DOGE is targeting the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) with the aim of substantially reducing its staff and programmatic funding by over 70%
Maine Humanities received its notification that our grant from NEH was cancelled
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
DOGE is targeting NEH with the aim of substantially reducing its staff and programmatic funding by over 70%. NEH is currently rescinding grants that have already been appropriated and awarded. On April 2, Maine Humanities received its notification that our grant from NEH was cancelled. This means that our outstanding funding of $525,000 will not be provided.
action Guide
The Federation of State Humanities Councils has put together some information to help guide us towards action.
Look under “What can you do to protect the humanities councils and their work?” to find easy and accessible ways to contact your Congress members and your local elected officials and urge them to protect NEH funding and NEH funding for humanities councils.
For reference, NEH, a small federal agency, has an annual appropriation of $207,000,000. This number may sound impressive to you, but in the context of the federal budget it amounts to a small rounding error. Yet, for every congressional district in the country, especially in Maine, it has a huge impact!
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
NEH is Maine Humanities’ primary source of federal funding – we are the state of Maine’s representative for NEH.
- Of the $207 million that is NEH’s budget, roughly 33% of that is split up and sent to all 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils.
- Again, this may seem like a large number, but it is miniscule in the context of the full federal budget.
- Separately, the NEH also brings in approximately $2.5 million additional funds into the state, annually, through a variety of their grant lines.
Just over half of Maine Humanities’ annual budget comes from NEH’s federal funding. This represents a deep investment in our statewide programming and a deep investment in local control of federal dollars. With money from NEH, we can do our beautiful work that supports and enriches all of you, from supporting young people with National History Day programming; to our grant programs that lift up so many organizations across this state; to our text-based discussion programs and our speaker’s bureau, which put communities in conversation with each other and with topic experts and authors. We are so proud of the work with do with you all and in service of you all.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Maine Humanities is connected to a nation-wide network of state humanities councils through the Federation of State Humanities Councils, our national membership body. We are all working together to create a coordinated national effort in response to DOGE’s actions. Our collection of state and territorial humanities councils are 56 members strong, and we are all mobilizing our local networks to help us advocate for the continued investment that helps support our work and communities here in Maine and across the country.
What else can you do?
Stay connected to us and keep your eyes out for other action alerts. Stay connected to and support other cultural organizations here in Maine. We cannot overstate how detrimental these DOGE actions will be on Maine’s entire cultural sector. That impact will inevitably grow as more cultural agencies come under scrutiny at the federal level. Some of your other favorite organizations may need your advocacy soon. And finally, share our messages with others in your community. Talk with others about the different ways that art, culture, and the humanities have marked your lives. Your love of our programs is vital for the longevity of these programs, so please put your love into action
