There are many different ways to read a book...
every way counts.

Until ten years ago, the Maine Humanities Council closely resembled the 55 other state humanities councils in the nation: a private, 501(c)(3) grantmaking organization affiliated with a federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities, which supplied over 98% of the Council's budget. But in 1993, the Council embarked on a new way of operating that transformed the organization, expanded the number and kind of people it serves, and diversified its funding base (its NEH base grant now constitutes 36.8% of the total budget).

In its 2002 evaluative report to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the site visit committee noted that of the Council's many accomplishments, two were of special significance: the Council's responsiveness to the unique demographic and geographic challenges of Maine, and its recent evolution from a quasi-public agency to an organization with a solid base in private philanthropy.

Along with its statewide grants program, the Council offers reading, discussion, and enrichment programs to a diverse audience that includes preschoolers, semi-literate adults, prison inmates, scholars, teachers, health care professionals, and the general public. Private support helps ensure the Council's ability to offer each of its programs year after year.

Please consider making a special gift to the Maine Humanities Council in support of the projects described in this newsletter. For more information about giving to the Council, please contact Diane Magras, Director of Development, at (207)773-5051, ext. 208. You may also donate online at www.mainehumanities.org/donate.html.

And thank you.