Trahan Applauds $70,000 in American Rescue Plan Relief for MA-03 Humanities Organizations

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) applauded the awarding of American Rescue Plan grants totaling nearly $70,000 to organizations across the Third District. The funding will support the response and recovery of the cultural sector from the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our local museums, cultural centers, and historical sites are the hearts of our communities -- but they're also some of the organizations hit hardest by pandemic restrictions," said Congresswoman Trahan. "Building back better means providing relief to support them in their recovery, and the American Rescue Plan's SHARP grants enable us to do just that. I'm proud to have supported this historic relief package earlier this year and look forward to seeing the many contributions of humanities organizations throughout our district for years to come."

The grant recipients in the Third District include:

Andover Center for History & Culture in Andover: $14,707
The Thoreau Society in Concord: $13,000
Lawrence History Center in Lawrence: $11,375
Massachusetts Center for the Book in Concord: $10,043
Fort Devens Museum in Devens: $9,750
Groton History Center in Groton: $7,543
Westford Museum in Westford: $2,780
In March, Trahan supported passage of the American Rescue Plan, which included $135 million in new relief funding to support humanities organizations and cultural institutions, many of which can be found across the Commonwealth. In June, the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities distributed $51.6 million of that funding to state humanities councils.

The Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities (Mass Humanities) received $987,000 of that funding to distribute to local organizations through the Sustaining the Humanities Through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) grant program. A total of 90 local museums, historical societies, and historic sites received awards, including seven in the Third District. More than half of the recipients were especially in need of this federal relief, operating on budgets of $300,000 or less.

"The SHARP grants are another significant step in the journey to sustain the humanities at the local level," said Mass Humanities Executive Director Brian Boyles when he announced the awards. "As we continue to combat COVID-19, these funds will save jobs, build capacity, and allow organizations to develop new programs to serve their communities."

The grants can be used to retain or recruit staff, replace lost revenue, and rebuild audiences, and do not have to be repaid.

A full list of recent awardees can be accessed HERE.

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