The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities aims to develop the civic, cultural, and intellectual life of the Commonwealth of Virginia by creating learning opportunities for all Virginians. In March 2018 it assumed the new, shortened name Virginia Humanities. VFH aims to bring the humanities fully into Virginia's public life, assisting individuals and communities in their efforts to understand the past, confront important issues in the present, and shape a promising future.
VFH activities are conducted through direct funding, through working partnerships with other organizations, and through statewide and national initiatives. VFH's areas of focus are broken down into:
Books, Reading, and Literacy—the importance of the text as a means of transmitting, exploring, and broadening our understanding of the human experience.
Violence and Culture—the roots of violence and personal dislocation, and the struggle for individual survival and self-determination within systems of violence.
Rights and Responsibilities—the still-evolving American traditions of self-government and justice, and the special role Virginia has played in shaping the concept of freedom worldwide.
Science, Technology, and Social Change—advances in science and technology, the challenges and opportunities they create, and how they are redefining culture and community life.
Virginia History—the stories of Virginia, its people and institutions, with particular emphasis on the history of minority communities in the state.
VFH operates both the Virginia Center for the Book and the annual Virginia Festival of the Book. VFH produces the radio showWith Good Reason.
BackStory was a weekly podcast, formerly a radio show, that used current events in America to take a deep dive into our past. Hosted by noted U.S. historians, each episode provides listeners with different perspectives on a particular theme or subject. The podcast is hosted by Brian Balogh, Ed Ayers, Nathan Connolly, and Joanne Freeman. Peter S. Onuf, along with Balogh and Ayers, founded the podcast in 2008. The show ended in 2020.
''Encyclopedia Virginia''
Encyclopedia Virginia is a multi-year project of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. "The purpose of EV is to become the first point of reference for all users interested in Virginia and to provide authoritative and accessible information for students, teachers, scholars, and business, industry, and government when they have a question about Virginia's history and culture." On May 24, 2007, The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities announced a $100,000 grant from Dominion Energy's Dominion Foundation for Encyclopedia Virginia.
