Raise your voice in support of NEH and its sister cultural agencies.
In its proposed FY19 budget released recently, the Trump Administration has once again called for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), as well as two other vital cultural agencies—the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)—and also ending federal funding for the nonprofit Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). If this comes to pass it could be devastating to the educational and cultural vitality of communities large and small throughout Maryland.
In addition to its extensive grant-making across the nation, NEH provides core funding to the 56 state humanities councils, including Maryland Humanities. We rely on this funding in order to keep our programs free and accessible, serving every corner of Maryland. In addition, our One Maryland One Book program receives significant grant support via IMLS.
Last year, the Trump Administration also called for elimination of NEH and its sister cultural agencies. Your messages to legislators were clear and convincing and your voices were heard: keep federal funding for the humanities and arts. Thank you! As a result, Maryland Humanities is thriving.
In 2017, we reached 1,250,000 people—nearly 1 in 5 Marylanders—with 1,900+ free public educational events in 170 communities. Without NEH and IMLS funding, this level of service to Maryland residents will be significantly reduced.
We hope you will add your voice once again to the nationwide chorus calling for Congress to act now to continue support for the NEH—both for the current FY18 (which still doesn’t have an enacted budget) and for FY19.
How You Can Help
If you’ve participated in Maryland Humanities programs or received a grant from us, or whether you are a donor, partner, or follower on social media, you know about the work we do and how it benefits individuals and communities all over Maryland. Here’s how you can show your support for the public humanities and arts and culture in Maryland.
- Contact your legislators in support of Maryland Humanities, NEH, and other cultural funding. To get you started, we have provided a sample message or you can use the online tool provided by our partners at the Federation of State Humanities Councils. Sharing your personal experiences with legislators makes a difference. Add your own impact story to our sample or craft your own message in your own voice. Have you received a grant from us that enabled a vitally important community project? Has your child participated in Maryland History Day or Letters About Literature and gone on to do great things? Describing how you, your family or organization, or your community has benefited from Maryland Humanities programs is compelling and persuasive. To identify your representatives and their contact information, you can use this tool:
Find Your Elected State & Federal Officials
- Share your Maryland Humanities experiences with us. Your stories about the impact of Maryland Humanities in your life can help us demonstrate why we need the public humanities in Maryland—and throughout the nation—now more than ever.
Share your story with Maryland Humanities
- Express your support for the public humanities and arts and culture via social media.
- Make a gift to Maryland Humanities. Your financial support is always greatly appreciated and will allow us to better respond to any financial threats in the future while maintaining our statewide programming.
Thank you for your support of Maryland Humanities! We are so grateful. Please feel free to contact us directly at (410) 685-0095 or info@mdhumanities.org with any questions or concerns.