NEH Offers $1 Million in Disaster Recovery Assistance to Educational and Cultural Institutions Affected by Flooding in the Midwest

Emergency grants will provide aid to museums, libraries, colleges, universities, and other cultural and historical institutions in federally designated disaster areas

On Friday, June 20, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced that it will provide up to $1 million in disaster recovery assistance to educational and cultural institutions that have been adversely affected by the recent and ongoing floods in the Midwest. The emergency funding will provide aid to museums, libraries, colleges, universities, and other cultural and historical institutions in their efforts to recover and preserve manuscripts, historical records, art and artifacts, recordings, rare books, photographs, and other materials of cultural or historical significance damaged by the floods in federally designated disaster areas.

Affected institutions can apply immediately for emergency grants of up to $20,000 to salvage, protect, and treat historical collections damaged by the flooding. Application details are available on the NEH website: www.neh.gov.

“When flooding ravages a region, it not only damages homes and businesses, but a community’s historical and cultural resources as well,” said NEH Chairman Bruce Cole. “These emergency grants will help rescue, restore, and ensure the survival of significant collections of our cultural heritage threatened by the current floods.”

Additionally, grants will also be made to NEH-affiliated state humanities councils in affected states to help them assess the extent of the damage and to assist in the recovery efforts of hard-hit areas.

In 2005, the Endowment offered disaster recovery assistance within days of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall and awarded more than $1 million in the first 9 months after. To date, NEH has awarded over $2 million to Gulf Coast state councils, museums, historical sites, libraries, and educational institutions to help rescue the region's history and better protect it in the case of any future disasters.