Reflecting on Three Years of Grantmaking and Looking Ahead
Grantmaking Updates at the Poetry Foundation
An author reads from her book published by the University of Guam Press. Photo courtesy of University of Guam Press.
In December 2021, the Poetry Foundation launched its first-ever grantmaking strategy, a three-year, $9 million commitment to support nonprofit literary arts organizations to strengthen the field of poetry. The grantmaking program focused on:
- Investing in the capacity and sustainability of nonprofit literary and poetry organizations, presses, publications, and diverse leadership through general operating grants.
- Broadening audiences for poetry and fostering new programming collaborations through program support and special opportunities grants.
- Awarding emergency grants towards COVID-19 pandemic relief and support for small presses to help stabilize the field in times of crisis.
As we reflect on this journey, we extend our deepest gratitude to our grantee-partners and community stakeholders for their contributions and insights, which helped shape the program and our plans for its future.
Grantmaking Impact
Since 2022, the Foundation has awarded 445 grants totaling more than $9 million to 277 nonprofit organizations, presses, and publications across 42 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. These grants supported the operations of nonprofit poetry and literary arts organizations as well as several initiatives, including:
- Fellowships, retreats, and residencies for poets through CantoMundo, Indigenous Nations Poets, the Sonia Sanchez Poetry Fellowship at MacDowell, The Watering Hole, Under the Volcano, and United States Artists.
- Poetry and book festivals, including American Writers Museum’s American Writers Festival, CityLit Festival, Kalamazoo Poetry Festival, and Printer’s Row Literary Festival.
- Poetry events presented by Academy of American Poets, Cave Canem, Chicago Poetry Center, Guild Literary Complex, Kitchen Table Literary Arts, Mass Poetry, Puha Hubiya, and O, Miami.
- Publication of poetry collections and magazines by Alice James Press, Bamboo Ridge, Cardboard House Press, Foglifter Journal, National Poetry Series, Noemi Press, RHINO Poetry, Torch Literary Arts, University of Guam Press, and Words Without Borders.
- In- and after-school poetry workshops by organizations like InsideOut Literary Arts, Nebraska Writers Collective, Young Chicago Authors, and Youth Speaks.
- Community workshops for adults by Beyond Baroque and Community Literature Initiative, including workshops for those who are incarcerated offered by Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop, Poetic Justice, and Radical Reversal.
View our grantees in Equity in Verse, Poetry Program, Partnership, and Innovation, and Renewal and Recovery and explore their profiles.
For more information about the evolution of our grantmaking, read “A Literary Magazine Received $200 Million. Twenty Years Later, It’s a Poetry Funding Powerhouse” from Inside Philanthropy.
Community-Based, Peer Review Process
Our community-based, peer review of grant applications process has been a cornerstone of our commitment to equity and transparency. Nearly 100 peer reviewers from across the United States who are primarily poets with experience in the literary arts nonprofit sector read, scored, and deliberated more than 1,200 grant applications. We extend our appreciation to the reviewers we have worked with over these past three years. Their expertise and thoughtful engagement have been instrumental in shaping our funding decisions.
Grantee Perception Survey Results
In 2024, the Poetry Foundation partnered with the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) to conduct our first Grantee Perception Survey. With a 65% response rate, grantee-partners shared candid feedback that highlighted:
Strengths
- The Foundation’s commitment to supporting organizations led by and supporting historically underserved poets and communities
- The Foundation's contributions to cultivating knowledge in the field of poetry
- The approachability and responsiveness of our grants staff
Opportunities
- Providing multi-year funding
- Offering capacity-building support and hosting convenings
- Using the Poetry Foundation’s platforms to amplify grantees’ work
The full survey results are available as a report on CEP's website. This feedback has been invaluable in refining our grantmaking practices. We are deeply grateful to the CEP for their partnership and to our grantee partners for sharing their thoughtful insights.
Helene Achanzar, Chicago Poetry Center’s director of programs, reciting a poem. Photo courtesy of Chicago Poetry Center.
Looking Ahead: The 2025-2027 Grantmaking Strategy
Building on the success of the past three years of investing in the sector, the Poetry Foundation has renewed its commitment to grantmaking, with the following updates:
- Multi-Year Support: Providing multi-year grants to an invited cohort of past Equity in Verse grantee-partners, to be announced in June 2025.
- General Operating Support: Committing our grantmaking to more general operating grants, increasing from 60% to 90%, for nonprofit poetry-based organizations, publications, and presses, as well as literary arts service organizations. Limited program support will be available through special opportunities grants.
- Dedicated Press and Publication Support: Creating a separate grant category and application tailored to nonprofit poetry presses and publications.
- Strengthened Relationships: Deepening engagement with grantee partners through site visits, convenings, and increased intentional communication.
These changes reflect our ongoing commitment to strengthening the poetry sector and advancing our mission to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry.
Next Steps
The updated grant guidelines are now available, and applications for the next cycle will open on June 2, 2025 with a July 15 deadline. We encourage you to explore the new materials and reach out with any questions at [email protected]. The grants staff will host an information session on these new guidelines and answer questions from the community on February 26, 2025. Learn more and register.
Thank you for your continued partnership and dedication to advancing poetry and the literary arts. We look forward to building on the foundation of these first three years and supporting the incredible work of our community in the years to come.
About the Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation recognizes the power of words to transform lives. The Foundation works to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry. Follow the Poetry Foundation and Poetry magazine on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Media Contacts
Liz O’Connell-Thompson, Media Manager, [email protected]
Moyo Abiona, Media Associate, [email protected]