CARES Act: Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act

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The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) received $75 Million in supplemental funding to assist cultural institutions and humanists affected by COVID-19 as part of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act economic stabilization plan.

40% of the appropriation ($30 million) was directed to the 56 state and jurisdictional councils, based upon NEH’s standard population formula. The state/jurisdictional humanities organizations are tasked by the NEH to provide subawards/general operating grants to “at risk” local humanities positions and projects that have been financially impacted by COVID-19. New Hampshire Humanities (NHH) is scheduled to receive approximately $427,000 in CARES Act Relief & Economic Security Funds to make available to community-based humanities/cultural organizations in the form of emergency sustainability grants.

“These funds are intended solely for grants to New Hampshire cultural institutions and humanists,” said Anthony Poore, Executive Director of New Hampshire Humanities. “These monies are not intended to support the general operating costs of state humanities councils, only those costs incurred by the organization in providing the CARES Act grants are considered reimbursable.”

The remaining 60% of the appropriation ($45 million) is intended for the NEH to make direct grants to museums, libraries, archives, historical sites, and colleges and universities that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.

All funds are required to be obligated no later than September 30, 2021. At this time, there’s limited information as to when NHH will receive the state’s appropriation.

NHH is actively coordinating our work with the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, which received a similar appropriation from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the CARES Act stimulus package and the NH Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Additional information and direction regarding the CARES Act and its implications for state humanities councils are expected from the NEH over the next two weeks. For all questions regarding the CARES Act, please contact Anthony Poore, Executive Director, at apoore@nhhumanities.org or 603.224.4071.