On April 27, 2023 at 9 a.m. CDT, at Impact House (200 W. Madison St. FL 2, Chicago, IL 60606), Illinois Humanities will host the Breakfast and Report Release of History Is Happening: The State of Humanities Organizations in Illinois During COVID-19, a report describing the context for the nearly $2.4 million in relief and recovery grants Illinois Humanities distributed to 359 organizations in response to COVID-19. In the most essential way, the grants succeeded in providing relief and enabled organizations to “get back to business.” However, relief funding brought to light the significant “public goods” that humanities organizations provide to their communities: well-being, social cohesion, bridge building, and civic engagement — essential building blocks of an equitable recovery. Utilizing data collected from grantee partners in conjunction with state demographic, health and economic information, and national findings on attitudes about arts and culture, History is Happening’s findings illuminate the state’s humanities’ ecosystem and point to exciting opportunities for Illinois to support a thriving cultural infrastructure that can strengthen the livability of the state for all residents, especially for some of the most vulnerable in our communities.  Copies of the report will be available in print and PDF formats, and attendees will have a chance to ask questions during the program.  Registration for the event is available on Illinois Humanities’, www.ilhumanities.org.  History Is Happening: The State of Humanities Organizations in Illinois During COVID-19 will be published April 27 at ILHumanities.org/covid-19.