Trump executive order shakes cultural organizations: ‘There’s a lot that we just don’t know’

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Any potential loss of funding would be particularly hard for smaller organizations, some of which rely on IMLS grants to finance staff positions or implement growth-related programs.

Boston’s West End Museum received a $75,000 grant last year, a sizable award for the neighborhood museum with an annual operating budget of around $500,000. Executive director Sebastian Belfanti said the grant, which funds numerous pilot programs, is key to the museum’s long-term growth plan.

“They’re not programs that we have any intention of canceling,” said Belfanti. He added that he received notice late Wednesday night that the NEH had terminated a separate $25,000 award to the museum.

Belfanti said if the IMLS award doesn’t come through, he’ll be in the difficult position of having to fund-raise once an event or program has ended.

“We are just working on hope,” he said. “It isn’t a viable strategy to stop.”