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Florida Humanities Council Inc

EIN 23-7304964 · St Petersburg, FL

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood83 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

FLORIDA HUMANITIES' MISSION IS TO PRESERVE, PROMOTE AND SHARE THE HISTORY, LITERATURE, CULTURES, AND PERSONAL STORIES THAT OFFER FLORIDIANS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THEMSELVES, THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEIR STATE. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)AS THE STATE AFFILIATE OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES, FLORIDA HUMANITIES PROMOTES AN APPRECIATION OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE THROUGH ITS SUPPORT OF CULTURAL ENRICHMENT AND LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES STATEWIDE.IN FY25, WE REMAINED COMMITTED TO OUR MISSION OF WORKING WITH CULTURAL PARTNERS IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS FLORIDA THROUGH THREE PRIMARY OPERATIONAL AREAS: GRANT MAKING, PUBLIC PROGRAMMING, AND THE PRODUCTION OF PRINT AND DIGITAL RESOURCES.

Income
$2.6 million
Spending
$2.2 million
Spent on programs
61%
Reserves
14.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 48%
Employees
12
Volunteers
23
Highest pay
$186,207, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 83 out of 100. Higher than 66% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 14.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 12% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 16% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 14% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    61% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    17 of 17 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $459,084 spent. PUBLIC PROGRAMMING: FY25 SAW CONTINUED GROWTH IN AUDIENCES SERVED BY A DIVERSE ARRAY OF COUNCIL-CONDUCTED PROGRAMS. THESE ACTIVITIES INCLUDED OUR CULTURAL TOURISM TRIPS, THE GATHERING, A SIX-PART BOOK DISCUSSION SERIES OFFERED AS PART OF OUR CENTER FOR THE BOOK PROGRAM, AND FOUR FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION PROGRAMS FOR OUR "RISING: SURVIVING THE SURGE" DOCUMENTARY CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WGCU PUBLIC MEDIA. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)WE ALSO HOSTED A WEEKLONG CELEBRATION OF THE HUMANITIES IN MARCH 2025 ALONG FLORIDA'S GULF COAST, CULMINATING IN A FREE FESTIVAL AT THE SELBY LIBRARY IN DOWNTOWN SARASOTA. FLORIDA HUMANITIES STAFF ALSO HOSTED A TABLE AT THE 2025 NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL'S ROAD MAT TO READING WHERE WE SHARED INFORMATION ABOUT FLORIDA'S LITERARY HERITAGE WITH MORE THAN 1,000 VISITORS. IN TOTAL, IN-PERSON COUNCIL-CONDUCTED PROGRAMS SERVED MORE THAN 2,400 IN FY25.PUBLIC PROGRAMMING SUPPORTED BY FLORIDA HUMANITIES IN FY25 ALSO INCLUDED 140 FLORIDA TALKS PROGRAMS FROM OUR SPEAKERS BUREAU THAT WERE ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 7,000 PEOPLE STATEWIDE.
  2. $454,619 spent. GRANT MAKING: SINCE 1973, FLORIDA HUMANITIES HAS AWARDED MORE THAN $20 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PRESENTATION OF HUMANITIES-RICH CULTURAL RESOURCES AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS STATEWIDE. THESE PROJECTS HELP PRESERVE FLORIDA'S RICH HISTORY AND HERITAGE, PROMOTE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY DIALOGUE, AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFLECTING ON THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE. OUR GRANT MAKING PROGRAM PRIMARILY RESPONDS TO COMMUNITY INTERESTS AND INITIATIVES, WITH PREFERENCE GIVEN TO PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS IMPORTANT PUBLIC ISSUES, REACH UNDERSERVED AUDIENCES, CREATE RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITIES AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, AND/OR REACH A BROAD PUBLIC AUDIENCE.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)IN FY25, $268,800 IN FUNDING WAS AWARDED TO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS STATEWIDE THROUGH FLORIDA HUMANITIES' VARIOUS FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. THESE AWARDS INCLUDED THIRTY-THREE COMMUNITY PROJECT GRANTS FOR LOCALLY INITIATED PUBLIC HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING. TWENTY-EIGHT AWARDS WERE MADE THROUGH OUR CENTER FOR THE BOOK PROGRAM INCLUDING GRANTS FOR ELEVEN BOOK FESTIVALS AND FOURTEEN PUBLIC LIBRARY SUMMER READING PROGRAMS STATEWIDE. THREE PUBLIC LIBRARIES ALSO RECEIVED FUNDING FOR FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAMMING. EIGHT COMMUNITIES STATEWIDE WERE AWARDED GRANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN A NEW SMITHSONIAN EXHIBITION PROGRAM AND THREE ORGANIZATIONS (THE VILLAGE SQUARE, FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS, AND THE ORANGE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM) RECEIVED STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP GRANTS TO SUPPORT PUBLIC HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING WITH A STATEWIDE REACH.
