Wisconsin Humanities Programs in Peril After Trump Axes Funding
Educational and cultural programming throughout the state will be lost.
Singer-songwriter Bobby Bullet leads a workshop in 2024 for fellow veterans, as part of a project meant to showcase the experiences of veterans in Eagle River, Wis. The initiative was made possible by a grant from Wisconsin Humanities. (Photo courtesy Wisconsin Humanities)
Grants to libraries, museums and nonprofits throughout Wisconsin are in peril after the Trump administration said it’s immediately cutting off funding to affiliates of the National Endowment of the Humanities.
One of those affiliates is Wisconsin Humanities, which funds educational and cultural programming throughout the state. That includes a myriad of large- and small-scale projects like podcasts, oral history collections, book discussion programs and exhibits.
Unless the Trump administration’s decision is reversed, leaders at Wisconsin Humanities said the organization will be forced to shut down “very soon.”
“Our work through grants and initiatives with countless local organizations in every corner of the state is going to end,” Wisconsin Humanities Executive Director Dena Wortzel said. “The history and the stories that Wisconsin Humanities brings to life in partnership with local communities and through our initiatives will be lost, and the dreams that they spark will never be dreamed.”
Federal funds make up vast majority of Wisconsin Humanities budget
Wisconsin Humanities is staffed by eight people and gets about $1.2 million annually from the federal National Endowment for the Humanities, or NEH.
Those federal dollars make up about 85 percent of Wisconsin Humanities budget, Wortzel said, with the rest coming from state funding and private donations.
Republican President Donald Trump has promised large-scale cost-cutting across federal agencies. Since taking office in January, his administration has spearheaded mass layoffs of federal workers and cut off grants from multiple agencies, prompting a spate of lawsuits from state attorneys general and other interested parties. On Friday, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul joined a coalition of 20 states suing the administration over sweeping cuts to a separate agency, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, expected to affect other grants to libraries and museums in the state.
On Wednesday, Acting NEH Chair Michael McDonald sent notices to state affiliates telling them that their federal funding was being cut off effective that same day.
“Your grant’s immediate termination is necessary to safeguard the interests of the federal government, including its fiscal priorities,” a one-page notice sent to Wisconsin Humanities said. “The termination of your grant represents an urgent priority for the administration, and due to exceptional circumstances, adherence to the traditional notification process is not possible.”
National Endowment for the Humanities funding has already been appropriated by Congress, raising legal questions about the executive branch’s authority to cut off the money unilaterally.
Wortzel said Wisconsin Humanities is urging its supporters to contact their representatives about the announcement.
“We would like to know how members of Congress feel about the fact that the funds that they appropriated as recently as the most recent continuing resolution [are] not reaching us,” Wortzel said.
Notices come amid promises of massive cuts at National Endowment for the Humanities
Wortzel said many unanswered questions remain about the effects of the notices from the NEH. It is not clear whether the federal government will try to claw back money that’s already been earmarked or spent so far this fiscal year. Part of Wisconsin Humanities’ work includes giving out arts and culture grants to local organizations such as historical societies and art councils that provide matching funds.
“We’re not even sure whether we will be able to honor the grants that we’ve already made,” Wortzel said. “There are real questions there about even what has been promised to us and whether those funds will be forthcoming.”
NEH media representatives did not immediately respond to questions from WPR Friday afternoon. More than 100 NEH staff members got emails late Thursday, telling them that were being placed on immediate administrative leave, NPR reported. That’s after officials at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, promised layoffs and other spending cuts at the NEH.
The NEH’s total budget is $207 million, including $65 million for state and territorial affiliates across the country.
Norma Yaeger, a northern Wisconsin resident, became emotional when discussing the possibility of Wisconsin Humanities grants being cut off in the future.
She leads the Headwater Council for the Performing Arts, which recently received a $2,000 grant from Wisconsin Humanities.
The grant helped fund an initiative in Eagle River called Veterans and Families’ Expressions. That project showcased the experiences of veterans through multiple mediums.
It included displays of artifacts, musical performances and free classes for veterans in writing and other art forms.
“We reached out to the veterans, and they were just amazed,” Yaeger recalled, speaking through tears. “They said, ‘You know, nobody ever cared about this like this before.’”
Editor’s note: WPR receives some funding from Wisconsin Humanities.
Humanities programs across Wisconsin are in peril after Trump axes funding was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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