NEH Awards $87.8 Million in Stimulus Grants

The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded $116.6 million in grants to nearly 300 cultural, educational, and grantmaking institutions as part of the American Rescue Plan, the economic stimulus bill signed into law by President Biden in March 2021.

Grant money was awarded to institutions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. The funds will be used to help institutions recover from the economic impact of pandemic, including retain and hire staff, reopen facilities, and support a wide of programs in the humanities.

The $87.8 million in grants—called the NEH Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan, or SHARP awards—is divided into two sections: $59 million in grants will provide direct relief to 292 humanities organizations impacted by the pandemic, and $28.8 million in grants awarded to 13 organizations, including the American Library Association, to support grantmaking programs for humanities activities. 

NEH acting chairman Adam Wolfson said: “These new grants will provide a lifeline to the country’s colleges and universities, museums, libraries, archives, historical sites and societies, save thousands of jobs in the humanities placed at risk by the pandemic, and help bring economic recovery to cultural and educational institutions and those they serve.”