  3. $403,123 spent. PRINT AND DIGITAL RESOURCES:FLORIDA HUMANITIES CONTINUED TO REACH ADDITIONAL AUDIENCES THROUGH OUR VARIOUS PRINT AND DIGITAL PROGRAMS IN FY25. THESE INCLUDED THE PUBLICATION OF THREE ISSUES OF OUR FORUM MAGAZINE AND ELEVEN COMPLEMENTARY EPISODES OF OUR FORUM PODCAST, DIGITAL DOWNLOADS OF ARCHIVED ISSUES OF FORUM, AND DOWNLOADS OF OUR FLORIDA STORIES WALKING TOURS. INTERACTIONS WITH THESE COUNCIL-CONDUCTED PRINT AND DIGITAL RESOURCES TOTALED MORE THAN 53,000 IN FY25.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)FORUM MAGAZINE - IN FY25, FORUM MAGAZINE SOLIDIFIED ITS ROLE AS A FLAGSHIP PUBLICATION AND A DEFINING EXPRESSION OF FLORIDA HUMANITIES' IDENTITY AS THE STORYTELLER OF FLORIDA. THROUGH COMPELLING NARRATIVES, RICH SCHOLARSHIP, AND VISUALLY ENGAGING DESIGN, FORUM CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE THE PEOPLE, PLACES, AND CULTURAL CURRENTS THAT SHAPE OUR STATE. PUBLISHED THREE TIMES ANNUALLY, THE MAGAZINE EXPANDED ITS REACH AND RESONANCE, DELIVERING TIMELY, THOUGHT-PROVOKING CONTENT THAT BRIDGES HISTORY, LITERATURE, AND CONTEMPORARY LIFE.BUILDING ON PRIOR SUCCESS, FORUM ACHIEVED AN AWARD-WINNING YEAR IN FY25, EARNING WIDESPREAD RECOGNITION FOR EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE, DESIGN, AND STORYTELLING FROM LEADING STATE AND REGIONAL MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS. THESE ACCOLADES REFLECT NOT ONLY THE QUALITY OF THE PUBLICATION, BUT ALSO ITS GROWING INFLUENCE AS A TRUSTED VOICE IN FLORIDA'S CULTURAL LANDSCAPE.DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT ALSO SURGED, WITH ARCHIVED ISSUES HOUSED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA'S POYNTER LIBRARY CONTINUING TO ATTRACT THOUSANDS OF READERS, FURTHER EXTENDING FORUM'S ACCESSIBILITY AND EDUCATIONAL IMPACT. COLLECTIVELY, THESE ACHIEVEMENTS UNDERSCORE FORUM'S EVOLUTION INTO A PREMIER HUMANITIES PUBLICATIONONE THAT BOTH PRESERVES AND AMPLIFIES FLORIDA'S DIVERSE STORIES FOR AUDIENCES ACROSS THE STATE AND BEYOND. IN FY25, FORUM RECEIVED 21 FLORIDA MAGAZINE ASSOCIATION AWARDS AS WELL AS THREE SUNSHINE STATE AWARDS FROM THE FLORIDA CHAPTER OF THE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS. FORUM MAGAZINE PODCAST - 12 NEW EPISODES OF THE "BEYOND THE PAGES" FORUM PODCAST SERIES WERE PRODUCED IN FY25 FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH CONTRIBUTING WRITERS TO THE MAGAZINE. THIS PODCAST SERIES WON FIRST PLACE FOR DIGITAL CONTENT FROM THE FLORDA MAGAZINE ASSOCIATION. FLORIDA HUMANITIES ONLINE - IN FY25, FLORIDA HUMANITIES BROADENED ITS REPOSITORY OF HUMANITIES RESOURCES PRODUCED BY BOTH FLORIDA HUMANITIES AND OUR MANY PARTNERS STATEWIDE. THIS NEW WEBSITE INCLUDES DOCUMENTARY FILMS, PODCASTS, AUDIO PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS ARCHIVED ARTICLES FROM THIRTY YEARS OF FORUM MAGAZINE. THE ARCHIVE NOW EXPLORES, POETRY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. FLORIDA STORIES WALKING TOUR APP - OUR FREE DOWNLOADABLE WALKING TOUR APP ALLOWS USERS TO DELVE BEHIND THE SCENES OF FLORIDA TOWNS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON LOCAL HISTORY, CULTURE, AND ARCHITECTURE. THE APP HOSTS A TOTAL OF 42 TOURS AND WAS DOWNLOADED MORE THAN 30,000 TIMES IN FY25 FROM OUR WEBSITE, THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE AND ISTORE. SIX TOURS WERE ADDED IN FY25, WITH TWO MORE IN DEVELOPMENT.UNIVERSITY PRESS OF FLORIDA (UPF) CO-PUBLICATION PARTNERSHIP FLORIDA HUMANITIES CONTINUED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH UPF TO SUPPORT THE PUBLICATION OF HUMANITIES-THEMED TITLES. FLORIDA HUMANITIES RECEIVES A PERCENTAGE OF THE SALES OF EACH CO-PUBLISHED TITLE IN BOTH PRINT AND DIGITAL FORMATS. IN FY25, TWO NEW BOOKS WERE PUBLISHED AND MORE THAN 2,500 PRINT AND EBOOK CO-PUBLICATION TITLES WERE SOLD BY UPF. SELECT UPF CO-PUBLICATION TITLES ARE ALSO UTILIZED AS PREMIUMS FOR FLORIDA HUMANITIES' MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending October 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since July 1973.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

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