend the program to enable a second round of loans and modify the eligibility criteria to allow all nonprofit zoos and aquariums, regardless of size, to be eligible for forgivable loans.

Emergency Grants. Provide federal grants to help aquariums and zoos cover day-to-day animal care costs, including ongoing expenses to rescue, rehabilitate, and care for endangered and rescued wildlife for which the government is responsible under federal law and regulation:

1. Allocate at least $6 billion to provide emergency operating grants for more than 30,000 government and nonprofit aquariums, zoos, and museums or provide commensurate emergency funding for animal care for accredited aquariums and zoos. Such grants could be administered under authorities held by relevant federal agencies through either: (1) the Institute of Museum and Library Services or (2) the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF); and

2. Allocate sufficient funds for U.S.-based Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited aquariums and zoos specifically for the care of endangered and threatened species or otherwise federally protected or owned animals whose welfare/protection falls under the jurisdiction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

State and Local Funding. Provide additional stabilization through direct and flexible relief to state and local municipalities to support economic recovery that includes a targeted allocation of funding for government operated and supported aquariums and zoos.

Your support for aquariums is important to me. Please help ensure that nonprofit aquariums and zoos can continue to serve as community leaders, science educators, and economic engines through this crisis and beyond. Please support their inclusion in relief legislation now.

Thank you for everything you are doing to help our nation during the COVID-19 crisis.

Sincerely,
[your name will go here]
[your email address will go here] [your location will go here]

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