The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced yesterday that previously awarded grants will no longer be fulfilled. These go to historic sites, libraries, museums and other entities.
The National Endowment for the Humanities makes grants available to support local organizations including libraries, museums, historical societies, documentary filmmakers, and other entities supporting the arts, history, and the sciences. According to NPR, “The official said Acting NEH Chair Michael McDonald told senior staff that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a team within the executive branch dedicated to reducing government spending, “wants to claw back $175 million” in grant money that has not yet been disbursed.”
The NEH grants money to state humanities councils that then regrants the money to local organizations. Today a notice went out to many of these state councils titled “Notice of Grant Termination.” The letter said “Your grant no longer effectuates the agency’s needs and priorities and conditions of the Grant Agreement and is subject to termination…Your grant’s immediate termination is necessary to safeguard the interests of the federal government, including its fiscal priorities.”
42% of NEH funds go through the state councils. According to NPR, the agency in Alabama that distributes NEH money gets over 60% of its revenue from the Federal government.
According to the NEH website; “As the largest federal funder of the humanities, NEH offers 47 grant programs to support museums, historic sites, colleges, universities, K-12 teachers, libraries, public television and radio stations, research institutions, independent scholars, and nonprofits nationwide.”
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