One-third of museums in the United States have lost federal funding under Donald Trump’s presidency, according to a survey released by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) this week.
AAM, a membership organization of 35,000 museums, surveyed 511 museum directors across the country this summer.
Two-thirds of affected institutions have not been able to replace their grants at all; just 8% managed to recoup them fully through other channels, including private donations.
The loss of government funding across the sector, the report says, has resulted in cuts to community programs and delays to infrastructure improvement projects.
In addition to new challenges brought about by the Trump administration’s actions, the report warned of a downturn in post-pandemic recovery in metrics including financial performance and visitorship. Their institutions had not returned to pre-pandemic levels of visitorship, said 55% of directors, as compared to 49% last year. The AAM characterized this trend as a “setback.” Fewer museums reported financial improvements this year: 52% as opposed to last year’s 57%.
As visitorship trends downward for a majority of the museum respondents, 34% saw their federal grants or contracts cut — most commonly from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The Trump administration has proposed eliminating all three grant-making agencies. Since Trump took office in January, museums and arts organizations across the country have seen promised grants evaporate overnight. Many institutions have received emails notifying them that their projects, including those directed toward “underserved” communities, no longer align with the administration’s priorities. The president’s anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion orders have also directly affected a small percentage of museums, 13% according to the survey, by limiting their “activity” with new legal restrictions.
“These findings reveal a sector facing systemic stress, not isolated challenges,” AAM President & CEO Marilyn Jackson told Hyperallergic in an email. “Federal funding cuts are hitting one-third of museums simultaneously, while attendance is declining, private philanthropy isn’t filling the gap, and museums are already operating on thin margins after the pandemic.”
On average, museums lost $30,000 in federal grants and contracts. The average grant cut by the IMLS was larger, $50,000. Earlier this year, the Woodmere Art Museum in Pennsylvania sued the IMLS for terminating a $750,000 conservation grant, which was later reinstated. Most institutions weren’t that lucky.
Facing government cuts, 24% of museum directors said their institutions were cutting programs for individuals with disabilities, rural communities, and students. Around 5% of respondents stated that they had to lay off staff. This number goes up to 10% among museums affected by government cuts.
Nearly a third of museums said they reduced programs geared toward the general public, and 21% said they would put off infrastructure projects.
“The economic impact extends far beyond museum walls, affecting architects, construction firms, engineers, and design professionals who partner with cultural institutions,” the AAM said in a press release, “illustrating just one example of the broader ripple effects throughout local and regional economies.”
Anticipating challenges in 2026, museum leaders were most concerned about disruptive shifts in philanthropy, including fears that economic uncertainty could make donors wary of giving. They were also concerned about rising inflation, changes in tourism, government funding, and ideological polarization.
“Museums don’t exist in isolation. They’re economic and educational anchors. When they weaken, community infrastructure weakens with them,” Jackson said.
