Join the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in supporting U.S. aquariums, zoos and cultural institutions

Dear Members and supporters,

Non-profit aquariums, zoos and other cultural institutions nationwide have lost 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. The Virginia Aquarium has recently reopened to welcome our Members and guests for socially distant experiences, which means attendance and revenues will remain lower; while sadly some other institutions remain closed.

We’re all rising to this challenge together 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. We continue to prioritize the health and well-being of the thousands of animals in our care — and the people who look after them. We also are focused on creating a safe and enjoyable experience for our guests. But we need your help.

This time we are asking for you to please join us in asking the Senate to include U.S. aquariums, zoos and other non-profit cultural organizations in the latest version of emergency relief funding during these unprecedented times. 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 across the country and continue to deliver a sense of hope through live content, remote learning and a new normal at our Aquarium.

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 the Senate 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 appreciate you and everything you do to support us.

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

Phone *

Street Address *

Address 1 *

Latitude

Longditude

City *

ZIP code *

State *

Country *

Edit address

We'll notify your representative

Please enter a complete address to continue.

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

Your Letter *

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:

1.  Allow nonprofits with 500+ employees to access the Paycheck Protection Program and improve loan forgiveness provisions

2.  Support at least $2 billion for the Institute for Museum and Library Services to support emergency grants for cultural institutions that are closed to stop the spread of coronavirus and continue to face major losses of revenue. A recent poll of the nation’s leading aquariums revealed that on average they will lose over 50% of their revenue for 2020 alone, with some losing as much as $45 million. Despite losses, each aquarium spends over $1 million per month on average for animal care, medicine, and food.

3.  Provide an expanded nonprofit lending facility through the Main Street Lending Program and mandate clear access to forgiveness and lower interest rates for nonprofits.  Nonprofits serve vital community roles deserving of support especially but not only in times of crisis - and have limitations that require more nuanced lending design to provide a backstop amidst drastic revenue losses.

4.  Allocate $30 million to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide emergency grants to U.S. Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited aquariums and zoos that are specific to the federally owned or federally protected animals.

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]

Leave this field blank

This campaign is hosted by Aquarium Conservation Partnership . We will protect your privacy, and keep you informed about this campaign and others.