Agencies › National Endowment for the Humanities
Awarding agency · NEH
National Endowment for the Humanities
Award obligations by fiscal year and type, largest recipient organisations, places of performance, industries, programs and competition, as reported to USAspending.
USAspending caveat. Figures are obligations reported by federal agencies to USAspending.gov, not payments. In USAspending's words: "An outlay occurs when federal money is actually paid out, not just promised to be paid ('obligated')." "Every agency has a Senior Accountable Official who must officially certify that the quarterly financial data submitted by their agency is accurate and complete." "If there are any discrepancies in procurement data, FPDS is the authoritative source." Contract data for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is published with a 90-day delay. Data loaded 30 Sep 2026.
National Endowment for the Humanities obligated $161M in awards in FY2026 and $568M over the five fiscal years since FY2023, 0% of all award obligations recorded on USAspending; it ranks 38 of 72 awarding agencies.
The FY2026 mix was 99% grants; obligations were up 121% on FY2025, with $0 so far in FY2027.
Its largest recipient organisations over FY2022–FY2025 were California Humanities ($11M), Humanities Texas ($8.2M) and New York Council for the Humanities ($7.8M).
By place of performance, the most money went to NY, CA and MA.
Obligations by fiscal year and award type
- Contracts $2.1M
- Grants $159M
Compared with all agencies FY2026
| Measure | This agency | Largest (Health and Human Services) | All agencies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Award obligations, FY2026 | $161M | $2.1T | $5.1T |
| Contracts, FY2026 | $2.1M | $24B | $716B |
| Grants, FY2026 | $159M | $895B | $1.2T |
| Direct payments, FY2026 | $0 | $1.2T | $3.2T |
| Loans (subsidy cost), FY2026 | $0 | $0 | −$5.5B |
| Other assistance, FY2026 | $0 | $5.2B | $21B |
| Share of all award obligations, five years | 0% | 38.5% | 100% |
Largest recipient organisations FY2022–FY2025
| # | Recipient organisation | Obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Humanities | $11M | 4% |
| 2 | Humanities Texas | $8.2M | 3% |
| 3 | New York Council for the Humanities | $7.8M | 3% |
| 4 | Florida Humanities Council, Incorporated | $7.2M | 3% |
| 5 | The Center for Independent Documentary, Inc. | $6.1M | 2% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania Humanities Council | $5.9M | 2% |
| 7 | Illinois Humanities Council, Incorporated | $5.9M | 2% |
| 8 | Ohio Humanities Council | $5.7M | 2% |
| 9 | Michigan Humanities Council | $5.4M | 2% |
| 10 | New Jersey Council for the Humanities, Inc | $4.9M | 2% |
| 11 | Georgia Humanities Council | $4.8M | 2% |
| 12 | North Carolina Humanities Council | $4.7M | 2% |
| 13 | Massachusetts Foundation for Humanities and Public Policy, | $4.3M | 2% |
| 14 | Humanities Washington | $4.2M | 2% |
| 15 | Indiana Humanities Council, Inc. | $4.2M | 2% |
| 16 | Humanities Tennessee | $4.2M | 2% |
| 17 | Minnesota Humanities Center | $4.0M | 2% |
| 18 | Missouri Humanities Council | $4.0M | 2% |
| 19 | Maryland Humanities Council, Inc | $4.0M | 2% |
| 20 | Wisconsin Humanities Council, Inc. | $4.0M | 1% |
| 21 | Hawaii Council for the Humanities | $4.0M | 1% |
| 22 | Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities | $4.0M | 1% |
| 23 | Arizona Humanities Council Inc | $3.9M | 1% |
| 24 | Kentucky Humanities Council, Inc. | $3.9M | 1% |
| 25 | South Carolina Humanities Council Inc | $3.7M | 1% |
| 26 | Colorado Humanities | $3.7M | 1% |
| 27 | Alabama Humanities Alliance | $3.7M | 1% |
| 28 | Fundacion Puertorriquena de Las Humanida | $3.7M | 1% |
| 29 | Oklahoma Humanities Council, Inc. | $3.6M | 1% |
| 30 | Connecticut Humanities Council, Incorporated | $3.6M | 1% |
| 31 | Alaska Humanities Forum | $3.6M | 1% |
| 32 | Oregon Council for the Humanities | $3.5M | 1% |
| 33 | Mississippi Humanities Council | $3.5M | 1% |
| 34 | Humanities Kansas Inc | $3.4M | 1% |
| 35 | Arkansas Humanities Council Inc | $3.4M | 1% |
| 36 | Maine Humanities Council Corp | $3.4M | 1% |
| 37 | New Mexico Humanities Council | $3.4M | 1% |
| 38 | Utah Humanities Council | $3.4M | 1% |
| 39 | Virginia Foundation for the Humanities | $3.4M | 1% |
| 40 | West Virginia Humanities Council Inc | $3.3M | 1% |
| 41 | The Nebraska Humanities Council | $3.3M | 1% |
| 42 | Vermont Humanities Council | $3.2M | 1% |
| 43 | Nevada Humanities Inc | $3.2M | 1% |
| 44 | Idaho Humanities Council, Inc | $3.2M | 1% |
| 45 | New Hampshire Humanities Council | $3.1M | 1% |
| 46 | Rhode Island Council for the Humanities | $3.1M | 1% |
| 47 | Humanities Montana | $3.1M | 1% |
| 48 | The North Dakota Humanities Council | $3.1M | 1% |
| 49 | Trustees of Indiana University | $3.1M | 1% |
| 50 | South Dakota Humanities Council | $3.0M | 1% |
| 51 | Delaware Humanities Council Incorporated | $3.0M | 1% |
| 52 | Wyoming Humanities Council, Incorporated | $3.0M | 1% |
| 53 | Humanities Council of Washington DC Inc | $3.0M | 1% |
| 54 | Michigan State University | $2.9M | 1% |
| 55 | University of Southern California | $2.7M | 1% |
| 56 | Wnet | $2.6M | 1% |
| 57 | Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia | $2.4M | 1% |
| 58 | The Catticus Corporation | $2.4M | 1% |
$32M among the top 60 went to recipients not shown: aggregated records (for example "multiple recipients"), individuals and withheld names.
