FEDERATION OF STATE HUMANITIES COUNCILS
1600 WILSON BLVD NO 902, ARLINGTON, VA 22209 www.statehumanities.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE STATE HUMANITIES COUNCILS AND STRIVE TO CREATE GREATER AWARENESS OF THE HUMANITIES IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIFE.

SPECIAL PROJECTS AND OTHER PROGRAMS - THESE PROGRAMS PROMOTE WORKING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT THE PUBLIC HUMANITIES AND RELATE TO DISCRETE PROJECTS, WHICH ARE CARRIED OUT WITHIN A SPECIFIED TIME. DEMOCRACY AND THE INFORMED CITIZEN - THIS INITIATIVE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY A MAJOR GRANT FROM THE MELLON FOUNDATION TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESS OF THE PULITZER CENTENNIAL CAMPFIRES (2015 SPECIAL PROJECT) BY SHINING A LIGHT ON THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT THE HUMANITIES AND JOURNALISM PLAY IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. IN THE SUMMER OF 2017, THE FEDERATION ENGAGED A GRANTS ADMINISTRATOR AND ISSUED A CALL TO THE COUNCILS TO APPLY FOR FUNDS TO DESIGN AND CARRY OUT PROGRAMS IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THEIR STATES. THE STATED AIMS OF THE INITIATIVE ARE TO DEEPEN THE PUBLIC'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEMOCRACY, THE HUMANITIES, JOURNALISM AND AN INFORMED CITIZENRY; INCREASE MEDIA LITERACY BY ENGAGING THE PUBLIC IN DISCUSSIONS WITH PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS; AND EXPLORE OBSTACLES TO SUSTAINING HIGH-QUALITY JOURNALISM. FUNDING WAS PROVIDED TO 49 COUNCILS TO CARRY OUT PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT 2018. PHASE I OF THE PROJECT CONCLUDED IN THE SUMMER OF 2019.IN 2019, THE FEDERATION APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED ANOTHER GRANT FROM THE MELLON FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT PHASE II OF THE DEMOCRACY AND THE INFORMED CITIZEN PROJECT AND ISSUED A CALL TO THE COUNCILS TO APPLY FOR FUNDS TO DESIGN AND CARRY OUT PROGRAMS IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THEIR STATES. THE STATED AIMS OF THE INITIATIVE ARE TO DEEPEN THE PUBLIC'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEMOCRACY, THE HUMANITIES, JOURNALISM AND AN INFORMED CITIZENRY; INCREASE MEDIA LITERACY BY ENGAGING THE PUBLIC IN DISCUSSIONS WITH PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS; AND EXPLORE OBSTACLES TO SUSTAINING HIGH-QUALITY JOURNALISM. FUNDING WAS PROVIDED TO 46 COUNCILS TO CARRY OUT PROGRAMS THROUGH JUNE 30, 2020. PHASE II OF THE PROJECT IS ONGOING, AND IN LIGHT OF THE COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC GATHERINGS, THE DEADLINE FOR PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 30, 2021. THE HUMANITIES IN AMERICAN LIFE: BUILDING PUBLIC AWARENESS - THIS INITIATIVE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY A GRANT FROM THE MELLON FOUNDATION. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT, WHICH RAN THROUGH THE SUMMER OF 2018, WAS DESIGNED TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE VITAL ROLE THE HUMANITIES PLAY IN AMERICAN LIFE - FROM ENHANCING PERSONAL WELL-BEING TO ENRICHING COMMUNITIES TO SUSTAINING OUR DEMOCRACY. THE FEDERATION ENGAGED THE SERVICES OF A SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR WHO GATHERED INFORMATION ON COUNCIL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE FALL OF 2017 AND WORKED WITH A PROFESSIONAL DESIGNER TO CREATE A SERIES OF BRIEFING DOCUMENTS THAT DESCRIBE COUNCIL WORK IN A VARIETY OF CATEGORIES. THESE DOCUMENTS WERE USED TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE VALUE OF THE HUMANITIES AND COUNCIL WORK AMONG MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, POTENTIAL FUNDERS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IN ADDITION, THE FUNDING SUPPORTED THE PRODUCTION OF SEVERAL SHORT ANIMATED VIDEOS. PHASE II OF HUMANITIES IN AMERICAN LIFE IS SUPPORTED BY ANOTHER ROUND OF FUNDING FROM THE MELLON FOUNDATION. AN ADDITIONAL INITIATIVE OF THIS SECOND PHASE IS TO EXPAND THE RANGE OF THEMES, INCLUDING TO THAT OF RURAL AMERICA, VETERANS, INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HUMANITIES. THE PROJECT THEREFORE CONTINUES TO ILLUMINATE HOW THE LENS OF THE HUMANITIES CAN FURTHER UNDERSTANDING THAT CAN EDUCATE, BUILD EMPATHY, AND GENERATE REFLECTIVE CONVERSATIONS AND ACTIONS THAT CHART A PATH TOWARD ADDRESSING AMERICA'S MOST PRESSING ISSUES.NEH-FUNDED COUNCIL CAPACITY-BUILDING PLANNING PROCESS - SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES, THE FEDERATION LAUNCHED A PLANNING PROCESS AIMED AT DESIGNING A PROJECT THAT WOULD BUILD COUNCILS' CAPACITY TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF THEIR PUBLIC HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING AND THEREBY STRENGTHEN THEIR LONG-TERM IMPACT. THE ULTIMATE PLAN IS TO DEVELOP A COUNCIL-WIDE SYSTEM THAT CAN BE USED TO GATHER EVALUATION DATA THAT IS ACCURATE, MEANINGFUL, AND ACCESSIBLE. FOR THE PLANNING PROCESS, THE FEDERATION SOUGHT AND ENGAGED A CONSULTING FIRM, WOLFBROWN, WITH THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS: 1) DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF EVALUATION METHODOLOGIES AND BEST PRACTICES; 2) A TRACK RECORD OF WORKING SUCCESSFULLY WITH INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATIONS CONNECTED VIA A SHARED FUNDING STREAM, PURPOSE, OR OTHER QUALITY; 3) AND AN ABILITY TO GUIDE AND IMPLEMENT A LONGER-TERM PROJECT AT A NATIONAL LEVEL THAT INVOLVES ALL STATE AND JURISDICTIONAL HUMANITIES COUNCILS. WORK ON THIS PLANNING PROCESS BEGAN IN 2019 AND A REPORT FROM WOLFBROWN WAS PRODUCED IN 2020.

