The Mississippi Humanities Council, founded in 1972, is a non-profit organization promoting the relevance of the humanities in serious thought, discussion, and decision-making. It aims to enhance public understanding of historical, literary, and philosophical perspectives on the human experience. Committed to accessibility, the Council encourages programs that reach a wide Mississippi audience, expecting grant recipients to support this commitment.
The grant program from the Mississippi Humanities Council supports projects that encourage meaningful community dialogue, engage diverse audiences, and emphasize the application of humanities to daily life. Projects should aim to serve Mississippians, be free and open to the public, and may include public humanities programs, conferences, exhibits, as well as the development of productions in film, television, radio, or online resources. These grants focus on participatory and engaging humanities projects that can stimulate insights about the human experience, past, present, and future. For specific grant rounds, proposals related to themes such as "Reflecting Mississippi" may be prioritized, celebrating significant milestones like the MHC’s 50th anniversary. Collaboration between applicant organizations and humanities scholars in preparing the grant application is essential, ensuring the proposed activities and speakers are well aligned with the goals of reaching a broad public audience.