Media Contact: Hannah Hethmon, Communications Manager, Federation of State Humanities Councils hhethmon@statehumanities.org or connect@statehumanities.org
Federation of State Humanities Councils and Oregon Humanities File Lawsuit against NEH and DOGE Alleging Illegal Termination of Grants to 56 State and Jurisdictional Humanities Councils
[ARLINGTON, VA] May 15, 2025 – The Federation of State Humanities Councils (Federation) and Oregon Humanities jointly filed a lawsuit today in federal district court in Oregon against the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This lawsuit challenges the disruption and attempted destruction, spearheaded by DOGE, of the congressionally established federal-state partnership between NEH and the 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils.
The Federation and Oregon Humanities are asking the court to restore unlawfully terminated grants and to take steps to ensure that congressional appropriations flow to humanities councils so they can fulfill their mandate to serve local communities as Congress intended.
The full complaint is available here.
Congress established the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1965, declaring that “[t]he arts and the humanities belong to all the people of the United States.” Since then, NEH has funded humanities programs throughout the country consistent with its mission, and with historically bipartisan support from Congress and administrations of both political parties.
According to NEH, “state and jurisdictional humanities councils are the public humanities in action.” For decades, NEH has funded humanities councils, who in turn support a multitude of local grassroots public humanities programs throughout the nation. In FY 2025, Congress appropriated $65 million for humanities councils.
On April 2, 2025, humanities councils across the country received notice that their open grants were terminated, effective immediately and without any opportunity for appeal. The impact on the 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils was immediate and significant.
As a result of the sudden grant terminations, humanities councils have terminated staff, cancelled planned events with community groups, ended support for libraries, schools, and families, terminated reading and writing programming, and more.
“Funding for the humanities benefits every single American, and support for this work and humanities councils has historically been bipartisan,” said Federation President Phoebe Stein. “Federal dollars from NEH flow through the state and jurisdictional humanities councils to community organizations in nearly every county in the country. State and jurisdictional humanities councils help veterans heal, teach children to read skillfully and think critically, and provide grants to community projects that simply would not happen without these resources. Even the loss of one humanities council would be one too many in what has been a powerful network serving the American public.”
The Federation and Oregon Humanities are represented in the litigation by Anna Sortun of Tonkon Torp LLP in Portland, Oregon.
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About the Federation of State Humanities Councils
Founded in 1977, the Federation of State Humanities Councils (Federation) is the membership organization of the 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils. The Federation supports, connects, and amplifies the work and voices of our members, demonstrating councils’ value for communities and their collective impact on civic health and cultural vibrancy. The Federation envisions a fully-resourced, inclusive, and thriving humanities council network.
About Humanities Councils
There are 56 humanities councils—one in every state, territory, and the District of Columbia. These nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations were established in 1971 by Congress to make outstanding public humanities programming accessible to everyday Americans. For over five decades, councils have received federal funding through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
