Federal Grant Award Summary

California Humanities received a $1,321,888 Project Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) under the Promotion of the Humanities Federal/State Partnership program (CFDA 45.129), effective June 1, 2026 through April 30, 2031. As California's state humanities council, the organization will deliver public humanities programming and provide subawards to local cultural institutions and community organizations throughout the state. Core products and services include film screenings and discussion series, reading and discussion groups, youth media programs, documentary film production and research initiatives focused on California history and issues, library innovation projects serving immigrant communities, and electoral engagement programming. These activities are tailored to California's geographic and cultural contexts to advance the NEH's dual strategic objectives of enhancing knowledge and understanding of the humanities while increasing public awareness of and support for humanities-focused activities.

Under this general operating support grant, California Humanities will develop and manage a subaward program to local nonprofits, government agencies, and community organizations across California. The organization will establish its own funding guidelines and criteria aligned with NEH requirements, with all funded activities required to occur during the first three years of the five-year performance period. This award enables California Humanities to sustain its mission of connecting Californians to ideas and one another to understand shared heritage, foster cross-cultural understanding, inspire civic participation, and shape the state's future through humanities-centered initiatives.