April 2009

Visit the Federal/State Partnership website frequently.

This website is a resource for executives, boards, and staff of state humanities councils.

Join the Federal/State Partnership email list from the first page of the website.

Florida Humanities Council tours the state with The Gathering

Beekeeper George Watkins, the leading producer of Tupelo honey in the region, will meet with Gathering participants.

The Florida Humanities Council sponsors a spring and fall Gathering—weekends learning and enjoying the history and culture of Florida's towns and regions. Scholars and local civic leaders provide an in-depth introduction to the distinct qualities of a community. The activities of the Apalachicola Gathering in May include meeting novelist Connie May Fowler, beekeeper George Watkins, anthropologist Michael Jepson. Participants will also feast on local seafood and meet local oysterman Tommmy Ward who will teach them the secrets of the trade. Apalachicola is noted for its stunning Victorian architecture and its thriving seafood industry. Read more about the Apalachicola Gathering >>

While you're finding out more about The Gathering, take the opportunity to look around the Florida Humanities Council's website. You'll find the online version of its magazine, Forum, radio programs, an online store, a directory of humanities professionals, and a link to the Florida Dream website.

Seeing is believing: NEH's general operating support grants for councils increase

Edie Manza, director of Federal/State Partnership, had the pleasure of announcing to councils that the 2009 general operating support grants had increased by ten per cent. This is the first time in many years that these grants have increased.

Check out the grant tables available on the Federal/State Partnership website: general operating support grants, We the People grants, current NEH competitive grants to councils, and a listing of all NEH funds to councils.

Federal/State Partnership website adds resources on grantmaking

Thanks to SueEllen Kroll, grants director of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, the resources section of the Federal/State Partnership website has much richer material about the increasingly important role general operating support grants and funder assistance are playing in the foundation world—at least in the consciousness and vocabulary of grantmakers.

Here are some resources to check out:

• Project Streamline is a collaborative effort of grantmaking and grantseeking organizations working to improve grant application and reporting practices. The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities was mentioned in the Spring 2009 issue in "Right-Sizing in the Real World."
• Center for Effective Philanthropy's More Than Money: Making a Difference with Assistance Beyond the Grant.
• Grantmakers for Effective Organizations has just released the second volume of its series on general operating support grants, Assessing the Impact, General Operating Support, Vol 2. Another GEO document asks, Is Grantmaking Getting Smarter, A National Study of Philanthropic Practice and shows that "few grantmakers are engaging in the practices they identified as essential to making nonprofits stronger and better equipped to achieve results. While there are pockets of progress, on the whole the field has a ways to go."
• The Grants Managers Network improves grantmaking by advancing the knowledge, skills, and abilities of grants management professionals and by leading grantmakers to adopt and incorporate effective practices that benefit the philanthropic community.

Reminder: Leon Kass to give 2009 Jefferson Lecture on May 21

Kass will present the 38th Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities on Thursday, May 21, 2009, at 7 p.m. at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., on “‘Looking for an Honest Man’: Reflections of an Unlicensed Humanist.”

Tickets to the lecture are free of charge and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket requests must be submitted by May 4 via the online form. All other inquiries, as well as ticket requests for persons lacking online access, may be directed to 202.606.8446.