Statewide nonprofit and arts and culture groups are saying executive orders could be signed as early as today, possibly affecting how they operate. The anticipated executive orders may involve federal funding cuts and increased scrutiny of nonprofit activity.   

The Department of Government Efficiency sent a notice on April 2 to many arts and culture groups, saying federal funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities would be cut, according to Heather Plucar, executive director of Humanities Iowa.

“We have had several meetings with the NEH but no clear message other than the notice from DOGE sent April 2nd, terminating existing grants and congressionally appropriated funds for FY25,” Plucar said in an email.

Details are murky as far as how much funding would be cut and for how long. The National Humanities Alliance has said DOGE plans to substantially reduce NEH staff and permanently end program funding.

The Iowa Nonprofit Alliance sent a message Monday saying the organization is monitoring news that President Donald Trump may sign multiple executive orders that could impact the arts and culture community locally. INA said the potential executive orders could change the way many organizations are funded and serve communities.

INA said the executive orders could:

• Redefine climate-related work as non-charitable, threatening the nonprofit status of organizations in this space.
• Restrict international work, blocking federal grants to U.S. nonprofits engaged overseas.
• End public service loan forgiveness for nonprofit employees.
• Target major foundations and deploy federal investigative teams to nonprofits receiving federal funds.
• Create a nonprofit watchlist for future government scrutiny.

INA is coordinating with the National Council of Nonprofits and other organizations on the issue and planning follow-up actions if the orders are signed.

Plucar said NEH funding helps pay for programming for more than 250,000 Iowans, including services for veterans and literacy programs for kids.

“Our programming and projects reach every corner of the state and range from community roundtables and intergenerational storytelling projects to documentaries, rural archives restoration, the Iowa Poet Laureate program, the statewide Speakers Bureau series, and the journal Voices from the Prairie,” Plucar said.