Where the money goes place of performance
Competition contracts, FPDS extent competed
FPDS "extent competed" codes as reported, FY2022–FY2025: $7.9M coded.
Contract industries NAICS
Assistance programs listings
Largest awards begun since FY2026
| Recipient | Type | Award value | Begun | Place | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tikvah Fund | GrantProject Grant (B) | $10M | 16 Dec 2025 | NY | USAspending |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | GrantProject Grant (B) | $10M | 13 May 2026 | NC | USAspending |
| Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia | GrantProject Grant (B) | $10M | 16 Dec 2025 | VA | USAspending |
| University of Texas at Austin | GrantProject Grant (B) | $10M | 23 Feb 2026 | TX | USAspending |
| Association of the Graduates of the United States Military Academy | GrantProject Grant (B) | $5.6M | 13 May 2026 | NY | USAspending |
| The Ohio State University | GrantProject Grant (B) | $5.0M | 18 May 2026 | OH | USAspending |
| The Massachusetts Historical Society | GrantProject Grant (B) | $3.0M | 17 Dec 2025 | MA | USAspending |
| University of Mary Washington | GrantProject Grant (B) | $3.0M | 7 Jan 2026 | VA | USAspending |
| Cumberland University | GrantProject Grant (B) | $3.0M | 13 Mar 2026 | TN | USAspending |
| University of Tennessee | GrantProject Grant (B) | $2.7M | 24 Dec 2025 | TN | USAspending |
Most $1.0M+ award value since FY2023
| # | Recipient organisation | Awards | Award value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tikvah Fund | 1 | $10M |
| 2 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 1 | $10M |
| 3 | Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia | 1 | $10M |
| 4 | University of Texas at Austin | 1 | $10M |
| 5 | New York Council for the Humanities | 2 | $7.0M |
| 6 | Florida Humanities Council, Incorporated | 2 | $6.2M |
| 7 | Association of the Graduates of the United States Military Academy | 1 | $5.6M |
| 8 | Pennsylvania Humanities Council | 2 | $5.4M |
| 9 | The Ohio State University | 1 | $5.0M |
| 10 | Michigan Humanities Council | 1 | $3.8M |
| 11 | New Jersey Council for the Humanities, Inc | 1 | $3.6M |
| 12 | Ohio Humanities Council | 1 | $3.5M |
| 13 | Massachusetts Foundation for Humanities and Public Policy, | 1 | $3.1M |
| 14 | Indiana Humanities Council, Inc. | 1 | $3.1M |
| 15 | The Massachusetts Historical Society | 1 | $3.0M |
Questions and answers
How much does National Endowment for the Humanities spend on contracts and grants?
$161M in award obligations in FY2026: $2.1M contracts, $159M grants, $0 direct payments, $0 loan subsidy cost and $0 other assistance.
Who are the largest National Endowment for the Humanities contractors and grantees?
Over FY2022–FY2025: California Humanities ($11M), Humanities Texas ($8.2M), New York Council for the Humanities ($7.8M), Florida Humanities Council, Incorporated ($7.2M) and The Center for Independent Documentary, Inc. ($6.1M).
How competitive are National Endowment for the Humanities contracts?
Of $7.9M in contract obligations over FY2022–FY2025 with an extent-competed code, 83% was coded as competed (full and open, after exclusion of sources, under simplified acquisition procedures, or competitive delivery orders), using the FPDS codes as reported.
Where does this data come from?
USAspending.gov award transactions, awarding-agency view, loaded 30 Sep 2026. Agency totals here count awards; budget authority and outlays are separate USAspending views.
Provenance
Source: USAspending.gov API v2, spending by category (awarding agency, awarding sub-agency, recipient, NAICS, assistance listing) and spending by geography, loaded 30 Sep 2026; cross-tabulations cover FY2022–FY2025. Agency figures count award obligations only; budget authority and outlays are separate USAspending views. See methodology.