Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation

Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation Grants provide support to nonprofit organizations invested in at least one of the following priorities:

  • Broadening the audiences for poetry;
  • Increasing access to poetry;
  • New collaborations and partnerships in poetry;
  • Innovations in the field of poetry, including investment in new technologies.

Grants range in size from $10,000-$75,000, and all grants are for a 12-month period.

Eligibility

Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation Grants are only available to US-based nonprofit organizations. There are two types of support in this category: general operating support and program support.

To apply for general operating support, you must be a nonprofit organization with a poetry-centric mission. If you are not a poetry-based nonprofit organization, then you will need to apply for program support. Multi-genre literary arts organizations and publications must apply for program support in this category. If you are a nonprofit organization with multiple types of poetry programs, your application for program support can include a request to fund multiple programs.

As part of our commitment to diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging, the Poetry Foundation prioritizes support for nonprofit organizations led by and/or with programming designed by and for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Disability, and other historically resilient communities.

If you have a question about your eligibility or which category of support you qualify for, please [email protected] before applying.

How to Apply

To apply, you will need to request access through the Poetry Foundation’s online portal. You will be required to submit a registration request. If your registration is approved, you will receive login credentials in order to access the portal and submit an application. Please note that it can take up to three business days for your registration request to be processed. Also, please check your spam folder if you do not receive an email response to your registration request within three business days.

As part of our commitment to accessibility, the Poetry Foundation offers alternative application formats (e.g., audio format, video format, and interview with transcription). Please contact [email protected] or call 312-799-8072 at least two weeks prior to the application deadline to arrange for a method of submitting your organization’s application that best meets the accessibility needs of the applicant.

For any questions about the application process or to schedule a conversation about your application, please contact [email protected].

Deadlines

December 2024 marks the conclusion of the Poetry Foundation’s initial 3-year commitment to grantmaking. Pending Board approval in December, the Foundation will be announcing a new grantmaking strategy in early 2025 with updated priorities, eligibility guidelines, and deadlines. We will send out this update to all the applicants in our system.

Reporting Requirements

Grantees will be asked to submit a short final report within 30 days of the grant’s end date. A final report form will be sent to grantees before the deadline.

Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation Recipients