INFORMATION EXCHANGE:THE FEDERATION HOSTS SEVERAL INTERNAL LISTSERVS FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP AS WELL AS A MORE GENERAL ONE THAT CONNECTS MEMBERS WITH MAJOR PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES AND THE NATIONAL HUMANITIES ALLIANCE. ADDITIONALLY, THE FEDERATION SUPPORTS A NUMBER OF NEWSLETTERS THAT BRING INFORMATION ABOUT THE NATIONAL HUMANITIES CONFERENCE, ADVOCACY, HUMANITIES COMMUNITY, AND FEDERATION TO ITS MEMBERS. IN 2018, THE FEDERATION BEGAN COLLABORATING WITH THE NATIONAL HUMANITIES ALLIANCE TO DEVELOP AND DISTRIBUTE A JOINT CONGRESSIONAL NEWSLETTER THAT FEATURES NEWS ABOUT NHA AND FSHC MEMBERS, NEH, AND OTHER MAJOR HUMANITIES COMMUNITY INFORMATION. THIS NEWSLETTER IS DISTRIBUTED TO STAFF MEMBERS IN THE HOUSE HUMANITIES AND SENATE CULTURAL CAUCUSES.

NATIONAL HUMANITIES CONFERENCE - ESTABLISHED IN 1978 BY THE FEDERATION, THE NATIONAL HUMANITIES CONFERENCE WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED AS A RESOURCE TO BRING TOGETHER THE NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF THE STATE AND JURISDICTIONAL HUMANITIES COUNCILS AND THOSE INTERESTED IN ADVANCING THE WORK OF THE PUBLIC HUMANITIES. IN 2015, THE FEDERATION AND THE NATIONAL HUMANITIES ALLIANCE PARTNERED TO MAKE THE CONFERENCE AVAILABLE TO BOTH PUBLIC AND ACADEMIC HUMANITIES PRACTITIONERS TO ADDRESS LOCAL AND NATIONAL CHALLENGES THROUGH THE LENS OF THE HUMANITIES AND TO SPARK INNOVATIVE COLLABORATIONS, CONVERSATIONS, AND RESEARCH WHILE BROADENING THE IMPACT AND RELEVANCE OF THE HUMANITIES IN EVERYDAY AMERICAN LIFE.HUMANITIES ON THE HILL ("HOH") - THE FEDERATION'S ANNUAL ADVOCACY EVENT, WHICH BRINGS HUMANITIES ADVOCATES TOGETHER FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES (NEH) AND THE NEH FEDERAL/STATE PARTNERSHIP, IS A THREE-DAY EVENT THAT INCLUDES A MEMBERS ORIENTATION AND BRIEFING, CONGRESSIONAL RECEPTION, AND A MEMBERS-ONLY DEBRIEF. THIS EVENT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FEDERATION MEMBERS TO MEET WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES, SHARE ADVOCACY BEST PRACTICES TOGETHER, AND PRESENT A UNITED MESSAGE ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE HUMANITIES. OFTEN, CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES AND STAFFERS SHARE REMARKS AT THE BRIEFING AND CONGRESSIONAL RECEPTION.

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