Ohio Humanities Council
Ohio Humanities Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Columbus, Ohio (541 West Rich Street). Established in 1976, the organization is dedicated to sharing stories and sparking conversations that inspire ideas across Ohio. The council hosts programs and awards grants that support storytellers statewide, including museums, journalists, and documentary filmmakers.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.6M
-15.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$213K
-37.7% YoY
Grant Count
14
-30.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$15K
-11.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Ohio Humanities is a nonprofit organization that shares stories to spark conversations and inspire ideas. The organization hosts programs and award grants that support storytellers statewide, from museums to journalists to documentary filmmakers.
Purpose: The humanities tell the stories of our shared human experience, strengthen communities, and help bridge divides. Ohio Humanities seeks to connect Ohioans in ways that help them better understand each other and more thoughtfully engage with the world around them.
Vision: An Ohio where people's unique stories are heard, the past is linked to the present, and a better future is realized together.
Core Values: Integrity, Partnership, and Curiosity
Primary Focus Areas:
- Grants supporting humanities programs that increase public awareness of the humanities' contribution to understanding public policy issues
- Lifelong learning programs for out-of-school adults, including lectures, workshops, conferences, and museum exhibits
- Professional development for teachers
- Historical awareness and racial justice initiatives (including the Lincoln School Project supporting awareness of the Lincoln School marchers of Hillsboro, Ohio)
- Documentary filmmaking and film fellowships
- LGBTQIA history research and documentation
Grantmaking
Ohio Humanities awards grants using a portion of its annual appropriation from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support Ohio nonprofit organizations.
How to Apply
** The organization maintains a grants application portal on its website at ohiohumanities.org.
Ready to take the next step with Ohio Humanities Council?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Ohio Humanities serves all 88 counties in Ohio, with headquarters in Columbus.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2024 Financial Data:
- Total Revenues: $2,018,825
- Total Expenses: $1,914,858
- Total Assets: $1,636,628
- Total Liabilities: $789,000 (2023 data)
2023 Financial Data:
- Revenue: $2.11M
- Expenses: $2M
- Total Assets: $1.94M
Staffing: The organization has 8 employees as of 2024.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,636,628 | $1,935,259 | $1,682,367 |
| Revenue | $2,018,825 | $2,107,716 | $2,183,463 |
| Expenses | $1,914,858 | $1,997,926 | $2,112,090 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $23,259 | $15,032 | $41,810 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
184 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Ohio Humanities Council
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN F SMITH | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| TONY SANFILIPPO | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MARY JANE PAJK | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DAN MODER | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MARYLIN SANDERS MOBLEY PHD | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| KEVIN SCOTT MILLER EDD | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| STACIA KUCEYESKI | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| VLADIMIR KOGAN PHD | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| IVY FREEMAN | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LANCE GRAHN PHD | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| KATHERINE FELL PHD | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DEENA EPSTEIN | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DAVID DESCUTNER PHD | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| BRODI CONOVER JD | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ANNIE BEZBATCHENKO PHD | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| SARAH M SISSER | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| REBECCA BROWN ASMO | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $154,380 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**U.S. Senate Funding Restoration:** The U.S. Senate voted to fully restore Humanities Councils funding in a bill awaiting the President's signature.
U.S. Senate Votes to Fully Restore Humanities Councils Funding in Bill That\**Mellon Foundation Emergency Support:** The Mellon Foundation announced $15 million in emergency funding for humanities councils nationwide, with up to $250,000 designated for Ohio Humanities in response to federal funding cuts.
U.S. Senate Votes to Fully Restore Humanities Councils Funding in Bill That\**Film Fellowship:** Ohio Humanities and the Wexner Center for the Arts announced the Ohio Humanities Film Fellow for 2025-2026.
U.S. Senate Votes to Fully Restore Humanities Councils Funding in Bill That\**Toni Morrison Celebration:** Ohio launched a yearlong celebration of Toni Morrison with a February 18 kickoff event.
**Staff Hiring:** Ohio Humanities is recruiting a Membership and Partnerships Manager.
Contact Information
- Phone: 614-461-7802
- Email: ohc@ohiohumanities.org
- Mailing Address: 541 West Rich Street, Columbus, OH 43215
- Website: ohiohumanities.org
- EIN: 31-0901572
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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