Further impacts of federal reductions to the Institute of Museum and Library Services are being felt in Homer, most recently by the Pratt Museum.

On the evening of April 9, museum staff received notice from IMLS Acting Director Keith Sonderling that a federal grant previously awarded to the Pratt was being terminated early, leaving the museum short $9,000 of owed funds.

Sonderling was appointed as IMLS Acting Director by President Donald Trump, and sworn in to the role on March 20. He also serves as deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor.

According to a March 20 news release on the IMLS website, Sonderling said upon his appointment, “I am committed to steering this organization in lockstep with this Administration to enhance efficiency and foster innovation. We will revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations.”

Sonderling’s notice, dated April 8, directly cites Trump’s executive order issued March 14 that severely reduced or eliminated multiple government organizations, including IMLS.

“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 wrote. “IMLS is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda.

“Independently and secondly, the President’s March 14, 2025 executive order mandates that the IMLS eliminate all non-statutorily required activities and functions … Therefore, the IMLS hereby terminates your grant in its entirety effective April 8, 2025.”

The letter also notes that the Pratt Museum’s obligations per the grant agreement continue to apply and that an audit may be conducted by IMLS after the agreement’s termination.

The grant in question was awarded to the museum in 2022 through the IMLS Inspire! Grant program, which is designed to “support small museums of all disciplines in project-based efforts to serve the public,” according to the IMLS website. On Monday, April 21, museum co-director Whitney Harness explained further that it was a matching grant to provide payroll expenses for an educator and sponsor the programs that the educator would be facilitating.

“The focus was on engagement with Indigenous culture bearers and Kenai Peninsula families who are underserved,” she said. “It was providing accessible programming for those groups.”

Specifically, the grant was supporting the museum’s free weekly story time sessions, and would have also supported summer climate change workshops and Science Friday events.

“We are still going to proceed with those programs because we feel that they’re in line with our missions and they’re of more value to our community now than ever,” she said.

However, she added, while the programs will still be offered free of charge, the museum will have to offer them on a smaller scale than previously planned, and will need to draw funding from other resources “as needed” to provide some material supplies.

Harness also said that the Pratt was “lucky” because they had already drawn most of the funds available through the grant.

“There was about $9,000 that was still outstanding, and about $4,900 of had actually already been spent by us and waiting reimbursement,” she said.

Following the termination notice, museum staff received a call from the office of Sen. Dan Sullivan on Monday, April 14, requesting more information about the grant termination. Harness forwarded the April 8 letter, and was told by an aide that Sullivan would be contacting IMLS on the museum’s behalf. On Tuesday, April 15, museum staff received a second letter from IMLS containing additional instructions regarding their grant termination and close-out process. Harness said Monday that she hadn’t received further word from Sen. Sullivan’s office, and she wasn’t sure whether the second letter was a direct result of Sen. Sullivan’s assistance or a well-timed coincidence.

According to the second IMLS letter, “allowable costs incurred against the award funds prior to the termination date of April 8 will be paid” after the museum submits “required information” to the agency.

“So we are going to get a chance to turn in the funding request for that $4,900 that we have already spent and we’re awaiting reimbursement on,” Harness said. “But it’s pending the submission of our final grant report, which was not originally due until February (2026), so it’s a bit of a crunch to get that done by May 12.“

She added that this would close out the grant and release the museum from any further obligations as far as funding that the Pratt was originally liable for. However, the museum is still certainly short at least $4,100 in previously promised funds.

“Typically we would submit that (reimbursement) request through the portal, and then there’s no review necessary — we’re just sent a check for that amount,” she said. “So this is a different process, and we’re not sure if there’s going to be further reasoning that could prohibit those funds being issued to us. But we are going to follow through with our end of it.”

Going forward, Harness said that the museum at this time doesn’t have anything set in stone with regard to future grant funding.

“We were hoping to apply for another similar grant, as we have a new staff member who is facilitating the requirements of this grant, and we were hoping to add to her impact and … offer expanded programming,” she said. “We won’t be able to apply for that grant again at this current time — it won’t be offered.”

The staff position in question is the Pratt Museum education and public programs manager, which Harness said the museum intends to maintain.

“A huge part of our work here at the museum is education,” she said. “That’s a huge part of our mission, so having a professional staff member who’s able to offer those services is really important for us.”

In light of this IMLS grant termination and other ongoing local impacts from federal maneuvers, Harness said that the best thing community members can do is to contact their representatives and tell them that museums are in the interest of the American people.

“These policies are being made on behalf of American people. We all should be speaking up and letting our elected officials know what’s important to us,” she said. “If you do not agree that termination of grants that fund museums is in the best interest of the American people, then it’s time to speak up and make that known.”

Reach Delcenia Cosman at delcenia.cosman@homernews.com.