The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an independent federal agency in the executive branch, provides general operating support grants to 55 state and jurisdictional humanities councils.

The councils operate, as designated by Congress, in each of the fifty states as well as in American

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Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Federal/State Partnership is the NEH office designated to work with the councils.

The Office of Federal/State Partnership is the liaison between NEH and the state and jurisdictional humanities councils.

The council community helps NEH realize its two primary strategic goals:
advancing knowledge and understanding of the humanities and increasing public awareness of, access to, and support for the humanities in the United States.

Through grant-making and initiatives state humanities councils make high-quality humanities education and lifelong learning readily available at the state and local level, uniquely tailored to community interests and needs and drawing upon local resources and experiences.

They also help extend the reach of NEH-funded projects and ensure that NEH remains connected to local and regional communities.

General Operating Support Grants have a five-year period of performance, with funding provided in years one, two, and three, followed by two subsequent years to complete funded activities.

NEH determines annual funding for each state and jurisdictional council according to a legislatively mandated formula.

Councils are expected to obligate most of the funds awarded each year by the end of the funding period (November 1-October 31).