Our History
CCH is an independent, nonprofit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Originally a granting organization, the Council began to create and manage humanities programs and projects of its own in the early 1990s and is now a leader in statewide humanities programming, with a grants program connected to its programming efforts.
The Council is governed by a volunteer board of 20 to 26 members. Six board members are appointed by the governor of California; the remaining members are nominated by the public and elected by the Council. All serve without pay for three-year terms, which are renewable once.