Federal Funding Landscape and What's Next

The last month has been unlike any in our organization’s history. On April 3, we were told our federal funding - a third of our budget and the bedrock of our operation for 50 years - had been terminated. As an organization that returns tax dollars to Illinois in service to local communities, we were devastated.

But these cuts aren’t just affecting Illinois Humanities; cuts are happening in every corner of our cultural community - libraries, public media, museums, archives, have all had their grants terminated.

And the erosion continues: last week, our partners in the arts started to have their funding cancelled. The administration released its FY26 budget proposal, which seeks to eliminate the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Institute for Museum and Library Services, and other federal agencies that invest in our “public square” entirely.

When we look at these cuts one by one it can make us feel alone and voiceless.

But we are not alone, and we are not powerless.

Here's what we've been working on since April 3...and a glimpse of what is on the horizon.

We've been working to reinstate these funds and get them back to Illinois, where they belong.

On the political front we’ve been meeting with elected officials across Springfield and DC, buoyed by calls, letters, and emails from our community to our elected officials. 1500 emails and calls have been made so far just from our Illinois humanities network.

Operationally, we reduced our budget for the rest of the year and winnowed down everything we can without reducing staff or changing our commitments to partners. 

We asked for help (and are still asking for help).

We are working to spread the word by talking with journalists about how the elimination of federal dollars impacts places from Cairo to Clinton, and Macomb to Marshall.

Most critically, we’ve been connecting with partners throughout the state. We hosted a Zoom gathering for grantees and program partners to share information and answer questions. We headed to Cairo, Illinois, to join Legacy Training and the Cairo Historical Preservation Project for a dynamic conference called Confluences, celebrating regional culture in the part of our state where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers converge. Today, we’re convening with partners from across the state at the South Shore Cultural Center for our Envisioning Justice Statewide Convening, a vital gathering of those in Illinois utilizing the humanities to imagine a more just future.

Because we know the best thing we can do to resist what's happening is to continue to connect the community of people who make - and care about - history, heritage, culture, and arts.

Our partners at the Mellon Foundation awarded an emergency grant to Humanities Councils, including a generous $200,000 general operating grant to Illinois Humanities. We will be using the funds to double down on our commitment to partners, powering educational programs and community gatherings throughout the summer, culminating at the Illinois State Fair in August.

Later this month, we’ll celebrate the adult learners in our Odyssey Project/Proyecto Odisea at their graduation ceremony and we’ll continue our People’s Salon series with PERMANENT RECORD on May 28th. We’ll award our next round of grants and celebrate the 2025 winners of the Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards.

We refuse to lose momentum in this moment.

The National Endowment for the Humanities has been attacked in the past. The public fought back and won. The tactics? Insistent calls by people to their elected officials; bipartisan backing in Congress; vocal, visible support in all corners of life; grassroots advocacy and alliances.

I do not know if the public funding we're responsible for distributing will be returned to us, but we are going to do what we can to bring those dollars back to Illinois.

Here's what I do know: I know our nonpartisan mission won't change. I know we will continue to make grants and provide free education and public programs so that we can all gather, connect, and be in community. And we will continue to serve as a champion for the rich, diverse ecosystem of history, heritage, and cultural organizations of which we are proudly a member.

On behalf of our staff and board of directors, I want to thank you for your encouragement and support. At Illinois Humanities we know what we were established to do – and we continue to do it alongside, for, and with each of you.

Sincerely,

Gabrielle Lyon