Humanities Councils Serve all Americans

Councils serve every state and territory, benefiting millions of Americans every year.

A woman with short brown hair reading a book to a young blonde boy in a library. — Students at the Utah History Day competition. Photo courtesy of the Utah Historical Society and Utah Humanities.

Take Action to Save the NEH and Humanities Councils

On Monday, March 31, the Federation of State Humanities Councils learned that DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) is targeting the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) with the aim of substantially reducing its staff, cutting the agency’s grant programs, and rescinding grants that have already been awarded. The National Endowment for the Humanities is the only federal agency that funds our nation’s 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils.

Learn more and take action

Humanities Councils Serve Your Community

Federal investment in humanities councils has a direct impact locally in nearly every US legislative district. This public-private partnership means councils double the impact of each dollar received in federal funding with a matching ratio of 2 to 1, often more.

Humanities Councils Serve All of America

More than 80% of councils collaborate with rural communities to create exhibits and programs to highlight and preserve unique local histories. Councils invest in heritage organizations across the
nation to strengthen ties between residents.