Late on the evening of April 2, Oregon Humanities received a letter from the acting chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, or NEH, stating that a grant intended to support the organization’s work through 2027 has been rescinded. Nationally, every other state and jurisdictional humanities council received the same letter.
Here in Corvallis, The Arts Center has been informed their $10,000 grant proposal for a new lecture series has been put on hold until – well, until nobody really knows when.
This news comes on the heels of reports earlier in the week that the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has recommended major cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities, including reducing or entirely eliminating its staff.
The reductions at NEH follow similarly severe cuts to the Institute for Museum and Library Services and other federal cultural agencies, and will quickly cascade down to the organizations these agencies support and work with.
According to Adam Davis, executive director of Oregon Humanities, “These cuts to Oregon Humanities will hit communities and individuals all over Oregon—and the same unnecessary impact will show up across the nation. We’ve been working in rural, frontier, and urban communities to create conditions for people to connect and think together even when they disagree. More connecting, listening, and thinking together is what Oregon and the country most need, now more than ever.”
Oregon Humanities is an independent nonprofit affiliated with NEH, one of 56 humanities councils tasked with distributing federal funds to local communities in every US state and territory.
“For over 50 years, Oregon Humanities has helped connect Oregonians to share their ideas and experiences and learn from one another. In 2024, Oregon Humanities collaborated with 145 partner organizations around the state; distributed $827,152 in grants and fellowships to small organizations and individuals; and reached more than 50,000 people through its free magazine, podcast, and other media. The organization was created in 1971 to distribute federal dollars in Oregon, and has received funding from NEH without interruption ever since. NEH funds accounted for 44% of Oregon Humanities’ budget in 2024, and a much larger share at many other councils,” said a release from Oregon Humanities.
More about Oregon Humanities
Oregon Humanities goals include connecting people and communities through conversation, storytelling, and participatory programs to inspire understanding and collaborative change. More information about the organization’s programs and publications—which include the Conversation Project, Consider This, Humanity in Perspective, Public Program Grants, So Much Together, The Detour podcast, and Oregon Humanities magazine—can be found at oregonhumanities.org.
About the NEH
NEH is a small agency, with a budget of just $211 million, but cuts will profoundly affect many organizations and communities in Oregon. On average, humanities councils raise $2 in private investment for every $1 of federal support they receive. In Oregon, the NEH has awarded over $16 million in grants to museums, educational institutions, tribes, and other cultural organizations since 2020, including the High Desert Museum, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and Literary Arts.
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