Alaska Humanities Forum

What Alaska Humanities Forum does

The Alaska Humanities Forum (AKHF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1972 and headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, operating as one of 56 state and territorial humanities councils affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities. The organization designs and facilitates humanities-based experiences intended to bridge distance and difference across Alaska, serving youth, educators, community organizations, and Alaska-based institutions through a portfolio of programs including FORUM Magazine, Story Works (a K-12 storytelling program), Ilakucaraq and Thrive Together (youth identity-building and after-school programs), Leadership Anchorage and the Nudlaghi Leadership Institute (adult leadership development), and a suite of fee-based conversation and facilitation workshops. Its core technology stack is non-applicable; value delivery rests on in-person convening, trained facilitation staff, and a statewide partner network rather than on software products.

AKHF's business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding structure. Earned revenue comes from FORUM Magazine print sales ($20/issue), fee-based workshop and strategic planning services sold to enterprise clients such as the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Central Peninsula Hospital, the Alaska Court System, and the Mat-Su Health Foundation, and tuition for leadership retreats at the Nudlaghi Leadership Institute. Contributed revenue comes from individual and organizational donations (Tax ID 92-0042123) and competitive grants — most notably from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Alaska Mental Health Trust. AKHF also operates as a regrantor through Stories Grants, Dialogues Grants (up to $5,000), and Kindling Conversation Stipends, distributing funds to Alaska nonprofits and community organizations. The organization has 11-50 employees and operates without disclosed financials, and its April 2025 loss of significant NEH funding has prompted an explicit strategic shift toward monetized services.

Name

Alaska Humanities Forum

Legal name

Alaska Humanities Forum

Website

https://akhf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Alaska Humanities Forum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 that convenes Alaskans across difference through youth storytelling programs, leadership development, paid workshop and facilitation services, FORUM Magazine, and regranting to community organizations statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Humanities Programming

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE), Community Engagement & Service-Learning Partnerships (EDALAOAI)

Keywords

• Humanities programming
• Community facilitation
• Leadership development
• Storytelling education
• Grantmaking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Anchorage

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations to support programming. All donations are tax-deductible with Tax ID #92-0042123. 5% of every undesignated gift is deposited to the Alaska Humanities Endowment Fund.
2. FORUM Magazine Sales: The updated FORUM Magazine is sold for $20/issue, which supports printing, shipping, and future Storytelling Fellows cohorts.
3. Grants from National Endowment for the Humanities: As one of 56 state and territorial humanities councils, AKHF receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). In April 2025, significant funding from NEH was terminated, presenting challenges to the organization's operations.
4. Workshop and Facilitation Services: The Forum offers fee-based workshop and strategic planning services to organizations, businesses, and networks across Alaska, including leadership development, cultural responsiveness training, and community engagement facilitation.
5. Grantmaking Program: AKHF provides grants to organizations across Alaska including Stories Grants, Dialogues Grants (up to $5,000), and Kindling Conversation Stipends, supporting humanities-based community projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Alaska Humanities Forum is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that designs and facilitates experiences to bridge distance and difference across Alaska. It offers youth storytelling programs (Story Works, Thrive Together, Ilakucaraq), leadership development (Leadership Anchorage, Nudlaghi Leadership Institute), cross-cultural educator programming (C3), and fee-based workshop and facilitation services for organizations. It also publishes FORUM Magazine and provides grant funding (Stories Grants, Dialogues Grants) to support humanities-based community projects statewide.

Product overview

The Alaska Humanities Forum is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of humanities and community-building programs rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include FORUM Magazine (a print and digital publication featuring Alaskan stories), educational programs for youth (Story Works, Ilakucaraq, Thrive Together, C3), leadership development (Leadership Anchorage, Nudlaghi Leadership Institute), and community dialogue facilitation through workshops (Storytelling to Build Community, Leading Conversations, Depolarizing Conversations, Facilitating Through Conflict) and downloadable Kindling Conversation Toolkits. The organization also offers Workshop and Facilitation Services for external organizations and provides grant funding through Stories Grants and Dialogues Grants to support Alaskan storytelling projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FORUM Magazine: Publication that shares Alaskan stories through powerful writing and images, published seasonally.
• Story Works
• Leadership Anchorage
• Nudlaghi Leadership Institute

