▁fund ed ▁through ▁private ▁don ations , ▁found ations , ▁corpor ations , ▁and / or ▁state ▁fund ing . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁NE H ▁was ▁initially ▁ske pt ical ▁of ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁local ▁programming ▁entities ▁on ▁the ▁model ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁End ow ment ▁for ▁the ▁Arts ▁( NE A ), ▁which , ▁by ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁had ▁created ▁state - based ▁arts ▁ag encies ▁in ▁every ▁state . ▁However , ▁under ▁pressure ▁from ▁Congress ▁and ▁especially ▁Sen . ▁Cla ib or ne ▁P ell , ▁the ▁NE H ▁began ▁to ▁experiment ▁with ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁non - g overn ment al ▁state - based ▁comm itte es ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁The ▁initial ▁mission ▁of ▁these ▁comm itte es ▁was ▁to ▁facil itate ▁conversation ▁about ▁public ▁policy . ▁Res pond ing ▁to ▁further ▁pressure ▁from ▁Congress ▁to ▁transform ▁the ▁comm itte es ▁into ▁state ▁ag encies , ▁as ▁the ▁NE A ▁had ▁done , ▁the ▁NE H ▁instead ▁began ▁working ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁comm itte es ' ▁aut onomy . ▁By ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁the ▁comm itte es ' ▁programming ▁ag end as ▁had ▁been ▁greatly ▁bro aden ed ▁and ▁the ▁NE H ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁them ▁as ▁" state ▁human ities ▁coun c ils ." ▁The ▁Federation ▁of ▁State ▁Human ities ▁Coun c ils ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁as ▁a ▁membership ▁organization ▁for ▁the ▁state ▁coun c ils . ▁ ▁List ▁of ▁state ▁human