The Mellon Foundation has announced $15 million in emergency funding for humanities councils in all 50 US states and six territories, after the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cancelled approximately $65 million in grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The NEH cuts, which affected over 6,600 local organizations, were redirected toward presidential priorities including a planned patriotic sculpture park called the "National Garden of American Heroes" and a new "Celebrate America!" grant program for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The Mellon Foundation's president, Elizabeth Alexander, stated the funds aim to preserve the operational integrity of museums, libraries, and historical societies nationwide.
This move matters because it highlights the increasing reliance on private philanthropy to fill gaps left by federal funding cuts to the cultural sector, raising questions about the sustainability and independence of arts and humanities institutions. The NEH, alongside the NEA and the Institute for Museum and Library Services, is a key federal conduit for cultural funding, and its staff has been reduced by roughly two-thirds. The Mellon Foundation's intervention, while substantial, covers only a fraction of the cancelled grants, underscoring the vulnerability of state humanities councils and the broader ecosystem of local museums, libraries, and historical societies that depend on federal support.