Products and services

• FORUM Magazine A print and digital publication that shares Alaskan stories through powerful writing and images, featuring writing by Alaskan authors and Storytelling Fellows.
• Story Works A two-week storytelling workshop program for middle and high school students that teaches youth to develop and share personal stories, building confidence and listening skills.
• Ilakucaraq Program A youth identity-building program that helped students in grades 6-12 develop positive cultural identities through activities like 'I Am' poems and immersion experiences.
• Leadership Anchorage A nine-month leadership development program that teaches participants what leadership truly means within the Anchorage community through monthly sessions and mentorship.
• Thrive Together An after-school program for middle and high school students focused on increasing post-secondary access through connection-based activities, field trips, and cultural identity building.
• Kindling Conversation Toolkits Free downloadable conversation toolkits with guides, springboards, and community agreements for facilitators to host discussions on topics like gender, death, family, homelessness, creativity, and journalism.
• C3 Program (Conversations Across Generations) A program for educators that builds cross-cultural understanding and provides professional development through immersive experiences in western Alaska communities.
• Nudlaghi Leadership Institute Leadership retreats including Courageous Leading, Following, and Building Trust; Executive Leadership in Complex Times; and Leadership in a Polarized World programs.
• Workshop and Facilitation Services Customized workshop and strategic planning services for organizations, businesses, and networks including community input facilitation, staff retreats, and board meetings.
• Stories Grants Funding for projects that build an inclusive narrative of Alaska by amplifying underrecognized stories, resulting in films, publications, podcasts, and other storytelling formats.
• Dialogues Grants Funding up to $5,000 for organizations to design and facilitate community dialogues around topics important to Alaskans.
• Kindling Conversation Stipends Conversation toolkits provided to individuals and organizations to support community dialogue facilitation.
• Governor's Arts and Humanities Awards Annual partnership to recognize and honor noteworthy contributions to arts and humanities in Alaska, celebrating recipients across individual artist, organization, and leadership categories.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 students served by Story Works program since 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key, supporting, client and grantee.

• Alaska State Council on the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2024Long-standing partnership for the annual Governor's Arts and Humanities Awards ceremony and the Alaska State Writer Laureate Program. The Awards recognize noteworthy contributions to arts and humanities in Alaska.
• Alaska Arts and Culture FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2024Partner in the Governor's Arts and Humanities Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to arts and humanities across Alaska.
• KTOO Public MediakeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Culture Rich Conversations' weekly radio program produced by KTOO and the Black Awareness Association of Juneau, sharing stories of Black Alaskans.
• Black Awareness Association of JuneaukeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with KTOO on Culture Rich Conversations radio program, bringing discussions about racism and Black culture to the Juneau community.
• Alaska Native Heritage CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organization for Ilakucaraq program immersion trips, providing cultural programming and facilities for youth participants.
• Alaska Native Tribal Health ConsortiumclientStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization receiving customized Forum workshop and team-building facilitation services.
• Central Peninsula HospitalclientStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare organization receiving Forum facilitation and leadership development services.
• Mat-Su Health FoundationclientStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation receiving Forum strategic planning and community engagement facilitation services.
• Alaska Court SystemclientStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment organization receiving Forum facilitation services.
• United Way of AnchorageclientStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit receiving Forum workshop facilitation services.
• Alaska Pacific UniversityclientStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity receiving Forum facilitation and workshop services.
• Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC)granteeStrategic or Co-development PartnerDialogues Grant recipient hosting an Interior Housing Forum to produce actionable strategies for sustainable housing in Alaskan communities.
• Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AKPIRG)granteeStrategic or Co-development PartnerDialogues Grant recipient hosting community conversations on Alaska Native language access.
• Anchorage Coalition to End HomelessnessgranteeStrategic or Co-development PartnerDialogues Grant recipient for Voices of our Neighbors community conversation initiative.
• See StorieskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward recipient at 2024 Governor's Arts and Humanities Awards in Education category; teaches filmmaking to youth across Alaska.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Montana Humanities Council: Montana's state humanities council with a similarly rural/geographically dispersed service area, running grants, programming, and community dialogue initiatives comparable to AKHF.
• Oregon Humanities: Another state humanities council with a comparable mission of using humanities programming to foster community connection, dialogue, and storytelling. Directly comparable as a fellow NEH-affiliated state council with similar program mix including workshops, publications, and grants.
• California Humanities: California's state humanities council delivering storytelling, dialogue, and community grant programs similar to AKHF. Operates at much larger scale but with parallel program architecture (public workshops, youth programs, community grants, magazine-style content).
• HumanitiesDC: DC's state humanities council offering grants, public programming, and storytelling initiatives with a comparable community-humanities model. Smaller-scale but directly analogous in operating model.
• Humanities Washington: Washington state's humanities council running Speakers Bureau, grants, and community programs. Directly comparable as a Pacific Northwest state humanities council with similar program mix.

Broad incumbents

• National Endowment for the Humanities: The federal funder supporting all 56 state and territorial humanities councils including AKHF. Acts as the institutional umbrella and primary funding parent, making it the most relevant incumbent in the space despite being a federal agency rather than a peer organization.

Emerging players

• Alaska Native Heritage Center: Anchorage-based cultural institution that hosts AKHF's Ilakucaraq program immersion trips and operates in an adjacent cultural-preservation and education niche. Comparable as an Alaska-focused humanities/cultural organization with overlapping audiences.

Others

• Rasmuson Foundation: Alaska's largest private foundation, supporting arts, culture, and humanities across the state. While a funder rather than a peer organization, it is the most relevant philanthropic counterpart and shapes the Alaska humanities funding ecosystem in which AKHF operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/akhumanities
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlaskaHumanitiesForum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alaska-humanities-forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Alaska Humanities Forum