More About NCH

About the Coalition

A consortium of over 60 organizations, the National Coalition for History (NCH) advocates on federal legislative and regulatory issues affecting historians, archivists, teachers, researchers, and other stakeholders. Since 1982, the National Coalition for History (formerly the National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History) has served as the voice for the historical and archival professions in Washington, DC. The history coalition is a non-profit organization organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. NCH is solely supported by contributions from its member organizations and the general public. Make a donation ».

In addition to its advocacy efforts, NCH serves a vital role in providing news and information from Washington. In 1995, the history coalition began publishing the NCH Washington Update, a weekly round up of history and archival news from the Nation’s capital. In 2007, the weekly newsletter was supplemented by a blogging capability that provides real-time access to news as it is being made. These reports provide current information on legislation, hearings, markups, and regulatory issues of concern to historians and archivists. Both the newsletter subscription and/or RSS feed, are free and provided as a public service.

In 2011, NCH’s priority issues include:

  • Federal funding for the National Archives and Records Administration, including the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC); the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH); the “Teaching American History” grants program at the U.S. Department of Education; historical and preservation programs at the National Park Service; the Smithsonian Institution; and the Library of Congress.
  • Legislation affecting the disclosure and declassification of federal documents, the Presidential Records Reform Act, presidential libraries, the digitization of federal records, and the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act as it affects history education.
  • Federal agency and regulatory issues such as the declassification of federal records as mandated by Executive Order 13526 and maximizing access for historians and researchers to federal records and facilities.