Our Impact

Our Mission

Humanities Montana serves Montana’s multicultural communities through stories and conversation. We offer experiences that nurture imagination and ideas by speaking to Montanans’ diverse history, literature, and philosophy.

Our Vision

To achieve our goal, Humanities Montana —

  • provides programs that tell our diverse stories
  • facilitates conversations about the most pressing issues
  • supports Montana’s cultural institutions through grants and partnerships
  • offers humanities such as history, literature, and philosophy to nurture memory, imagination, and ideas

Locations we have been active in

Montana Conversations

2024

  • 188 total Montana Conversations programs were booked.
  • 6,120 Montanans attended at Montana Conversations program.
  • 68% of Montana Conversations programs occurred in rural communities
  • 29% of Montana Conversations programs occurred in urban communities
  • 4% of Montana Conversations occurred with a statewide audience.

Speakers in the Schools

2024

  • 122 total Speakers in the Schools programs were booked.
  • 491 individual Speakers in the Schools presentations occurred.
  • 11,098 students were served.
  • 64% of Speakers in the Schools programs occurred in rural communities.
  • 7% of rural programs occurred in Native American communities.
  • 32% of Speakers in the Schools programs occurred in urban communities.
  • 4% of Speakers in the Schools program occurred with a statewide audience of students.

Grants

2024

  • 61 grants awarded to local organizations
  • $207,528 distributed across the state in support of community-driven humanities projects
  • $10,000 in Big Sky Reads stipends awarded to 20 rural book clubs
  • $38,330 in Mini-grants awarded to 21 community organizations
  • $104,805 in Community Project grants awarded to 15 community organizations
  • $36,585 in Film + Video grants awarded to 4 documentary film projects
  • $17,808 awarded to National History Day in Montana through a special NEH funding initiative

Our Strategy

Strengthen communities, inspire ideas, and deepen mutual understanding.

Humanities Montana is Montana’s state humanities council. Established in 1972, we are one of fifty-six councils across the nation that the National Endowment for the Humanities created in order to better infuse the humanities directly and effectively into public life.

For over 50 years, Humanities Montana has helped strengthen communities through grants and special programs that reach into every corner of our state. We produce, fund, create, and support humanities-based projects and programs, eye-opening cultural experiences, and meaningful conversations. We connect people, inspire ideas, and deepen mutual understanding.