The Poetry Foundation
Accepts applications
The Poetry Foundation is a private foundation in Chicago, Illinois. In tax year 2024 it gave $3.7 million in 179 grants; the typical grant was $20,000 and the largest $500,000. It accepts applications; its filing gives the instructions below.
From its IRS Form 990-PF for tax year 2024.
- Grants paid, 2024$3.7 million
- Number of grants179
- Typical grant$20,000
- Largest grant$500,000
- Assets$313 million
- New grantees68%
Giving in 2024 was up from $3.4 million the year before.
68% of its 2024 grantees had not received a grant from it the year before, a sign it is open to new organizations.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Number of grants | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $3.4 million | 163 | $299 million |
| 2024 | $3.7 million | 179 | $313 million |
How to apply
| Contact | Michelle T Boone President 61 W Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60654 |
|---|---|
| Phone or email | (312) 799-8072, grants@poetryfoundation.org |
| What to submit | The foundation awards grants to us-based nonprofit organizations through multiple initiatives including equity in verse and poetry programs, partnerships, and innovation. Using a competitive application review process, grants are awarded in the form of general operating support for poetry-based nonprofit organizations and in the form of program support for poetry programs at nonprofit organizations. |
| Deadlines | Guidelines and deadlines are available on the fnd's website at www.poetryfoundation.org/grants |
| Restrictions | Contact the organization |
Foundation website IRS filings on ProPublica
What The Poetry Foundation funds
Where it gives
Its US grants went to recipients in 35 states, the most to Illinois. It also paid $10,000 in 1 grant to recipients outside the US.
| State | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 44 | $1.0 million |
| Maryland | 5 | $589,000 |
| New York | 29 | $566,650 |
| California | 17 | $307,750 |
| Florida | 5 | $135,000 |
| District of Columbia | 5 | $129,000 |
| New Jersey | 5 | $107,000 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $106,122 |
| Massachusetts | 7 | $100,600 |
| Texas | 6 | $99,000 |
Grants paid in 2024
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mid Atlantic Arts | Grant for poetry out loud | $500,000 |
| Individual | $114,204 | |
| University of Nebraska Foundation | Special projects and opportunities grant for african poetry book fund at the university of nebraska | $106,122 |
| Individual | Ruth lilly poetry prize | $100,000 |
| Community of Literary Magazines and Presses | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $60,000 |
| Cave Canem | Equity in verse grant | $55,000 |
| Board of Trustees at Illinois State University | Equity in verse grant for obsidian: literature & arts in the african diaspora | $50,000 |
| Community Literature Initiative | Equity in verse grant | $50,000 |
| Ideas Xlab | Special opportunities grant | $50,000 |
| Poetry Center of Chicago | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $50,000 |
| Poets House Inc | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $50,000 |
| Third World Press Foundation Inc | Equity in verse grant | $50,000 |
| Woodland Pattern Inc | Equity in verse grant for in-na-po, indigenous nations poets | $50,000 |
| Taller Comunidad la Goyco Inc | Equity in verse grant | $45,000 |
| Woodland Pattern Inc | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $45,000 |
| Young Chicago Authors | Equity in verse grant | $45,000 |
| Academy of American Poets Inc | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $40,000 |
| Cardboard House Press | Equity in verse grant | $40,000 |
| Citylit Project Inc | Equity in verse grant | $40,000 |
| Guild Complex | Equity in verse grant | $40,000 |
| James Madison University Foundation | Equity in verse grant for furious flower poetry center | $40,000 |
| Kuumba Lynx | Equity in verse grant | $40,000 |
| Mass Poetry | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $40,000 |
| Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $40,000 |
| Noemi Press | Equity in verse grant | $40,000 |
| O Miami Inc | Equity in verse grant | $40,000 |
| Poetic Justice Incorporated | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $40,000 |
| Radical Reversal | Equity in verse grant | $40,000 |
| Split This Rock | Equity in verse grant | $40,000 |
| Torch Literary Arts | Equity in verse grant | $40,000 |
| Youth Speaks Inc | Equity in verse grant | $40,000 |
| Bamboo Ridge Press | Equity in verse grant | $35,000 |
| Letras Latinas at University of Notre Dames Institute for Latino Studies | Equity in verse grant | $35,000 |
| O Miami Inc | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $35,000 |
| Reading Between the Lines | Equity in verse grant | $35,000 |
| The Care Center | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $35,000 |
| Words of the People | Equity in verse grant | $35,000 |
| World Poetry Books | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $35,000 |
| Alice James Poetry Cooperative Inc | Poetry programs, partnerships and innovation grant | $30,000 |
| American Poetry Museum | Equity in verse grant | $30,000 |
Officers and trustees
- Michelle Boone
- Caren Yanis
- Eugene Lowe
- Kary McIlwain
- Andrew Jacobs
- Stuart Miller
- Angel Ysaguirre
- John Bracken
- Cecilia Conrad
- Gwendolyn Perry Davis
- Fabiola Delgado
- Michael Fassnacht
- Deborah Gillespie
- Marguerite Griffin
- Parneshia Jones
Questions people ask
Does The Poetry Foundation accept grant applications?
Yes. Its latest IRS filing says it accepts applications, with this on deadlines: Guidelines and deadlines are available on the fnd's website at www.poetryfoundation.org/grants.
How much does The Poetry Foundation give?
$3.7 million in tax year 2024, across 179 grants, with a typical grant of $20,000.
Who runs The Poetry Foundation?
Its 2024 filing lists Michelle Boone (President), Caren Yanis (Trustee-Thru April 2024), Eugene Lowe (Vice Chair) and Kary McIlwain (Vice Chair-Thru April 2024) among 15 officers and trustees.
What does The Poetry Foundation fund?
Based on its grants, mainly arts and culture, education and international.