OREGON — Oregon Humanities, the nonprofit that runs Oregon’s free literary and arts magazine and humanities programs across the state, is four months into a funding crisis after National Endowment for the Humanities suddenly canceled funding in April.
Hearings for a joint lawsuit with the Federation of State Humanities Councils began Aug. 4, and Judge Michael Simon granted the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction — finding that NEH’s termination of grants was unlawful, and ordering NEH not to spend those funds on other projects while the lawsuit proceeds. Oregon is leading a coalition of states supporting the case.
On July 15, a federal subcommittee released a draft budget that would give NEH $135 million, a 35% funding cut from the amount enacted for 2025.
After NEH’s cuts, Oregon Humanities removed four staff positions and canceled their 2025 Public Program Grants.
“Although Congress approved a temporary budget extension in March, less than half of the funds intended for councils in 2025 have been distributed — with just weeks left in the fiscal year. This shortfall has led to the pause or cancellation of one-third of council programs,” Oregon Humanities announced Aug. 26.
Grants went to the Columbia Gorge Community College Library in 2023 and 2024, Hood River County Heritage Council in 2020 and 2021, and Columbia Center for the Arts in 2018.
Other Gorge-area programs will stay, unless more federal funding cuts hit in 2026.
“Looking forward, whether we can resume offering grants depends on Congress and the NEH. Right now, both the House and Senate versions of the 2026 budget call for fully funding NEH. That’s great! But there’s a long way to go between where we are now and a final budget,” editor Ben Waterhouse said.
Meanwhile, the organization has raised $42,000 in individual donations, $75,000 in a Rapid Response grant from the Collins Foundation, $18,000 from the Kinsman Foundation, and $16,000 from the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation.
“Work in the humanities can be such a hard thing to quantify and qualify, which can make it especially difficult to make the argument for its importance,” said Sarah Fox, a former Fellow with Oregon Humanities who’s participated in conversation panels, published an essay, and other contributions. “I know with Sense of Place and programs like The Watershed Rock Opera and Hear in the Gorge, we track audience numbers and funds raised — both of which continue on an upward trajectory — but more importantly, what those numbers truly reflect is the human need to feel a sense of connection, of belonging ...
“... Rural areas like the Gorge stand to lose the most — as is so often the case — with the recent cuts to humanities. And frankly, that breaks my heart, because doing the work I do, I see everyday how much we have to share and how much people are seeking out connection with each other and a sense of belonging in this place.”
Each issue of Oregon Humanities’ magazine costs $3.28 to produce, said Waterhouse.
Waterhouse said the biggest thing he asks of readers is to call their representatives and senators, asking for state humanities councils to be funded in the FY26 budget.
He also said joining the mostly-free programs helps. “The more people who participate, the easier it is for us to ask for funding from other sources,” Waterhouse explained.
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