Legal Definitions - National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities

The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is an independent federal foundation that supports progress in the humanities and the arts. It does this by providing support to three organizations:

• The National Endowment for the Arts
• The National Endowment for the Humanities
• The Institute of Museum and Library Services

The foundation was created by Congress in 1965.

For example, the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities might provide funding to the National Endowment for the Arts to support a theater production or to the Institute of Museum and Library Services to help a museum create a new exhibit. By providing this support, the foundation helps to promote and advance the arts and humanities in the United States.