Rhode Island Humanities

Non-profit OrganizationsUnited States2-10 Employees

Mission: Rhode Island Humanities seeds, supports, and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders.

To learn more about RI Humanities's Vision, Values, and How We Do Our Work, visit: https://rihumanities.org/about/history/

History: RI Humanities was established in 1973 as an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), which was founded in 1965 thanks to the leadership of Rhode Island’s own late Senator Claiborne Pell. A private nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, RI Humanities is supported by federal funds from NEH as well as by individuals, corporations, and foundations. We are one of 56 humanities councils found in every state and U.S. territory.

As the only dedicated source of funding for public humanities in Rhode Island, we are proud to support museums, libraries, historic sites, schools, preservation and historical societies, community and cultural organizations, individual researchers and documentary filmmakers to bring Rhode Island’s stories to life and to amplify the state’s many diverse voices.

When the organization was first founded in 1973, it was originally named the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, a typical practice for the newly formed committees/councils across the country. Over time, the name was changed to Rhode Island Council for the Humanities. As of our 50th anniversary year (2023), our organization is known as Rhode Island Humanities.

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