What’s at stake?

Overnight, on April 2, 2025, Michael McDonald, Acting Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in conjunction with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sent a letter to Nevada Humanities and 55 other state and jurisdictional humanities councils stating that their five-year general operating support grant funding has been terminated effective immediately.

Nevada Humanities receives approximately 75% of our funding from the NEH, which amounts to roughly $1 million each year. NEH is also being targeted with the aim of terminating more than 600 other grant awards, substantially reducing its staff and eliminating many of the agency’s previously announced grant programs. The termination of NEH grant funding will have a devastating effect on every congressional district across the country, including the people of Nevada, decimating our ability to serve our communities and eliminating programs essential to Nevadans across the state.

How can you help?

• Make a donation to Nevada Humanities.

• Call or message your U.S. senators and representatives and urge them to protect the NEH and all 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils, including Nevada Humanities.

• Share this federal action alert from the Federation of State Humanities Councils directly to five people in your network—anyone who believes the humanities should be accessible to all Nevadans—and ask them to join you and take action.

• Send us stories of how Nevada Humanities has supported your work and how the loss of Nevada Humanities might negatively impact you or your community.

• Write an op-ed letter to your local newspaper explaining why humanities councils are important and the importance these federal dollars have in your state and community.