| Dear friends,
I am writing to share an update about Ohio Humanities’ programs, grants, and operations.
Last week, an array of Executive Orders and memos were released by the White House Office of Management and Budget that impacted all federal funding, including grants that Ohio Humanities receives from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Federal agencies, including NEH, are currently being funded through a continuing resolution (CR), which is funded through March 14, 2025. Congressional Appropriations Committees are in the process of negotiating appropriations for the FY2026 budget; however, recent changes implemented at the Treasury Department leave some uncertainty about how appropriated funds will be distributed once Congress passes a new budget. We are also waiting for instructions from NEH about how new Executive Orders should impact grantmaking, which are forthcoming.
Because Ohio Humanities’ grant programs are funded with federal dollars from NEH, until we have a better understanding of the new administration’s policies and practices about federal grant spending, we need to employ a wait-and-see approach with our spending, including grantmaking. As such, the Board of Trustees and leadership at Ohio Humanities have made the difficult decision to pause our grants program. This decision is similar to actions taken during past government shutdowns, even though this situation is unprecedented.
I know this decision causes pain to the individuals, staff and volunteers of organizations who provide valuable services to the public, as well as the members of the public who benefit from those services. However, the decision is being made with the intention of fortifying ourselves for the future.
Ohio Humanities—our state’s affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities—has supported important and impactful work for over 50 years. We want to ensure that the organization will be here for the long-term, providing grants to incredible storytellers statewide, from museum curators helping us preserve and understand our past to documentary filmmakers exploring pressing topics of today.
Three years ago, Ohio Humanities received 99% of its funding from the NEH. Since then, we have diversified our funding sources, but we still rely on federal sources of funding to deliver grants and other resources to your communities. While we are doubling down on efforts to continue diversifying our funding, these are the other steps we are taking to fortify ourselves for the future:
- Grants committed but not yet funded are being paused.
- Upcoming grant cycles are being paused; Spark Grant applications will not be accepted for the February and March 2025 cycles, and the Ignite Grant deadline currently scheduled for February 28 has been postponed. We hope to be able to accept applications for both grant types beginning April 1. Please stay tuned for more updates, and contact a Program Officer if you have specific questions.
- The dollars we are spending are going toward efforts that will support advocacy and/or diversify revenue.
While we have spoken with many of you on the phone communicating these changes, we have also put together a short survey for past, current, and hopeful grant partners so that we can understand what this disruption means to you. We welcome and appreciate your response here. |
