FLORIDA HUMANITIES COUNCIL INC

GRANT MAKING: SINCE 1973, FLORIDA HUMANITIES HAS AWARDED MORE THAN $20 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PRESENTATION OF HUMANITIES-RICH CULTURAL RESOURCES AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS STATEWIDE. THESE PROJECTS HELP PRESERVE FLORIDA'S RICH HISTORY AND HERITAGE, PROMOTE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY DIALOGUE, AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFLECTING ON THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE. OUR GRANT MAKING PROGRAM PRIMARILY RESPONDS TO COMMUNITY INTERESTS AND INITIATIVES, WITH PREFERENCE GIVEN TO PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS IMPORTANT PUBLIC ISSUES, REACH UNDERSERVED AUDIENCES, CREATE RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITIES AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, AND/OR REACH A BROAD PUBLIC AUDIENCE.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)IN FY24, $524,150 IN FUNDING WAS AWARDED TO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS STATEWIDE THROUGH FLORIDA HUMANITIES' VARIOUS FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. THESE AWARDS INCLUDED THIRTY-THREE COMMUNITY PROJECT GRANTS FOR LOCALLY INITIATED PUBLIC HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING. TWENTY-EIGHT AWARDS WERE MADE THROUGH OUR CENTER FOR THE BOOK PROGRAM INCLUDING GRANTS FOR ELEVEN BOOK FESTIVALS AND FOURTEEN PUBLIC LIBRARY SUMMER READING PROGRAMS STATEWIDE. THREE PUBLIC LIBRARIES ALSO RECEIVED FUNDING FOR FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAMMING. EIGHT COMMUNITIES STATEWIDE WERE AWARDED GRANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN A NEW SMITHSONIAN EXHIBITION PROGRAM AND THREE ORGANIZATIONS (THE VILLAGE SQUARE, FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS, AND THE ORANGE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM) RECEIVED STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP GRANTS TO SUPPORT PUBLIC HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING WITH A STATEWIDE REACH.

PUBLIC PROGRAMMING: IN FY24, FLORIDA HUMANITIES EXPERIENCED INCREASED GROWTH IN AUDIENCES SERVED BY OUR OWN COUNCIL-CONDUCTED PROGRAMS. ATTENDANCE NEARLY DOUBLED FOR ALL LIVE COUNCIL-CONDUCTED PROGRAMS HOSTED IN 2024 OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. DRIVING THAT GROWTH WAS THE CONTINUATION OF POPULAR PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR MEMBERS AND POTENTIAL DONORS INCLUDING OUR GATHERING CULTURAL HERITAGE TOURS. SPECIAL EVENTS AND NEW COUNCIL-CONDUCTED PROGRAMS ALSO REACHED AUDIENCES ACROSS THE STATE. THESE EVENTS INCLUDED A SERIES OF PROGRAMS AND A MUSICAL PERFORMANCE TO MARK THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEATLES FIRST AND ONLY CONCERT PERFORMED IN FLORIDA. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)WE ALSO SUCCESSFULLY ORGANIZED AND HOSTED OUR FIRST ANNUAL REGIONAL HUMANITIES FESTIVAL, THREE VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB EVENTS HOSTED BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NINE PROGRAMS AS PART OF A STATEWIDE BOOK TOUR CELEBRATING THE RELEASE OF OUR FORUM MAGAZINE ANTHOLOGY, AND A SERIES OF POETRY PROGRAMS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG'S POET LAUREATE. THESE ENGAGING COUNCIL-CONDUCTED PROGRAMS HAD OVER 1,300 TOTAL ATTENDEES. PUBLIC PROGRAMMING SUPPORTED BY FLORIDA HUMANITIES IN FY24 ALSO INCLUDED 130 FLORIDA TALKS PROGRAMS FROM OUR SPEAKERS BUREAU THAT WERE ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 8,300 PEOPLE STATEWIDE.