Humanities Nebraska (HN) has awarded $204,418 in CARES Act dollars to 31 Nebraska non-profit organizations that focus on the humanities.
Locally, the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering and the Friends of the Midwest Theater each received a $10,000 grant.
Funding for these grants has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act economic stabilization plan.
The funds were designated to assist Nebraska museums, historic sites, and other cultural non-profit organizations who are in need of general operating support in order to continue humanities activities during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Humanities Nebraska is pleased to be able to distribute funding to our humanities partners across the state who are struggling financially,” stated Chris Sommerich, HN’s executive director. “I think as we as a state have progressed through these months of social distancing, it’s become more apparent than ever that the humanities will help people stay connected to each other and will nourish our minds and spirits. Keeping these organizations afloat is a crucial way to serve people throughout the state.”
These recently awarded grants represent just over half of the dollars HN has available. Other Nebraska organizations who would like to apply can view the official grant guidelines at bit.ly/CARESGrantsNeb. The application period will remain open until all available dollars have been granted.
The organizations receiving grants are listed below.
First Congressional District ($56,790 total)
- Bancroft – John G. Neihardt Foundation: $7,500
- Elmwood – Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation: $2,790
- Fremont – The Digg Site Productions LLC: $4,000
- Fort Calhoun – Washington County Historical Society: $10,000
- Lincoln – Blixt Locally Grown: $2,500 and History Nebraska: $10,000
- Nebraska City: Lewis & Clark Visitors Center: $7,500
- Norfolk – Elkhorn Valley Museum: $7,500 and Norfolk Arts Center: $5,000
Second Congressional District ($59,728)
- Omaha – Douglas County Historical Society: $5,000, The Durham Museum: $10,000, El Museo Latino: $7,500 Great Plains Black History Museum: $9,728 KANEKO: $5,000 Joslyn Art Museum: $7,500 Joslyn Castle: $7,500 Nebraska Shakespeare: $7,500
Third Congressional District ($87,900)
- Central City – Merrick County Historical Museum: $6,200
- Genoa – Genoa U.S. Indian School Foundation: $1,200
- Gering – Legacy of the Plains Museum: $10,000
- Kearney – The Archway: $5,000, Buffalo County Historical Society: $10,000, Crane River Theater Company: $7,500, Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney: awarded $7,500, and Robert M. Merryman Performing Arts Center, Inc.: $5,000
- Loup City – Friends of Paplin, Inc.: $2,000, and Sherman County Historical Society: $3,500
- North Platte – Golden Spike Tower: $5,000, and Lincoln County Historical Society: $10,000
- Scottsbluff – Friends of the Midwest Theater: $10,000
- York – Wessels Living History Farm: $5,000
Humanities Nebraska is a private nonprofit with a mission to help Nebraskans explore what connects us and makes us human. HN is funded in part by the NEH, private donations, and an appropriation from the Nebraska Legislature, with support from the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, a public-private partnership with state dollars matching private dollars to benefit the arts and humanities in Nebraska.
