Urge Congress to Support NEH and the Humanities During COVID-19 Crisis

The National Humanities Alliance (NHA) and the Federation of State Humanities Councils, have submitted a letter to both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees outlining the many challenges that humanities institutions and educators are facing due to the COVID-19 crisis. The letter asks them to include supplemental funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to alleviate these strains as part of Congress’ next stimulus package. The full letter can be found here. The National Coalition for History supports this effort and urges you to reach out to Congress and ask for their support. Click here to send a letter that will go to your congressional delegation.

NHA is working with the Congressional Humanities Caucus to build support for this funding. They are urging significant supplemental funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities to support:

  • Direct emergency grants to humanities organizations (museums, libraries, historical societies, cultural organizations, and professional associations) that can be applied to operational expenses to sustain them in this time of crisis.

  • Funding for state humanities councils to distribute emergency grants to organizations in their state.

  • NEH funding lines to bolster humanities organizations, colleges, and universities in developing the digital content that is now necessary for classroom use and for the digital resources to sustain communities during this moment of crisis.

  • Virtual professional development opportunities to support K-12 teachers and higher education faculty in developing rich humanities curricula that can be delivered virtually.

They also urged other federal relief to ensure the viability of nonprofit humanities organizations and educators, both in K-12 and higher education, including paid leave and unemployment relief provisions for employees and self-employed workers as well as casually-employed and on contract educators.

Stimulus bills are moving very quickly on the Hill, so we are working to rapidly mobilize the humanities community. NHA has created an action alert that asks Members of Congress to support this supplemental funding as part of an upcoming stimulus package.