The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts is a publicly funded agency within New Hampshire's Department of Cultural Resources. It began in 1965 with the passage of a law designed "to insure that the role of the arts in the life of our communities will continue to grow and play an ever more significant part in the education and welfare of our citizens." Funding comes from state appropriations and from the National Endowment for the Arts. By law, the Arts Council can also accept private, tax-deductible donations and bequests.