Mellon Foundation to stabilize state humanities councils with $15 millon in emergency funding

Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities is set to receive $250,000 from an emergency funding commitment by the Mellon Foundation.

The National Endowment for the Humanities abruptly terminated all federal grants for the councils, eliminating $65 million from their operating budgets overnight. For the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, this represented a loss of nearly $1.5 million and 90% of the general operating budget.

Without prompt intervention, many state councils face steep reductions—or even closure—jeopardizing the vital cultural programming that Americans in states across the country rely on and the jobs that the humanities support.

In response to federal funding cuts that have devastated state humanities councils, the Mellon Foundation announced a $15 million emergency funding commitment to the Federation of State Humanities Councils, which will stabilize all 56 state and territorial humanities councils.

Each humanities council will receive support for operating expenses, which will help strengthen and preserve the humanities councils as the Federation works alongside the councils to restore permanent public funding and secure further private support.

“This is more than a grant—it’s a lifeline for communities across the country who rely on their humanities councils’ programs and grants to fill critical needs and enrich their lives,” said Phoebe Stein, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils. “Mellon’s support allows us to not only preserve this vital network—it helps ensure that everyday Americans can thrive through lifelong learning, connection, and understanding of one another.”

The grant from Mellon means an immediate $200,000 for Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities and an additional $50,000 available in matching grants that will double any donations received by the council. The public can donate by visiting tinyurl.com/HIhumanitiesgive.

According to the Federation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Through their grants, the foundation seeks to build communities enriched by meaning and guided by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive.

In Hawaiʻi, the foundation has helped fund the Why It Matters Civic and Electoral Participation project and helped tell stories of love and justice through the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi  project.

“In the midst of this abrupt cut, we feel so embraced by the national and Hawaiʻi community. Mellon Foundation has been an amazing partner over the years,” said Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities Executive Director Aiko Yamashiro. “This matching grant is an opportunity for us to empower individual donors to join us in resistance and in commitment to human connection.”

Last year, Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities engaged 33,531 people through 209 events through community grants, programs like Hawai‘i History Day, Try Think, collaborations like the Hawai‘i State Poet Laureate program and the Lei Pua ‘Ala Queer Histories of Hawai‘i project, partnering with countless local organizations and individuals.