Humanities Roundtable's Page

MISSION  Humanities Montana is Montana’s independent nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Humanities Montana was founded in 1972 by thirteen Montana citizens—academic and civic leaders—in response to Congress’ National Arts and Humanities Act of 1965. Since that time, Humanities Montana has benefited hundreds of Montana organizations and thousands of its citizens, providing support for public programs in the humanities throughout the state. Humanities Montana’s educational and cultural programs help Montanans to develop a deeper understanding of humanity’s values and beliefs, intellectual achievements, diverse cultures, and heritages.

THE HUMANITIES  The humanities include the disciplines of history, philosophy, literature, languages, ethics, and jurisprudence; the theory, history, and criticism of art and music; the study of religion, archaeology, and the philosophical, historical, and cultural aspects of the social and natural sciences.

GOVERNANCE  Humanities Montana is governed by a nineteen member board of Montana citizens, representing public, academic, geographical, and other constituencies of the state. Members serve renewable three-year terms. Four members are appointed by the Governor. The Committee meets three time a year to make policy and to review grant proposals. Its offices are in Missoula.

PROGRAMS  Humanities Montana-sponsored programs have included public conferences, workshops, seminars, exhibits, a state-wide speakers bureau, reading and discussion groups, a scholar-in-the-schools program, oral history and linguistic preservation endeavors, film, video, and audio productions, radio and television programs, publications, and humanities research and scholarship.

COMMUNITIES & ORGANIZATIONS SERVED  Humanities Montana programs reach scores of Montana communities annually. Organizations that serve as sponsors of these programs include schools, museums, libraries, colleges and universities, civic and professional groups, churches, service organizations, and many others.

GRANTS  Humanities Montana awards grants to organizations on a competitive proposal basis, requiring an in-kind or cash match for funds requested. Humanities content and participation by humanities scholars, in planning and/or execution of projects, are important criteria by which proposals are assessed.

HONORS  Humanities Montana is a four-time recipient of the Helena and Martin Schwartz Prize for Excellence in Public Programming, given annually since 1982 by the Federation of State Humanities Councils. In 2005, Humanities Montana and its Montana Center for the Book were honored with the Daniel Boorstin Award from the Library of Congress Center for the Book, in recognition of their “innovative and creative reading promotion projects.” And, in 2008, the Montana Library Association honored Humanities Montana as a “special friend of libraries.”

HUMANITIES MONTANA COMMITMENT  Humanities Montana is committed to serving the needs of Montana and its people. Humanities Montana particularly encourages programs that:

• stimulate statewide dialogue on topics of concern including cultural change and developments causing social stress
• promote dialogue between humanities scholars and the adult public, benefiting both
• foster discussion among the state’s diverse cultures and across its geographical distances
• strengthen cooperative relationships among Montana communities and their cultural organizations—museums, libraries, schools, colleges and universities, and tribal organizations, and,
• deepen deliberative dialogue and civic discourse among all the citizens of our state.

SUPPORT THE HUMANITIES IN MONTANA!  Humanities Montana augments its NEH funds with Montana Cultural Trust and other foundation and corporation grants, and with gifts from individuals. Your gift—whether through Humanities Montana’s annual fund drive, its endowment with the Montana Community Foundation, or in some other way—will bring the humanities, their insights and joys, to ever more Montanans, now and in the future.