Oklahoma Humanities

What Oklahoma Humanities does

Oklahoma Humanities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1971 and headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma (PO Box 31733), operating as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The organization's mission is to strengthen Oklahoma communities by helping residents learn about the human experience, understand new perspectives, and participate knowledgeably in civic life. It employs 1–10 staff and delivers programming statewide through libraries, museums, schools, tribal nations, correctional facilities, and veteran centers.

The organization's product surface consists of three core programs: Let's Talk About It (LTAI), a scholar-led book discussion program launched in 1985; Museum on Main Street (MoMS), a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service bringing curated exhibitions to rural Oklahoma communities since the mid-1990s; and the Oklahoma Humanities Magazine, a twice-yearly award-winning educational publication launched in 2008 and distributed free to all 77 Oklahoma counties. In addition, Oklahoma Humanities administers a portfolio of grants—Public Humanities Projects (up to $10,000), Preservation and Access Projects, Education Projects (K–12 and student-serving), and Scholar Research Fellowships—funneling regrant dollars from NEH and foundation sources to local nonprofits, educational institutions, and tribal governments. Programs and the magazine are free and open to the public.

The revenue model is a nonprofit grant-and-donation stack rather than a commercial pricing model. Funding sources include the NEH general operating grant (terminated in 2025), foundation and corporate sponsorships (Kirkpatrick Family Fund, Oklahoma City Community Foundation, McCasland Foundation, Zarrow Foundation, Kirschner Trusts, Macklanburg Foundation, and others at $5K–$25K tiers), individual gifts, and smaller corporate sponsors (BancFirst, Arvest, OG&E, Jones PR, and several Oklahoma universities). As of 2025, the organization has publicly stated that it does not currently have grant funding available, reflecting the loss of its primary federal revenue source and placing near-term operating continuity at material risk.

Name

Oklahoma Humanities

Legal name

Oklahoma Humanities

Website

https://okhumanities.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Oklahoma Humanities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1971, serving as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, delivering scholar-led book discussions, Smithsonian traveling exhibitions, a statewide magazine, and regrant funding to libraries, museums, schools, and tribal nations across Oklahoma.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanities Programming and Cultural Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural, Arts & Humanities Community Education (Museums/Arts Councils) (EDAAAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Humanities programming
• Cultural grants
• Community education
• Public humanities
• Literary discussions

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Oklahoma Humanities relies on individual gifts, corporate underwriters, and foundation grants to fund operations and programming. Major sponsors include the National Endowment for the Humanities, Kirkpatrick Family Fund, Oklahoma City Community Foundation, and others at various contribution levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Oklahoma Humanities is an independent nonprofit organization that serves as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It administers humanities grants to nonprofit organizations, runs scholar-led book discussion programs (Let's Talk About It), partners with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service to host traveling exhibitions in rural communities (Museum on Main Street), and publishes an award-winning educational magazine distributed free of charge across all 77 Oklahoma counties.

Product overview

Oklahoma Humanities operates as a nonprofit organization offering three core programs: the Let's Talk About It (LTAI) book discussion program launched in 1985, the Museum on Main Street (MoMS) traveling exhibition partnership with the Smithsonian, and the Oklahoma Humanities Magazine published since 2008. The organization also administers various grant programs for public humanities projects, preservation and access initiatives, and educational programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Let's Talk About It (LTAI): A dynamic book club program that strengthens communities by connecting Oklahomans through literature-based discussions.
• Museum on Main Street (MoMS)
• Oklahoma Humanities Magazine

Products and services

• Let's Talk About It (LTAI) A scholar-led book discussion program that strengthens communities by connecting Oklahomans through literature-based conversations. Host sites include libraries and cultural institutions; discussions cover U.S. and Oklahoma history, autobiography, detective fiction, ethnic diversity, and other themes, with literary experts providing historical context.
• Museum on Main Street (MoMS) A partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service that brings Smithsonian traveling exhibitions to rural Oklahoma communities, empowering cultural institutions through specifically designed exhibitions and public programming on broad topics in American history.
• Oklahoma Humanities Magazine An award-winning educational magazine fostering conversation and new perspectives through articles, interviews, and color images. Distributed free-of-charge statewide, covering topics from public policy to cultural heritage, providing an engaging forum for new ideas and productive civil discourse.
• Humanities Grants Program Grant funding for public humanities projects, preservation and access initiatives, and education projects. Categories include Exhibits, Humanities Discussions, Cultural Experiences, Media Projects, Language Preservation, Oral History Projects, Preservation or Digitization of Collections, Educator-Serving Projects, Student-Serving Projects, and Scholar Research Fellowships, with awards ranging up to $10,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 40 Oklahoma communities have hosted Museum on Main Street exhibitions since 2009
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOklahoma Humanities is the state affiliate for the National Endowment for the Humanities. NEH administers federal funding to provide grants and support humanities programs statewide. Note: The organization recently reported termination of their general operating grant by NEH.
• Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum on Main Street (MoMS) is a unique alliance of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, Oklahoma Humanities, and cultural organizations in small, rural communities. The partnership brings Smithsonian exhibitions to rural Oklahoma.
• Oklahoma Oral History Research Project (OSU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for oral history projects. Oklahoma Humanities recommends contacting OSU for assistance on technological and practical methods for oral history gathering.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Humanities Texas: Texas state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Operates the same model as Oklahoma Humanities: grantmaking, educational programming, and a statewide humanities magazine distributed across Texas. The most direct structural and operational peer.
• Florida Humanities: Florida's state humanities council. Offers grants, speaker programs, a statewide magazine (FORUM), and Smithsonian Museum on Main Street partnerships — directly comparable programming mix to Oklahoma Humanities.
• Humanities New York: New York State humanities council funding public humanities projects across the state. Operates the same NEH-affiliated model of regranting federal funds and partnering with cultural institutions, with comparable grant categories and program types.
• Oregon Humanities: Oregon's state humanities council. Runs conversation-based programs, publishes a statewide magazine, and provides grants to Oregon cultural organizations — a near-identical operating model to Oklahoma Humanities.
• California Humanities: California's NEH state affiliate administering grants, statewide programming, and a humanities-focused magazine. Operates the same federal-affiliate, regrant, and public-programming model.
• Indiana Humanities: Indiana's state humanities council running grant programs, statewide speaker events, and a humanities publication. Comparable mid-sized state humanities council with similar program portfolio.
• Humanities Tennessee: Tennessee's state humanities council operating the same NEH-affiliate model with grants, programming, and a statewide literary magazine (Chapter 16). Comparable to Oklahoma Humanities in scope and rural-community focus.
• Mass Humanities: Massachusetts state humanities council funding public humanities projects, running discussion programs, and supporting cultural institutions. Direct NEH-affiliate peer with a similar operational footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES): The Smithsonian division that produces Museum on Main Street and other traveling exhibitions. Oklahoma Humanities is a partner and downstream distributor of SITES content rather than a competitor, but SITES is the upstream producer of one of Oklahoma Humanities' flagship programs.
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): Federal agency that funds Oklahoma Humanities as its Oklahoma state affiliate. NEH sets the programmatic framework, funding categories, and accountability requirements that govern Oklahoma Humanities' grantmaking and programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OkHumanities
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9FG4H0NsjnldtHnyNvfhHg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ok.Humanities
• Instagraminstagram.com/okhumanities?igshid=b1wnsydht64w
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oklahoma-humanities-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oklahoma Humanities