We explore, cultivate, and champion the public humanities in order to strengthen New Jersey’s diverse community.
What that means
We believe humanities fields such as history, literature, and philosophy are the best hope for our state and country's future. It's the humanities that help us break free from the limitations of our individual experience and see both the perspectives of others and the larger social forces that affect us all.
We work to bring the critical thinking and reflection the humanities spur to the Garden State's broad and diverse population, through programs and support for other humanities organizations.
Our programs, grants, resources, and convenings foster appreciation for the public humanities in every district in the state. Explore our impact
Our Mission
We explore, cultivate, and champion the public humanities in order to strengthen New Jersey’s diverse community.
No defeat is made up entirely of defeat—since the world it opens is always a place formerly unsuspected.
We take heart in these words of William Carlos Williams, poet chronicler of the New Jersey spirit. While some of our programs have been suspended due to the 2025 federal funding cuts, the world opened by the challenges we and our society face remains full of possibility.
We do not yet know what that world will look like, but we look to the wisdom of the humanities for guidance. History tells us that good ideas have a way of coming back around, and we're hopeful that these programs will too, alongside our many current offerings. In the meantime, explore our activities, and take action in one of the ways below.
Grants & Sponsorships
Through a competitive application process, we award Incubation Grants and Action Grants ranging from $3,000 to $15,000 to further the impact of the public humanities in New Jersey. Our COVID-19 grantmaking in 2020 and 2021 also helped pandemic-affected organizations recover and reimagine their work at a critical moment. Sponsorships are primarily aimed at greater visibility and access to audiences that are not currently served by NJCH through our grantmaking and other programmatic initiatives.
In January 2025, NJCH announced $205,716 in Grant Awards to 17 NJ Organizations Meet them »
Events
Featured
Featured
Events
List of events in Photo View
Want to see your event listed here? NJCH, at its discretion, may list events from its grantees, partners, and organizations within the NJ humanities community. Email us your event info for consideration.
Events
List of events in Photo View
News
Space Age Design Expert Lectures on Willingboro Futuro House
While many New Jerseyans were digging out from winter storms, many in Willingboro dug in to the history of the township’s storied Futuro House—a rare existing example of the “UFO-style” manufactured home designed in the 1960s by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen.
Resource Roundup February 2026
Our monthly email newsletter for the NJ Humanities community with helpful information, including notifications of funding, professional development events, meetings, and conferences from both NJCH and the larger nonprofit community.
NJCH Welcomes Nine Organizations to Community History Cohort Amid Record Interest
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities has welcomed nine organizations to the newest cohort of its nationally recognized Community History Program after receiving a record number of applications to participate.
Ever wonder: what's the story behind the myth of the Jersey Devil?
The Jersey Devil is a distinctive piece of our state's lore, a mythical creature legendary enough to serve as both a symbol of the Pine Barrens region and the mascot of our NHL franchise. Scholars supported with NJCH funds have traced this strange creature's origins to a mish-mash of political, religious, and capitalist conflict over generations of early America.
Program Spotlight
Prime Time Family Reading
Prime Time Family Reading is a national program serving 6- to 10-year-old kids and their families. Participating families build early literacy skills, engage in critical thinking, and connect with each other through literature and discussion. NJCH is excited to expand this program to more NJ libraries in 2026!
Resource Roundup
Looking for other grant funding sources in New Jersey? Professional development opportunities? Networking? A new job?
Subscribe to the Resource Roundup, our monthly e-newsletter geared toward those working in humanities and nonprofit organizations.
Humanities People
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An expert in South Asian history and policy, Sadaf Jaffer’s passion for the humanities has informed her work as a scholar, board member, and elected official. Meet Sadaf » |
Selected Sponsors & Partners
