MISSION STATEMENT, GOALS, PRIORITIES, AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2005-2009
[adopted by the Humanities Montana Board, October, 2006]

MISSION

The mission of Humanities Montana is to bring the humanities, their insights and values, to the people of Montana, thereby enriching the intellectual, cultural, and civic life of the state.

GOALS

The goals of Humanities Montana are:

• To advance public awareness, appreciation, and use of the humanities in Montana
• To stimulate the development of humanities programs that promote mutually beneficial dialogue among members of the Montana public and scholars and other professionals in the humanities
• To promote exploration and understanding of public issues of concern to Montanans
• To support excellence and innovation in the pursuit of the disciplines of the humanities

PRIORITIES

• To increase and diversify support for Humanities Montana programs and the Montana Center for the Book, from individuals, members, foundations, corporations, the State of Montana, the NEH, and other agencies
  
  Approximately 20% of Humanities Montana funds now come from sources other than the NEH base grant. The trend set in recent years should continue, to ensure sustainability, and also to meet demonstrably unmet need for Humanities Montana programs, especially regrants and Speakers Bureau, throughout the state. Board member giving must remain an important priority, and additional emphasis should be placed on planned giving and major gifts.
• To maintain and strengthen such core programs as regrants, Speakers Bureau, and OpenBook
  
  Humanities Montana’s original and still basic endeavor is its regrant program, which responds most directly to the needs and interests of Montana humanities and civic organizations. The humanities infrastructure required to produce grant proposals is not found in all Montana communities, however. Such programs as the Speakers Bureau address humanities needs and interests in smaller communities throughout the state. As in past years, the Board is concerned to extend the Speakers Bureau as far as demand requires, but also to maintain and strengthen the quality of individual presentations in the Speakers Bureau. The OpenBook reading and discussion program similarly serves smaller communities and organizations. It is the one Humanities Montana program that brings text, humanities professional, and the public together for extensive and intensive study and dialogue. Its recent growth should be nurtured.
• To maintain and strengthen such programs as the Montana Center for the Book, Letters About Literature, One Book Montana, and the Montana Festival of the Book
  
  The programs associated with the Montana Center for the Book are of demonstrated value and impact. Some—Letters About Literature and One Book Montana—have very low cost and staff-burden, yet have high visibility and benefit. Similarly, the Montana Festival of the Book, promoting and interpreting Montana’s rich literature, has become Humanities Montana’s signature event, and it should be continued and strengthened, especially as external funding supports its direct costs.
• To continue ongoing review of all Humanities Montana programs, to ensure their quality and effectiveness; and to act accordingly when programs are found in any way wanting
  
  In particular, a decline in use of the Media Collection over the past four years is of concern. New efforts in marketing the Collection may increase its circulation. If those efforts are not successful, however, Humanities Montana should concentrate its resources on programs more in demand.
• To identify and take advantage of program and other opportunities that arise from time to time, and to integrate them into Humanities Montana’s already diverse mix of programs and offerings
  
  The Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main Street programs which Humanities Montana has engaged in, with Barn Again! in 2003 and, prospectively, with Key Ingredients: America by Food, in 2006-2007, have provided excellent opportunities to broaden Humanities Montana’s reach, to address important Montana issues, and to connect with new constituencies. These and similar opportunities should be sought and advantaged. Integration of themes and issues throughout Humanities Montana’s rich array of programs must remain a high priority.
• To advance civic culture and civic discourse among Montanans, through grant initiatives, Committee-conducted projects, the Speakers Bureau, and other means
  
  Humanities Montana is a civic association in service to other civic associations in Montana. All its programs must ensure some form of public discussion and the civic discourse that is at the foundation of a democracy.
• To respond effectively to Montana’s changing demographic, social, and economic scenes, enabling Montanans to better understand and address these changes and the issues associated with them
  
  Every public issue has a history and the values, implicit or explicit, attendant to its formulation and prospective resolution(s). The humanities thus are relevant to every such issue. Humanities Montana is committed to bringing the humanities so to bear in Montana.
• To strengthen ties between Humanities Montana and tribal colleges, cultural councils, and other groups among Native American communities, and to ensure effective distribution of Humanities Montana grants and programs among Montana’s first peoples
  
  Humanities Montana is proud of its long record of grant-making to Montana Native American organizations. To ensure continuation of this success, especially with the state’s new emphasis on Indian Education for All, relationships must be strengthened with these organizations, throughout the state.
• To continue addressing humanities issues and needs arising in cultural and heritage tourism in Montana
  
  Through its regrants, Speakers Bureau, and other programs, Humanities Montana has been a prominent supporter of the 2003-2006 Lewis and Clark Bicentennial commemoration in Montana. As other opportunities arise in the promotion and interpretation associated with cultural and heritage tourism, Humanities Montana will be similarly supportive.
• To continue assistance to Montana’s scholarly and professional humanities communities through research fellowships, publication subvention, and the involvement of humanities professionals in all Humanities Montana programs
  
  Humanities Montana’s fellowship grant program (1995) and its book publication subvention program (1999) have enabled significant contributions to Montana humanities scholarship. Every Humanities Montana-supported program must include the expertise of humanities professionals in planning or execution.
• To continue extending Humanities Montana’s media presence, on the World Wide Web, radio, television, and in print, consistent with other objectives; and to further explore delivery of humanities content by way of these and emerging media
  
  Humanities Montana’s web presence exceeds that of any other state humanities council or similarly-sized non-profit organization. Humanities Montana has had a long history of Montana radio and television presence as well, especially through its regrant program. The effect of these programs must be weighed carefully, as well as their costs, in comparison with more traditional grant and other programs.

OBJECTIVES FOR 2005-2009

The objectives of Humanities Montana for the years 2005-2009 are:

• To examine and refine governance issues
  
  Length of member terms has long been an issue. The Board will explore and resolve this issue as well as associated issues of renewal, and rotation. The Board also will revisit the issue of the number and nature of its meetings. Effective meetings and membership must be weighed against the considerable cost of statewide meetings in Montana.
• To streamline the regrant process in order to make regrants more accessible and manageable
  
  Humanities Montana’s grant guidelines have not changed substantively in more than a decade. With the assistance of staff, the Board will review its grant guidelines, application and reporting forms and revise them for greater user-friendliness, for more streamlined grants management purposes, and for consistency with new web-based technologies.
• To focus grant projects on Montana public affairs via a grant initiative
  
  Humanities Montana will design and implement a new grant initiative that encourages Montana organizations to focus on Montana public affairs and to bring the humanities more to bear on Montana public issues.
• To replace the existing Humanities Montana database with a new, more advanced, web-based database that will facilitate a variety of management functions
  
  The current Humanities Montana database, acquired in 1997, requires replacement. The staff will explore options and acquire a new, cost-effective database that makes use of a variety of web-based functions. In the course of conversion, existing data will be corrected and updated.
• To undertake a structured examination of Humanities Montana office processes and procedures, to ensure that Humanities Montana supports its varied constituencies in both an effective and efficient manner
  
  Many Humanities Montana procedures have remained unchanged for years. While most of our current procedures serve Humanities Montana and its constituents well, the implementation of the new database, the availability of new technologies, reviewing the regrant process, and the advent of two new staff members, provides a unique opportunity to examine office processes and procedures to ensure most effective use of limited resources.
• To re-examine and refine Humanities Montana publications and communications, addressing them more meaningfully and effectively to both continuing and prospective new constituencies
  
  Historically, Humanities Montana’s array of publications, both print and electronic, has been largely program-driven. Re-examination and refinement of these communications should orient them as well to fund-raising and great public visibility of the organization.
• To observe with appropriate ceremony and celebration Humanities Montana’s 35th Anniversary in 2007
  
  Humanities Montana’s 35th anniversary in 2007 will provide opportunities for celebration but also for promotion of the organization and its interests.