CT Humanities responds to federal cuts to National Endowment for the Humanities

On April 2, CT Humanities received notice that all its federal grant funding through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) had been cancelled effective immediately, a loss of $1.1 million. The appropriated funds were abruptly terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). These funds, which had already been committed by the NEH to CT Humanities, constitutes approximately 40% of the organization’s budget. The cut will likely result in staff reductions at CT Humanities and a reduction in resources available to support Connecticut’s history, literary, arts, education, and cultural sectors.

In addition to the massive cut to CT Humanities’ budget, several projects with funding already committed by the NEH were cut or eliminated entirely by DOGE. The amount of rescinded grants to Connecticut Institutions total over $875,000. The impacted nonprofits include Mystic Seaport Museum, Connecticut State Library, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Weston Historical Society, and Ball and Socket Arts. Also included in this figure are Humanities research and educational initiatives at Southern Connecticut State University, Wesleyan University, Eastern Connecticut State University, and University of Connecticut. The cumulative hit to the Connecticut Humanities sector is nearly $2M.

On May 2, 2025, President Donald Trump revealed a proposed budget that included the total elimination of the NEH as well as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). CT Humanities Executive Director Jason Mancini states, “The recent DOGE cuts to the NEH, NEA, and IMLS were immediate and devastating. The proposed elimination of all three agencies by the current administration, although not surprising, is short-sighted and strikes at the very core of our understanding of what it means to be an American. I am particularly disheartened that much of this seems to be a systemic effort to curb efforts to tell the stories of diverse and often-ignored BIPOC and LGBTQ+ cultures, histories, and creatives. While arts and humanities may feel to some like abstractions – nice but not necessary – they are not. Through arts and humanities, we seed the ground for curiosity, knowledge, and understanding. While it’s tempting to ascribe a dollar amount to all of this, we should recognize arts and humanities for what they truly are… invaluable.”

On April 30, the Mellon Foundation announced a $15 million emergency funding commitment to the Federation of State Humanities Councils(the Federation) in response to federal funding cuts that have devastated state humanities councils. Mellon’s investment comes at a critical moment when $65 million in federal support for state humanities councils has been eliminated as a result of cuts to the NEH. This emergency funding will help provide support to all 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils across the United States, including up to $250,000 for CT Humanities.

The grant from Mellon means an immediate $200,000 for CT Humanities and an additional $50,000 available in matching grants. Any donations received by CT Humanities starting April 29, 2025, count towards the match. Members of the public can donate to CT Humanities by visiting cthumanities.org/match.

CT Humanities continues to seek private and state funding to fill the gap caused by cuts in funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities, as well as continuing to fight for reinstatement of Congressionally appropriated funds that were abruptly terminated by DOGE on April 3, 2025.

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CT Humanities responds to federal cuts to National Endowment for the Humanities