Rhode Island Council for the Humanities
ActiveArts, Culture & Humanities
About Rhode Island Council for the Humanities
Rhode Island Humanities seeds, supports, and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders.
Focus Areas
public humanitiespublic historycultural heritage preservationcivic educationcommunity engagementdocumentary film & mediaresearcharts & culture capacity building
Who They Fund
youth and school-based learnerselders and intergenerational community membersveteransBIPOC communities and creatives of colorLGBTQ+/queer and trans communities
About Rhode Island Council for the Humanities
Rhode Island Council for the Humanities concentrates on public humanities work that connects Rhode Islanders to local history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement. Its recent grants show a steady pattern of project support at the $12,000 level for exhibitions, performances, research, and public programs across the state. That includes awards to Little Compton Historical Society for The Sakonnet Mishoon Project and to Newport Historical Society for A Name, a Voice, a Life: The Black Newporters of the 17th-19th Centuries Exhibition. The foundation also backs cultural documentation and interpretation through film, archives, and community storytelling. Examples include support for Stages of Freedom’s Black Ink on White Paper: The African American Press in Rhode Island, Queerarchivework Inc’s Queer/Trans Zinefest (QTZ) 2024, and Armenian Historical Association of Rhode Island’s Armenian Chronicles: A Living History. Across the list, the grantmaking favors Rhode Island-based organizations and projects that make history, identity, and civic life visible to public audiences. Rhode Island Humanities’ grantmaking is organized around public programming rather than individual giving, with a mix of project-based awards, fellowships, and capacity-building support for cultural organizations.
What Rhode Island Council for the Humanities Funds
In public history and local preservation, Rhode Island Council for the Humanities funds projects such as Little Compton Historical Society’s The Secrets of Cellar Holes: Blending Public Archaeology & Local History in Little Compton. That same area also appears in The Sakonnet Mishoon Project, which points to an interest in community-rooted historical interpretation. The foundation supports cultural heritage work for specific communities. Capeverdean American Community Development received support for Recuperating History Through Dance: A Rhode Island Story of Cape Verde, while Rhode Island Latino Arts was funded for Las Abuelas Cuentan | Our Elders as Storytellers. It also backed Armenian Historical Association of Rhode Island for Armenian Chronicles: A Living History. Civic education is another clear thread. Generation Citizen received funding for Rhode Island Civic Learning Week, and Manton Avenue Project was supported for Imagining a Healthier Democracy: Devising Workshops Using Legislative and Image Theatre. These awards show an emphasis on public learning, participation, and discussion.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$135K
Total Assets
$468K
Total Revenue
$989K
Total Expenses
$929K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $12K, with a median of $12K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$12K
75th Percentile
$12K
Geographic Reach
Local3 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ELIZABETH FRANCIS
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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