Situated at the meeting point of North Florida’s rolling sandhills and the vast wetlands that feed its springs, Alachua County is a place where history feels close at hand. Red-brick streets wind past century-old storefronts and university halls, while just blocks away, museums, libraries, and cultural centers open their doors to neighbors and visitors alike. Here, heritage and education flow together—where a book festival can fill a hotel ballroom, a library storytime can welcome families from across the world, and a public lecture can spark conversations that carry on over coffee. Thanks to Florida Humanities, these moments have not been rare—they have become part of the county’s rhythm, preserving cultural heritage, strengthening education, and building community.
Florida Humanities was founded in 1973 as Florida’s state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, created to bring history, literature, ethics, philosophy, and other disciplines into the public square. Its mission is to preserve, promote, and share the history, literature, cultures, and personal stories that help Floridians better understand themselves, their communities, and their state. Since its founding, the organization has awarded more than $20 million in grants to museums, libraries, historical societies, and cultural organizations—expanding access to the humanities for all Floridians, from small towns to major cities. In Alachua County alone, recent grants have totaled over $286,700, supporting projects that range from Smithsonian exhibitions to poetry festivals.
That mission has taken root in Alachua County in ways both intimate and expansive. Sometimes it begins in a quiet library meeting room, where the Alachua County Library District’s English for Families program brought parents, children, and grandparents together around a shared storybook. Funded in part by a $16,700 Florida Humanities grant, the program blended language learning with community building—families practiced English, created crafts, and, in many cases, formed friendships that lasted well beyond the final session. “We wouldn’t have tried this kind of program without that funding, without that help,” recalled Literacy Coordinator Barbara Reardon. She remembers the joy of seeing families from different countries exchange phone numbers: “When you move, you’re living somewhere away from home. Being able to form community is one of the challenges. To facilitate that with those families was a success story for us.”
That same spirit of connection found a larger stage at the Sunshine State Book Festival, organized by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. With $25,000 in Florida Humanities support since 2019, the festival has transformed Gainesville into an annual hub for literary discoveries where book lovers browse tables, meet authors from across Florida, and attend lively panel discussions. Former WAG grant writer Mallory O’Connor credits Florida Humanities as “an invaluable partner… Without the support of Florida Humanities we would not have offered such robust programming to our public.” Festival chair Jenny Dearinger agreed, noting that the organization “encourages us to bring the best programming possible to our community.” Over time, the festival has even become a destination for literary tourism, shining a light on Gainesville’s deep literary heritage and vibrant arts scene.
Florida Humanities’ commitment to public engagement has also extended to the University of Florida through its Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere (CHPS), which received $170,000 in funding in 2015 to host humanities seminars for high school students and present public programs through Humanities in the Sunshine State, a pair of week-long residential summer programs that brought students and educators from across Florida to Gainesville to explore the humanities. These events opened university spaces to the public, inviting residents to engage with scholars on topics ranging from literature and history to ethics and cultural heritage. “Florida Humanities has been a steadfast partner in helping us bring the humanities to new audiences,” said CHPS Director Jaime Ahlberg. “Their support allowed us to create programming that not only informed but actively involved people in the conversation.” By fostering discussions that welcomed diverse perspectives, CHPS helped strengthen the ties between campus and community, underscoring that the humanities are not confined to academia—they are part of the shared cultural fabric of everyday life.
But sustaining this kind of impact takes consistent support. Without Florida Humanities, many of these programs, especially those serving smaller towns, underrepresented audiences, or people new to the community—could face difficult choices about scaling back or closing altogether. To ensure these opportunities remain accessible, Florida Humanities has launched the Save Florida’s Stories campaign, a statewide effort to raise $300,000 by September 1 to sustain programming in all 67 counties. “Without this vital support, hundreds of local museums, libraries, and cultural nonprofits that rely on our grants—many with operating budgets under $500,000—face program cuts or even closure,” said Florida Humanities Executive Director Nashid Madyun. “We’re calling on supporters statewide to help us keep Florida’s stories alive.”
To help meet this goal, philanthropist Hugh Culverhouse Jr. has pledged to match all donations up to $250,000 through September 1, with an additional $50,000 in emergency funding from the Mellon Foundation bringing the total matching opportunity to $300,000. “For more than 50 years, Florida Humanities has preserved and shared the history and heritage of our state,” Culverhouse said. “It is the only organization of its kind in Florida, and I’m proud to offer a challenge to help save our state’s storyteller.” The stakes are clear: without this support, the impact will be felt in communities large and small—from bustling university towns like Gainesville to rural areas where a single grant might sustain the only public humanities program for miles.
There is still so much left to be written about Florida. The state’s stories—rooted in its history, shaped by its landscapes, and enriched by the voices of its people—are part of what binds communities together across generations. Florida Humanities has long been the steward of those stories, ensuring they are preserved, shared, and passed forward in ways that educate, inspire, and connect. The humanities ensure that the voices of the state’s elders, the creativity of its artists, and the histories of its communities are not lost to time.
Learn more about Florida Humanities and how they preserve the stories and heritage of the state, one county at a time.