Wisconsin Humanities Executive Director Dena Wortzel.
With the aid of emergency grants, Dena Wortzel, executive director, and two other staffers will offer limited programming and hold listening sessions.
Like many other nonprofit organizations that rely in large part on federal funding, Wisconsin Humanities is being forced to come up with a survival plan. The group is now entering what it calls a period of “hibernation.”
"Hibernation is about looking for ways to continue our mission, and a big part of our mission is to strengthen communities through cultural programs,” says Dena Wortzel, executive director. “If we are not doing the programs, then we need to connect people who are.”
The organization learned April 3 that its federal funding had been canceled and determined it would have to lay off staff and end its cultural programming. In May it received a $200,000 grant from the Federation of State Humanities Councils, with support from the Mellon Foundation and another $50,000 “challenge grant.” This, along with help from local donors, allowed Wisconsin Humanities to keep three of its eight full-time staffers on payroll through early January. It will also help fund the maintenance of certain Wisconsin Humanities projects.
The primary responsibilities of the three staffers will be to preserve the organization’s nonprofit status, set strategies to connect with community-led programs, and continue to work on communications and development projects, says Wortzel.
Established in 1972, Wisconsin Humanities is a nonprofit affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities that strives to bolster democracy through education, culture and connection.
The group launched the Wisconsin Book Festival in 2001 but transferred leadership of the festival to Madison Public Library and Madison Public Library Foundation. Over the years, Wisconsin Humanities has overseen a diverse array of programs. Recently, it has been responsible for the Human Powered podcast featuring voices from around the state; Love Wisconsin, a project designed to amplify the stories and connections from around Wisconsin; Stand Up to Hate, a toolkit that equips teachers and students with skills to navigate difficult conversations; and Community Powered, a cultural training initiative for local Wisconsin leaders and winner of the national Schwartz Prize.
Wisconsin Humanities is also the only organization that provides grants across the entire state for programs related to community-led humanities projects. Those grants dissolved when federal support was cut, but some Wisconsin Humanities projects will be archived and maintained online during the hibernation. The Human Powered podcast, which shares the experiences of people who work to create “healthy civic spaces,” will air twice a month, with its hosts now working freelance.
The remaining staff will also maintain the Wisconsin Humanities website and e-newsletter, as well as the archive of more than 300 stories from Love Wisconsin.
The organization also plans to hold listening sessions throughout Wisconsin to hear from people about what’s happening in their communities — the challenges, resources and ways Wisconsin Humanities can help when it returns to full strength.
There are 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils across the United States. The loss of financial support from the National Endowment for the Humanities means that many state humanities councils are on limited time, supported by grants from the Mellon Foundation and Federation of State Humanities Councils.
Some councils receive enough state funding to carry on with programming. The Federation of State Humanities Councils urged Wisconsin Humanities to enter this hibernation stage so that it would be eligible to receive federal funds should they become available in fiscal year 2026. Without Wisconsin Humanities, funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities would not be accessible to anyone in Wisconsin.
“These are funds that, in the federal budget — in statute — can only be given to a state humanities council,” Wortzel says.
The need for federal funding cannot be underestimated, she says. Wortzel remains hopeful that Congress will return funding for the 2026 fiscal year, with help from local and national advocacy efforts. The organization is also continuing to fundraise through its “Next Chapter” campaign.
The Federation of State Humanities Councils and Oregon Humanities filed a joint lawsuit May 15 against the Department of Government Efficiency and the National Endowment for the Humanities, hoping to restore terminated grants.
Says Wortzel: “If we want to talk about efficiency and a lack of waste, there really is no question that Wisconsin Humanities and our fellow state and jurisdictional humanities councils have an astounding impact and ability to reach everywhere and everyone with amazing efficiency.”
