About Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation makes targeted, program-focused grants that support poetry promotion and poetry education at a national level. In this grant cycle they funded a single large award to Mid Atlantic Arts to support the Poetry Out Loud program, indicating a priority on competitive youth poetry education and national program partnerships rather than broad local giving.
Focus Areas
National youth poetry education (Poetry Out Loud)Support for intermediary arts organizations that administer poetry programsPromotion and dissemination of poetry through structured competitions and outreach
Who They Fund
poets of African descent / African diasporaIndigenous Nations poetsAsian Pacific American communitieswriters and poets of color (BIPOC)poetry centers, presses, and arts organizationsindividual prize recipients (established and emerging poets)
About Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation’s recent grantmaking is defined by large, program-focused awards for poetry education and national poetry infrastructure. Its biggest recent grant was $500,000 to Mid Atlantic Arts for Poetry Out Loud, a signal that competitive youth recitation sits near the center of its work. The foundation also supports prize-based recognition for poets, including a $114,204 award for recitation prizes and multiple $100,000 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize grants across recent years. Beyond prizes and contests, the foundation funds poetry programs that are delivered through intermediary arts organizations and university partners. One example is the University of Nebraska’s African Poetry Book Distribution Project, which received a three-year grant of $112,500, followed by additional special-project support through the University of Nebraska Foundation in 2024 and 2025. That pattern shows a funder that mixes large national partnerships with targeted literary projects. Its recent awards also include support for Equity in Verse, a recurring line tied to poets and organizations serving communities of color, Indigenous Nations poets, and Asian Pacific American literary work.
What Poetry Foundation Funds
A clear theme in The Poetry Foundation’s grantmaking is youth poetry education. In 2025, it gave $500,000 to Mid Atlantic Arts for Poetry Out Loud, and the same year it awarded $114,204 for recitation prizes. Together, those grants show sustained support for structured poetry competition and public performance. The foundation also backs literary equity initiatives. It awarded $95,000 to Woodland Pattern Inc for poetry programs, partnerships, and innovation and Equity in Verse for In-Na-Po, Indigenous Nations poets, and $65,000 to the Smithsonian Institution for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. A third focus is poetry distribution and publishing. The University of Nebraska received $112,500 for the African Poetry Book Distribution Project, while the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses received $60,000 for poetry programs, partnerships and innovation. These grants point to support for both access to poetry and the organizations that circulate it.
How Poetry Foundation Gives
The typical grant size is small relative to a few flagship awards: p25 is $200, median is $1,000, and p75 is $20,000. That spread suggests a mix of modest awards and occasional large program grants. Recent records also show repeated support across years for the same organizations and initiatives, including multi-year funding and recurring prize grants. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and funds individuals as well as organizations. Several active program lines accept unsolicited proposals, including Equity Verse, Sustainable Futures Grants, General Operating Support, Renewal & Recovery, Programs, Partnerships & Innovation, and Special Opportunities.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.7M
Total Assets
$313.2M
Total Revenue
$13.8M
Total Expenses
$16.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $200 and $20K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$200
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$20K
Geographic Reach
National55 states funded
About 10% of grants go to recipients in MO.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Poetry Foundation Funds
Top 8 recipient countries by grant volume for Poetry Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 746 | $12M | 98.7% |
| 2 | Puerto Rico | 3 | $400 |
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