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Local museums and nonprofits recount canceled federal grants and community projects
Summary
Several Massachusetts museums and community groups described cancelled awards and frozen contracts that had funded digital projects, staffing, community engagement and preservation work; some grants were later reinstated by court order, but uncertainty remains.
At the hearing, multiple nonprofit leaders gave firsthand accounts of awards that were terminated in late-night notices and later affected operations and program plans.
Jeannie Soika, business and grants manager at the Pocomtuc Valley Memorial Association (PVMA) in Deerfield, said a $300,000 NEH award for a Lucy Terry Prince website and companion programming was canceled by email after the grant had been selected. "These federal funds provide a very small museum with about 20% of its operating budget," Soika said; she listed planned teacher-training, exhibitions and community programs that relied on the award and said she and colleagues are seeking other funders.
Doctor Noel Trent, CEO…
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