Save the National Endowment for the Humanities

A note from Chris Sommerich

The sudden termination of federal funding by DOGE this past spring left Humanities Nebraska and all other state humanities councils uncertain as to the extent they can continue providing grants and programs. At its September board meeting in Red Cloud, our board of directors approved a budget for FY2026, starting November 1, that includes cuts to programs and grants in the face of continuing uncertainty about federal funding.

HN has received operational funding support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for more than 50 years. HN has also worked for decades to diversify our revenue sources. We have steadily increased support from individual donors, private foundations, and businesses. 

HN has also worked alongside the Nebraska Cultural Endowment (NCE) and Nebraska Arts Council to build a public-private partnership that is unique in the nation in leveraging private donations with state funds, all in support of arts and humanities programs. So far, these other revenue sources have helped HN avoid the drastic cuts or staff terminations that many other humanities councils have experienced since March. 

Last year’s budget passed by the board had included $955,000 in operating support from NEH, out of a $2.4 million total budget. It was consistent with past federal funding that has long had bipartisan support in Congress. The DOGE termination happened halfway through our fiscal year, and thus half the funding was unexpectedly lost. Adapting to that for the remainder of the year is a true success story, but hard decisions had to be made for the coming year.

The FY2026 budget calls for HN to make up for the loss of nearly a million dollars in NEH funding through increased support from private donors and the NCE, state support (which has remained level), and funding drawn from HN’s reserve and investment accounts held by our Foundation. It also requires cuts to programs, grants, and operations of approximately $300,000.

HN budget cuts for 2026 include:

• Reducing grants awarded to local nonprofits by $44,000
  
  
• Reducing Speakers Bureau expenses by raising the booking fee from $50 to $75 and limiting organizations to only one application per year (savings: $37,800)
  
  
• Reducing the budgeted number of Prime Time Family Reading programs statewide from 50 to 40 (savings: $60,000)
  
  
• Reducing Summer Reading Kit distribution statewide from 500 to 220 (savings: $40,960)
  
  
• Reducing budgets for Chautauqua, Nebraska Forum, Nebraska Warrior Writers, and National History Day-Nebraska (cost savings: $54,000)
  
  
• Reduction in staffing by half of a full-time position
  
  
• Other reductions to administrative expenses

HN remains committed to its core mission of helping people explore what connects us and makes us human, and to our belief that the humanities should be accessible to all. The restoration of federal funding would enable us to reverse the cuts and even return to our former growth trajectory. If it is not restored, the HN board will have to look at more drastic cuts in 2027. 

Thank you for standing with us. 

At the end of April 2025, humanities councils around the nation, including Humanities Nebraska, received a lifeline from Mellon Foundation. This support is extremely helpful, though it’s important to restore federal funding to the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Read more about Mellon Foundation’s contribution here: 
America’s Humanities Councils Get a Lifeline from Mellon Foundation

Humanities Nebraska is extremely grateful to the Mellon Foundation for providing this support. 

“This letter provides notice that the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is terminating your federal grant.”

Those are the words that greeted me first thing this morning. Words that were sent in a late-night email signed by the acting chairman of NEH, but not through normal federal communications channels. The same letter was sent to all 56 state and jurisdictional humanities council executive directors. We also know that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been on site at NEH in recent days.

The letter goes on to say that “the termination of your grant represents an urgent priority for the administration,” and “is necessary to safeguard the interests of the federal government.”

I have been with Humanities Nebraska for 20 years, and since long before that, the state humanities councils have had strong bipartisan support in Congress. Republicans and Democrats alike admire the efficiency and effectiveness of the humanities councils as we reach communities all throughout our states. The councils were created as independent nonprofits 50 years ago to be the state partners of NEH, and to help distribute funding to communities of all sizes and people of all walks of life.

Congress directs a significant portion of NEH’s budget (about 40%) to the state councils. Last year that was roughly $65 million out of a $207 million total NEH budget. The loss of this funding will decimate our ability to serve our communities, reducing and eliminating programs that are essential to each state’s cultural infrastructure.

If humanities councils lose NEH funding, we will also lose:

• Programs for veterans that honor their service (like Nebraska Warrior Writers)
• Family reading and literacy programs (like Prime Time Family Reading)
• History programs commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (like Chautauqua)
• Vital support for K-12 teachers and students (like Capitol Forum on America’s Future)
• National History Day programs for students across the country (including Nebraska)
• Funding for rural museums and historical societies (including HN grants, speakers, and our Museum on Main Street partnership with the Smithsonian)
• …and so much more.

Without NEH support of the councils, our citizens lose access to grants and programs that educate, inspire, and bring communities together. Humanities Nebraska works with hundreds of local partners each year; the ripple effects of these cuts will be felt in throughout Nebraska and in every state and territory.

I am so grateful for the private support we receive from individuals and organizations across Nebraska, and for the Nebraska Cultural Endowment and state appropriation funding we also receive. Thanks to that, Humanities Nebraska will survive and continue serving Nebraska as best we can. But if we work together to make our voices heard by Congress and beyond, we can continue to enrich the lives of all Nebraskans.

An email link and telephone numbers can be found in the FAQ below. Thank you for your help!

Sincerely,