Humanities councils are located in each of the fifty states, and in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Amerika Samoa. The councils receive general operating support from NEH, and they are also eligible to apply for other NEH grant opportunities. As independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, they also raise money from diverse sources. Many receive appropriations from their state governments.

The councils themselves make grants to nonprofit organizations and individual scholars for the preparation or execution of humanities programs and, in a few instances, for independent scholarly research. In addition, they also sponsor a range of other programming, such as reading and literacy programs, reading and discussion programs, speakers bureaus, professional development for teachers, cultural and heritage tourism, multimedia programs and publications, and Chautauqua programs in which a scholar/actor performs as a historical character and then takes questions from the audience. Schools, libraries, historical societies, museums, filmmakers, literacy programs, teachers, researchers, writers, and storytellers are among the people and organizations with which the state humanities councils work.

Edythe Manza is the Director of the Federal/State Partnership. She received a degree in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania. Edie has worked at NEH since 1971. Prior to joining Federal/State Partnership in 1995, Edie served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Challenge Grants and of the Division of Education Programs. She has also worked on the American Issues Forum (an NEH effort to observe the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence) and in the Office of Public Affairs.

Programs supported by the fifty-six state and jurisdictional humanities councils, 2007-2008:

  15,000       Reading and discussion programs

    4,000       Exhibitions

    5,000       Speakers bureau presentations

    3,200       Institutes and workshops for teachers

    6,200       Media programs