Humanities Nebraska looking to lose 40% of funding

An organization that funds arts and humanities programs across the state has taken a huge financial hit.

Humanities Nebraska received news late Wednesday night that it is losing its federal funding, which makes up more than 40% of its total annual operating budget.

“We all received the same messages late Wednesday night, that our [National Endowment for the Humanities] funding was being completely terminated,” said Chris Sommerich, the executive director for Humanities Nebraska.

The email, sent by acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities Michael McDonald to state and jurisdictional humanities councils, said, “this letter provides notice that the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is terminating your federal grant.”

McDonald’s email went on to say that the cancellation of the grant funding, “represents an urgent priority for the (Trump) administration,” and “is necessary to safeguard the interests of the federal government.”

According to its 2024 Annual Report, the most recent one available, Humanities Nebraska had a total operating budget of about $2.2 million, with just over $1 million of that coming from NEH.

Humanities Nebraska uses that federal funding to help pay for grants to various arts and humanities projects and organizations around the state. The money also goes toward programming that Humanities Nebraska puts on itself, such as family reading and literacy programs, or helping to provide speakers and traveling exhibits to smaller museums around the state. There are currently no layoffs planned, but Humanities Nebraska may be paring back the work they do with smaller communities around Nebraska, according to Sommerich.

“Our board is right now assessing the grants that we're making this year,” Sommerich said. “We are able to honor commitments that are currently made, and we will do our best to continue to receive grant requests and award grants as we're best able right now.”

A report from National Public Radio said that McDonald told senior staff at NEH that DOGE wants to “claw back $175 million” in undispersed grant money. The report also said that 80% of the staff at NEH have been put on administrative leave.

Nebraska Public Media reached out to the National Endowment for the Humanities and did not geta response.

“I think as you look at what it means for Nebraska, it means less and less educational and cultural opportunities for rural areas is one thing,” said Sommerich. “It just means, you know, a loss of funding…. It does mean less grants to, you know, both larger museums and smaller entities that are just kind of used to living on a shoestring budget.”

Sommerich said the next few months will be tough, but he has hope.

“I feel optimistic that we're going to get through this and adapt and find ways to restore funding and to continue to implement our mission of helping people explore what connects us and makes us human.”

By way of full disclosure, Humanities Nebraska is a funder of Nebraska Public Media.