10-04-2025
Trump order ends grant to help Vermont's local historical societies preserve the past
The Vermont Historical Society says funding for a statewide program to train and support volunteer staffs at local historical societies has been terminated by the Trump Administration.
The $175,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services would help Vermont's 190 small historical societies and museums care for and organize their collections. VHS said it learned the grant had been terminated in an April 8 letter from Keith Sonderling, acting director of IMSL.
'Upon further review, IMLS has determined that your grant is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency's priorities and no longer serves the interest of the United States and the IMLS Program,' Sonderling said. 'IMLS is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President's agenda.'
The grant for the Activating 21st Century Local History Training Program paid for one staff member to provide 'direct, hands-on' assistance to local societies. VHS says that person will be laid off.
Amanda Gustin, VHS's director of collections at the Vermont Historical Society, told ABC22/FOX44's Lauren Maloney last month that the grant may be at risk after Trump's signed an executive order defunding seven government agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
'We've done some great work on it already,' she said. 'We think right now we have until about mid-April, but we haven't yet received any answers on whether that grant will be honored after that.'
Most of the funding from the grant — about $140,000 — is unspent, and VHS says it has been unable to secure funding from other sources to continue the project.
'Tragically, this move deprives Vermont's local historical societies of the resources and programming designed to support their operations as the nation prepares for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the country,' VHS said.
Last year, VHS's Director of Service & Outreach Eileen Corcoran said the grant 'has the potential to be a game changer for Vermont community history and beyond.'
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