This network is critical to the cultural health of states and territories, yet councils are having to take unprecedented steps to survive.
Humanities = Healing through Prison Programs
Podcast episode: Two stories about how the humanities can provide healing for people during and after incarceration. The Mississippi Humanities Council’s prison book club program and a theatrical program called Ritual4Return for returning citizens.
Federation of State Humanities Councils Granted Preliminary Injunction in Lawsuit Against NEH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Hannah Hethmon, Communications Manager, Federation of State Humanities Councils (hhethmon@statehumanities.org) FEDERATION OF STATE HUMANITIES COUNCILS GRANTED PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION IN LAWSUIT AGAINST NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE … Read more
Here’s How Humanities Councils Support Teachers and Schools
Supporting teachers, students, and their schools is a common theme across humanities councils. Many have at least one grant or program dedicated to improving the educational experience for K-12 teachers and students. Here are just seven examples of how humanities councils support teachers and schools across the US.
Five Ways Humanities Councils Serve Everyday Americans
Our nation’s 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils are nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations established in 1971 by Congress to make outstanding public humanities programming accessible to everyday Americans. For over … Read more
Federation of State Humanities Councils and Oregon Humanities File Lawsuit against NEH and DOGE Alleging Illegal Termination of Grants to 56 State and Jurisdictional Humanities Councils
Media Contact: Hannah Hethmon, Communications Manager, Federation of State Humanities Councils hhethmon@statehumanities.org or connect@statehumanities.org Federation of State Humanities Councils and Oregon Humanities File Lawsuit against NEH and DOGE Alleging Illegal … Read more
What are Humanities Councils and What Do They Do? (Pt 2)
PA Humanities engages children with poetry. Humanities Texas holds reading and discussion programs for veterans. Vermont Humanities celebrates the state’s literary legacy and natural beauty. And so much more.
Trump Proposes Elimination of National Endowment for the Humanities, Jeopardizing Local Cultural Programs Nationwide
The move would effectively defund state humanities councils, which provide vital programs and community grants in every state and territory and generate private investment in local economies. (Media Contact: Hannah … Read more
Mellon Foundation Commits $15 Million in Emergency Funding to Stabilize Humanities Councils Following Devastating Federal Funding Cuts
This investment by the Mellon Foundation in the 56 state and territorial humanities councils follows the sudden cancellation of their federal operating grants earlier this month. April 29, 2025 – … Read more
What Are Humanities Councils and What Do They Do? (Pt 1)
What are Humanities Councils and What Do They Do? Ever since the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) directed the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to terminate all federal funding … Read more
How Humanities Councils Bring Joy, Education, and Connection to People Affected by Incarceration
Stories of humanities council programs and their grantees improving the lives and futures of people affected by incarceration.
Federation Statement on NEA Grant Terminations
The Federation of State Humanities Councils (Federation) is deeply troubled by news that numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) have been terminated without substantive explanation. The … Read more
