By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD – At a time when the Trump Administration is taking a chain saw to humanities programs across the nation, the Mellon Foundation announced Wednesday grants totaling $15 million, including as much as $250,000 for the NH Humanities Council.

Mellon’s investment comes at a critical moment when $65 million in federal support for state humanities councils have been eliminated as a result of changes at the National Endowment for the Humanities by Elon Musk’s DOGE. 

On April 2, New Hampshire Humanities received notice that all its grant funding through NEH had been cancelled effective immediately, a loss of approximately $500,000.

“I think it’s wonderful news,” said Steve Taylor of Meriden who was the founding executive director of the Hampshire Humanities Council and in recent years has been an active participant in its “Humanities to Go” program where he appears in local libraries to tell a historical tale.

He explained the Humanities Council is not part of state government and is a stand-alone with its own board and receives grant funding including funds to allow him to go talk about New Hampshire history. Right now, he said he is enjoying telling people about what life was like before rural electrification, noting it was a terrible burden on women.

A lifelong scholar of New Hampshire agriculture and rural life, Taylor serves on InDepthNH’s board of directors.

He has been a daily newspaper reporter and editor, freelance writer, dairy farmer and for 25 years served as the state’s Commissioner of Agriculture. Taylor wrote the book “Stephen Howard Taylor: Recollections of a life in newspapering, farming & public service.” 

Taylor said Elon Musk’s elimination of grant funding has been met with “a lot of donors” in New Hampshire who support the humanities so it “lives on.”

And this grant funding has a match component where the public can help get the last $50,000.

He gave credit to the NH Humanities Council staff who he said worked very hard to secure grants and this money from Mellon he said came “out of the blue.”

But at a very good time.

Last week, Marcia Schmidt Blaine, chairman of the NH Humanities Council’s Board of Directors, published an op-ed in InDepthNH.org telling New Hampshire folks, many for the first time, about DOGE cancelling all NEH contracts, including one to New Hampshire Humanities. 

“NH Humanities brings programs and grants to small and large historical societies, libraries in rural towns, museums dotted all around the state, high school students through grants to National History Day NH and HYPE, literacy programs where needed, and more,” she wrote. “These programs are not just important; they are vital to fostering strong, vibrant, and connected communities.”

According to the Mellon Foundation, this will help stabilize New Hampshire Humanities after the sudden cancellation of its federal operating grants by NEH earlier this month.

“This emergency funding will help provide support to all 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils across the United States, including up to $250,000 for New Hampshire Humanities,” it read.

The Mellon grant means an immediate $200,000 for New Hampshire Humanities and an additional $50,000. Officials at the Humanities Council said all donations received by New Hampshire Humanities starting April 29, 2025 count towards the match. 

Those who can help NHH meet this challenge by giving through New Hampshire Humanities’ secure website at www.nhhumanities.org/give.

“We are deeply grateful to the Mellon Foundation for recognizing the vital role humanities councils play in our lives, our communities, and across the country,” said Michael Haley Goldman, Executive Director of New Hampshire Humanities.

“This grant provides much-needed breathing room—time to rally our supporters and rebuild the funding lost because of the abrupt cancellation of NEH funding for our work. For over 50 years, we’ve proudly served the Granite State by giving every resident of New Hampshire the opportunity to experience the power of the humanities. We’re committed to continuing that legacy, but we’ll need renewed and increased support from everyone who values our mission.”