by Sara Ogger, Executive Director
In early April, Humanities New York received notice that its federal funding had been canceled, effective immediately. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)—our longtime partner and primary funder—relayed the decision days after warning that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) planned a sweeping attack on the state humanities councils.
The result has been devastating. We have had to cancel all active grants and terminate over twenty newly awarded ones. We let go of six team members—two-thirds of our full-time staff. The pain of these decisions is immense, and the damage to New York’s cultural infrastructure will be felt for years.
This is not just a loss for HNY. It is a loss for every New Yorker who has attended a local reading group, participated in a community dialogue, or heard a story that made them see the world differently. These are the small, vital acts that build understanding—and they are under threat.
But this moment also reminds us why the humanities matter. When public discourse is fractured, the humanities help us listen. When history is contested, the humanities give us context. When communities are divided, the humanities create space for connection.
We are not giving up. With your help, we will find new ways to keep doing this work. We ask you to stand with us—to advocate, to give, and to believe, as we do, that dialogue and understanding are not luxuries, but necessities.
Read on to see how you can help #SaveHNY!
Yours,
Sara
Action #1: Call your member of Congress!
The state and jurisdictional humanities councils have always enjoyed bi-partisan support. Our Congressional delegation never imagined that already-appropriated funds for popular, grass-roots public humanities programs would be under anyone else’s control but their own, as they determine our level of funding each year. You can let your Representative know that you don’t agree with these cuts, or the usurpation of their power to allocate funds. Find your representative here.
Action #2: Help us Match a $50K Challenge!
In better news: donations to HNY will be matched one-to-one from now until the end of the year, up to the first $50K we receive. This offer is thanks to our national advocacy organization, the Federation of State Humanities Councils, which secured a grant for $200K per council through the Mellon Foundation in response to the cuts. An additional $50K is available to each state council if they can match it! Donations can be made online here.
Action #3: Stay informed!
The state humanities councils have received a groundswell of coverage in national and local media. From the DOGE-led actions to the plans to send our funds to the National Garden of Heroes, you can find stories of the impact here.
