Social Impact department, Culture Caucus, and Social Practice Residencies eliminated

Funding action

Date
Actor
Richard Grenell, interim executive director, Kennedy Center
Type
Funding action
Section
SUPPLEMENT: THE KENNEDY CENTER TAKEOVER IS ABSENT FROM THE CULTURAL-INSTITUTIONS RECORD, THOUGH THE SMITHSONIAN, NEA, NEH, IMLS, AND NPS ACTIONS ARE ALL COVERED

Summary

Grenell eliminates the Kennedy Center's Social Impact department and its associated programs — the Culture Caucus (approximately $300,000 per year), the Social Practice Residencies, and the Cartography series — for roughly $2.53 million in claimed annual savings, and lays off seven Social Impact staff. Social Impact was the office that produced the Center's community partnerships, including its collaboration with Capital Pride Alliance on WorldPride 2025 programming. Grenell characterized prior spending as "criminal" and was separately quoted describing the Social Impact team's work as "DEI bullshit." Organizations were notified of the Culture Caucus elimination on or about April 1, 2025.

Status

In effect; the department has not been restored.

As recorded in the data of . Check the sources for anything newer.

Sources