HumanitiesDC

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW  

The mission of the Humanities Council is to enrich the quality of life, foster intellectual stimulation, and promote cross-cultural understanding and appreciation of local history in all neighborhoods of the District through humanities programs and grants. The Humanities Council believes that in-depth consideration of the issues that affect us as individuals in a society can make a positive impact on our lives, and believes each citizen can participate in our vision to "transform lives through the power of the humanities."

The Humanities Council of Washington, DC was founded in 1980 as a grant making agency and has grown to become both a funder of community projects and a provider of programs, ensuring that public education in the humanities reaches diverse audiences across wards, neighborhoods, and cultures in the Washington area. The Council defines "humanities" as the study of human experience, which includes law, religion, philosophy, literature, ethics and history, and believes that the humanities instruct us in addressing the challenges we face together in our families, communities and as a nation. The Council is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities; however it is a private, non-profit organization, and not a federal or District agency.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE  

HumanitiesDC is interested in creating a work environment and practices that are led by our collective values, including: 

• EQUITY DRIVEN: We strive to center equity principles across our organization, internally and externally. This focus helps us broaden access, inclusion, and diversity in all our work to create structures that share power and core decision-making. 

• COMMUNITY POWERED: As an organization based in the humanities, we recognize that our work would not be possible if not for the strength and experiences of all the people who make up our city. Our aim is to build authentic relationships and collaborations that reflect the vibrancy of our community. 

• CREATIVE VISION: We relish opportunities to venture into unexplored territory. We strive to bring a creative and entrepreneurial spirit into our collective work in order to explore how the humanities can act as a connector across all our lives. 

• AMPLIFYING VOICES: We seek to use the power and resources made available to us to create spaces and opportunities to celebrate and share culture, stories and experiences, especially those traditionally marginalized or left out of mainstream narratives. 

• ACTING WITH INTEGRITY: We are a curious group, excited to always better our grantmaking, public programs, internal culture, and community partnerships. We strive to be reflective, accountable, and ever-learning as we foster transparency across our organization and build mechanisms for feedback.