Philanthropy Today

The National Endowment for Humanities is headed for deep cuts, at the order of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. As many as 70 percent to 80 percent of the agency’s roughly 180 employees could be fired, and all grants made under the Biden administration that have not been fully paid out could be canceled, staffers told the New York Times. The NEH, with a budget of $211 million last year, is a primary or sole funder of state humanities councils and supports cultural and scholarly projects around the country. A spokesman for the agency did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement, the National Humanities Alliance said, “DOGE is targeting a small federal agency that — with an annual appropriation that barely amounts to a rounding error in the U.S. budget — has a positive impact on every congressional district.” (New York Times)

Nonprofits that help legal permanent residents become citizens have lost a major source of funding with the cancellation of a $22 million federal grant program. The Citizenship and Immigration Grant Program was terminated as part of a move to “restrict grant funding to sanctuary cities,” a department official said. Programs that “support, or have the potential to support, illegal immigration through funding illegal activities or support for illegal aliens are out of step with the President and [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L.] Noem’s priorities …” the official said in a statement. But the CEO of a Catholic Charities chapter in California said the group’s clients “went through the immigration system legally, or else they wouldn’t qualify for this program or these funds.” The program has helped more than 350,000 immigrants become citizens since its founding in 2009, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (Washington Post)

More on Immigrant Aid

• Judge Restores Funds for Lawyers Representing Children in Immigration Court (Los Angeles Times)
  
  • Background from the Chronicle: Foundations and Government Team Up to Pay for Legal Help for Immigrants Facing Deportation
• Trump Administration Terminates Funding to Two Oregon Nonprofits That Help Immigrants Become U.S. Citizens (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• In an Atmosphere of Fear, Portland, Maine, Nonprofit Pivots to Feed Immigrant Clients Where They Feel Safe — At Home (Portland Press Herald)
  
  • Background from the Chronicle: How Will Philanthropy Respond to Trump’s Deportation Policies?

More Nonprofit Cuts and Closures

• Nonprofit Focused on Restoring Cultural Sites Affected by State Department Cuts to Foreign Aid (ARTnews)
• Medicaid Cuts Pose Risks to Viability of Nonprofit Insurers (Bloomberg Law)
• Northwest Outdoor Nonprofits Hit With Ripple Effect of Federal Funding Cuts (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Trump Targets the Smithsonian

• Head of African American Museum on Leave as Smithsonian Faces Trump Pressure (Washington Post)
• Taking Aim at Smithsonian, Trump Wades Into Race and Biology (New York Times)
• Opinion: Why Is Trump Threatening D.C.'s African American Museum but Not Important Icons Such as the Holocaust Museum (Root)

More News

• Supreme Court Seems to Back Planned Parenthood in Patient Rights Case (Washington Post)
• L.A. Museums Are Rethinking the Rules of Art Ownership. Will Others Follow? (Observer)
• A Federal Judge Is Demanding a Fix for L.A.’S Broken Homelessness System. Is Receivership His Next Step? (Los Angeles Times)
  
  • Background from the Chronicle: Did a $100 Million Effort Reduce Homelessness? The Results Are In
• ‘We’ve Lost Our Way’: San Francisco Rethinks Drug Paraphernalia Handouts (New York Times)
• Millions Give Less to Charity as Bills Rise and Interest Wanes (BBC)

Note: In the links in this section, we flag articles that only subscribers can access. But because some journalism outlets offer a limited number of free articles, readers may encounter barriers with other articles we highlight in this roundup.