Overview

• The Philadelphia museum filed its case on August 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, naming President Donald Trump, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, interim director Keith Sonderling, the Office of Management and Budget, and other officials.
• Woodmere seeks reinstatement of the full Save America’s Treasures grant and a declaration that the administration’s curtailment of IMLS and cancellation of awarded funds were unlawful or unconstitutional.
• The museum says it received about $195,000 before termination, had met the grant’s one-to-one match, and had entered contracts relying on the award, creating what it describes as urgent operational strain.
• Awarded in September 2024 and administered with the National Park Service, the grant was designated for conservation work, storage upgrades, cataloging, digitization, and preparation for an America 250 exhibition.
• IMLS notified Woodmere of termination after a March executive order curtailed agency functions, while some other revoked grants in Philadelphia were later restored; the museum says its appeals drew no response, and the agencies did not comment.