About National Book Foundation
The National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate the best literature published in the United States, connect books with readers of all ages, and champion the literary arts as a vital part of our culture.
Focus Areas
literaturereading promotionliterary artsbook accesseducationpublic programmingcapacity building for literary nonprofits
Who They Fund
writers/poets/authors (individual artists)literary nonprofits and small arts organizationslocal literary communities
Funding Style
emergency/rapid-response funding
About National Book Foundation
National Book Foundation Inc channels much of its giving through the Literary Arts Emergency Fund, with 2023 grants reaching a broad mix of literary organizations, book festivals, writers’ programs, and community book spaces. The pattern shows direct support for organizations that help keep literary life active when budgets are tight, alongside the foundation’s longer-running work around reading, awards, and access to books. In the recent grants list, the largest awards were $50,000 grants to the Zora Neale Hurstonrichard Wright Foundation, Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation, Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop, and Word Up Community Bookshop. Those grants sit alongside support for groups such as Culturetrust Greater Philadelphia and the Research Foundation of the City University of New York, indicating a portfolio that includes both local literary communities and citywide or regional partners. The foundation’s program lineup also includes the Teacher Fellowship, 5 Under 35, Science + Literature, Literature for Justice Fund, Capacity Building Grant Program, and Book Rich Environments. Together, those programs point to a funder that supports writers, teachers, literary nonprofits, and book access initiatives as part of a broader literary arts mission.
What National Book Foundation Funds
A clear thread in National Book Foundation Inc’s grantmaking is emergency stabilization for literary organizations. The Literary Arts Emergency Fund supplied $25,000 grants to Brooklyn Book Festival Inc, Kearny Street Workshop Inc, and Seattle Arts & Lectures, as well as $15,000 to Boston Book Festival Inc, showing support for public-facing literary institutions and programming groups. The foundation also funds community-based reading and writing work. It gave $25,000 to Writers in the Schools in Houston for the emergency fund, and $25,000 to Austin Bat Cave and Texas Book Festival in Austin for the same program, linking its support to organizations that connect books with readers and writers. Its portfolio extends to literary organizations working at the intersection of justice and access. The Literature for Justice Fund and Book Rich Environments program indicate support for justice-focused literary projects and free-book distribution to children in public housing communities.
How National Book Foundation Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$210K
Total Assets
$5.5M
Total Revenue
$2.9M
Total Expenses
$3.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $15K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$15K
Geographic Reach
National28 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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