The National Endowment for the Humanities was created by the same law as the arts endowment, signed on September 29, 1965, to support study of history, literature, languages, philosophy, archaeology, and related fields. It is led by a Chair confirmed by the Senate and advised by the National Council on the Humanities. Its annual budget has been roughly two hundred million dollars.
NEH grants support scholarly research and editions of the papers of the Founders and other historical figures, preservation of archives and endangered collections, museum exhibitions, teacher institutes, and documentary films, including many shown on public television. It funds a humanities council in every state and territory, which makes local grants for book festivals, oral history projects, and community programs, and its Chronicling America project, with the Library of Congress, has digitized millions of pages of historic newspapers.
In April 2025 the agency terminated a large share of its active grants, including funding for state humanities councils, and cut much of its staff, saying it would refocus on projects tied to the nation's 250th anniversary and a planned National Garden of American Heroes. Courts later ruled some of the terminations unlawful. Supporters said the agency had funded ideological projects and needed new priorities, while scholars, librarians, and state council leaders of both parties warned that local history and preservation work would be lost.
| Status | Reorganizing |
| Abbreviation | NEH |
| Led by | Chair |
| Legal basis | National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 |
| Official site | neh.gov |
| Created | September 29, 1965 |
| Head | Chair, Senate-confirmed |
| State partners | Humanities councils in every state and territory |
| Annual budget | Roughly $200 million |
| Notable project | Chronicling America, with the Library of Congress |
| Date | Created September 29, 1965 |
| Location | Constitution Center, Washington, D.C. |