Rhode Island Council for the Humanities
Rhode Island Humanities (formerly known as Rhode Island Council for the Humanities) is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Providence, Rhode Island. Established in 1973 as an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the organization serves as the only dedicated source of funding for public humanities in Rhode Island. It is one of 56 humanities councils found in every state and U.S. territory.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$586K
+5.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$135K
+24.9% YoY
Grant Count
12
+20.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$11K
+4.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Rhode Island Humanities seeds, supports, and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders.
The organization's primary focus areas include:
- Public history and cultural heritage
- Civic education and community engagement
- Arts and cultural programming
- Support for museums, libraries, historic sites, schools, preservation and historical societies, community and cultural organizations, individual researchers, and documentary filmmakers
Grantmaking
Rhode Island Humanities administers several grant programs:
Grant Range
** $5,245–$12,000
Ready to take the next step with Rhode Island Council for the Humanities?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Rhode Island, with particular emphasis on reaching organizations and communities throughout the state. Recent initiatives have specifically targeted organizations based outside Providence.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $585,856–$586,000
- Annual Revenue/Income: $1.3 million
- Total Giving: $272,881
- IRS Ruling Year: 1979
The organization has received significant federal support, including $114.9 million in cumulative federal awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities across 59 awards.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $585,856 | $554,310 | $359,906 |
| Revenue | $1,259,896 | $1,141,056 | $1,088,377 |
| Expenses | $1,203,150 | $1,160,208 | $1,103,865 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $20,563 | $7,381 | $5,898 |
| 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
127 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Rhode Island Council for the Humanities
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Executive Director: Elizabeth Francis
Staff: The organization employs approximately 4-7 people.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIFFINI BOWERS | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| MARCIA SOUSA DA PONTE | SECRETARY THRU 12/08/23 | 1 | — |
| JORGE MEJIA | TREASURER THRU 03/11/24 | 1 | — |
| CHRYSTAL MARS BAKER | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| EUGENE B MIHALY | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| DOUG POPOVICH | BOARD CHAIR | 1 | — |
| CHERRY ARNOLD | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ANTONIA NOORI FARZAN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DON E WINEBERG | BOARD MEMBER THRU 03/31/24 | 1 | — |
| JAMES P RILEY | BOARD MEMBER THRU 03/31/24 | 1 | — |
| JEANNETTE E RILEY PHD | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JOSH STENGER PHD | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ROBERT CRAVEN ESQ | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| KENNY ALSTON | BOARD MEMBER THRU 12/14/23 | 1 | — |
| STEPHANIE BASILE | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JAFFA DAVIES | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| EMILY MCHUGH | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ERIC E SUNG | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MARIAHADESSA EKERE TALLIE | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH WESTGATEPHD | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| CAROLYN MARK | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| RENEE SOTO | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ROBERT WOOLARD MD | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ELIZABETH FRANCIS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $118,652 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**Emergency Funding (April 2025):** Rhode Island Humanities received a $200,000 emergency award from the Mellon Foundation as part of a $15 million stabilization initiative for all 56 state and territorial humanities councils. This funding was provided in response to the abrupt termination of federal awards to humanities councils, which eliminated $65 million from their collective operating budgets. The Mellon Foundation also offered up to $50,000 as a Challenge Fund to help drive direct donations from individuals, businesses, and philanthropies.
Rhode Island Humanities Awards $100,000 Through THRIVE ...**RI CHARG Program (2021):** The organization partnered with RISCA to administer nearly $1 million in federal pandemic recovery funds to 121 culture, humanities, and arts nonprofits, designed to help organizations prevent, prepare, respond, and recover from hardships suffered due to the pandemic.
Council awards $11,911 in mini grants to organizations and individuals in**Organization Name Change (2023):** As of the organization's 50th anniversary year in 2023, it transitioned from being known as "Rhode Island Council for the Humanities" to "Rhode Island Humanities."
Rhode Island Humanities Awards $100,000 Through THRIVE ...Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
UNFI Foundation
PROVIDENCE, RI
Assets
—
Grants
64
Total Given
$1.6M
Woonsocket Rotary Charities
WOONSOCKET, RI
Assets
$218K
Grants
8
Total Given
$15K
Adrian M and Doris K Pearsall Family
NEWPORT, RI
Assets
$425K
Grants
20
Total Given
$50K
Harriet Blades Dodge Memorial Tr Fund
WESTERLY, RI
Assets
$112K
Grants
4
Total Given
$4K
John J and Nancy E Hudson
HOPE, RI
Assets
$61K
Grants
1
Total Given
$25K
Senville Foundation
PROVIDENCE, RI
Assets
$353K
Grants
16
Total Given
$36K
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Rhode Island Council for the Humanities on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities