Oregon Humanities faces steep federal funding cuts

Humanities councils across the country, including in Oregon, recently learned that the federal government is slashing their funding. A grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities was meant to fund the councils through 2027, but it was rescinded on April 2 following reports that the Department of Government Efficiency was planning cuts at the NEH.

The abrupt lack of funding will affect organizations like Oregon Humanities, which facilitates public conversations and community-building events across the state. Last year, the nonprofit received 44% of its budget from NEH funding, which helped finance grants to libraries, social service agencies and other organizations in Oregon.

Adam Davis is the executive director of Oregon Humanities. He joins us to talk about what cutting humanities funding could mean for Oregonians.