In March 2025, the University of Alabama of the South University presented its annual songwriter, a conversation and concert event, in part, by a subsidy from Alabama Humanités Alliance. The artist of the Côte du Gulf Robby Amonett, illustrated above, painted the event live.
Keith Necaise / University of South Alabama and the Alabama Humanities Alliance
hide
tilting legend
Keith Necaise / University of South Alabama and the Alabama Humanities Alliance
Millions of dollars of federal subsidies previously allocated for arts and cultural groups across the country are canceled by the Trump administration, according to a senior official of the national endowment for humanities (NEH) who spoke subject to anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly.
The funds had been granted by the agency through a competitive application process and, according to the manager, covered with the subsidies of the financial years 2021-2025. The official said that “no upcoming prices” will be awarded during the 2025 fiscal year.
The official said that the acting president of the NEH, Michael McDonald, told senior executives that the government’s Ministry of Efficiency (DOGE), a team from executive management dedicated to the reduction of public spending, “wants to back up $ 175 million” in subsidies that have not yet been disbursed. It is not clear if it is the real amount of non -dissolved funds, or an estimate by DOGE staff.
DOGE told NEH staff on Monday that it would dismiss a large number of employees and reduce its grant programs, as the first reported by The New York Times.
The NEH did not respond to a request for comments.
Groups are assigned in the 50 states
Among the thousands of groups affected by the sudden cessation of funds are the councils of state arts, museums, historic sites, archives, libraries, educators and the media in the 50 states.
A “dismissal notice” which was sent to a human science council and obtained by the NPR states, “your subsidy no longer accumulates the needs and priorities and conditions of the agency of the grant agreement and is subject to termination.” The letter continues: “The immediate termination of your subsidy is necessary to protect the interests of the federal government, including its tax priorities”.
The human sciences aim to “preserve community history and identity,” said Stephen Kidd, executive director of the National Humanities AllianceA national umbrella organization supporting the humanities. Kidd said he had heard of several recipients of human science subsidies who told him that they had received the letter late last night.
“We do not know the full scope of the impact of last night’s actions,” said Kidd. “We know that this affects the state councils in human sciences which are crucial for the vitality of the human sciences across the country. This is funding which has been appropriate by the Congress to the affiliates of the State of the NEH. This is funding that has been promised to the states which is now withdrawn.”
Almost half (42%) of the Federal Human Sciences endowment goes directly to the State Councils in the Human Sciences.
Chuck Holmes, executive director of Alabama Humanities Alliance And a former NPR editor -in -chief who left the organization in 2016, confirmed that he received the letter. He said the Alliance, which serves approximately a quarter of a million Alabamians, obtained $ 1.2 million in federal funds for the year 2024. Although it varies from year to year, Holmes said that federal dollars represent approximately 65% of its overall budget. The rest comes largely from the financing of the government government and private sources.
The State Councils in the Human Sciences will usually regain Neh Money to local organizations, including libraries, museums, historical societies, documentary filmmakers and others.
Holmes said that, since January, he and his staff have been “worried about what could happen given what happened at Kennedy Center and (Institute of Museum and Library Services) and that Word obtained that a Doge team was at NEH”.
President Trump dismissed the chairman and chairman of the board of directors of Kennedy Center as well as the appointments Democrats on the board of directors and eliminated its social impact division. All Imls staff were put on administrative leave.
“We have reserve funds that will help us go through the coming months,” said Holmes, “without federal funding, we will have to make drastic cuts on our programs.”
This story published by Jennifer Vanasco
Entertainment
