National Book Foundation Inc
New York, NY · EIN 13-3347524. Reported 184 grants totalling $2,930,455 to 127 organizations across tax years 2020-2024, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. The IRS has no activity classification on file for this one, so we cannot tell you whether it is a community foundation or a single-institution support fund. The recipient list below is the better guide.
- How spread out its giving is. 127 distinct organizations, with 3% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 56% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 1 year-to-year transition. That is about the 56% median for grantmaking charities -- lower than the 67% median for private foundations. It describes the organizations it already funds, not whether it would consider a new one.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $15,000. Half of what it reported fell between $10,000 and $15,000; the smallest was $5,455 and the largest $50,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercantile Library Association of the City of New York | Brooklyn, NY | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop | St Paul, MN | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Writers in the Schools | Houston, TX | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Loft Inc | Minneapolis, MN | $65,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Zora Neale Hurstonrichard Wright Foundation | Washington, DC | $65,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Bookmarks | Winston Salem, NC | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Gemini Series Inc | San Antonio, TX | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Seven Stories Institute | New York, NY | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Small Press Distribution | Berkeley, CA | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Brooklyn Book Festival Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Literary Arts Inc | Portland, OR | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Research Foundation of the City University of New York | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Texas Book Festival | Austin, TX | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| The Muse Writers Center | Norfolk, VA | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation | Miami, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Association of Writers & Writing | Norfolk, VA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Culturetrust Greater Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Foundation for the Future of Literature and Literacy | Berkeley, CA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Greensboro Literary Organization | Greensboro, NC | $40,000 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| Herstory Writers Workshop Inc | Centereach, NY | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Inprint Inc | Houston, TX | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Pen Faulkner | Washington, DC | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Storyville Center for the Spoken Word Inc | New York, NY | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Community Foundation for Mississippi | Jackson, MS | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Girls Write Now Inc | New York, NY | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| American Literary Translators Assn | Tucson, AZ | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Boston Book Festival Inc | Brighton, MA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Miami Dade College Foundation Inc | Miami, FL | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Pen American Center Inc | New York, NY | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| The Tennessee Williams-New Orleans Literary Festival Inc | New Orleans, LA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Behind the Book Inc | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Buckeye Authors Book Fair Committee Inc | Wooster, OH | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Carnegie Literacy Center Inc | Lexington, KY | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Chapter 510 Ink | Oakland, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| City of Asylum Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Community-Word Project Inc | New York, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Contextos Nfp | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Kearny Street Workshop Inc | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kids Write Good | Austin, TX | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Louisville Story Program Inc | Louisville, KY | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| National Novel Writing Month | Berkeley, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Poets & Writers Inc | New York, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Porch Writers Collective | Nashville, TN | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Roots Wounds Words Inc | Middletown, DE | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Seattle Arts and Lectures Inc | Seattle, WA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Society of the Muse of the Southwest | Taos, NM | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Teachers and Writers Collaborative Inc | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Aspen Institute Inc | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Write Around Portland | Portland, OR | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Writers and Books Inc | Rochester, NY | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Young Mens Christian Association of Central New York Inc | Syracuse, NY | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| City Arts and Lectures Inc | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| House of Speakeasy Foundation | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Lighthouse Writers Workshop Inc | Denver, CO | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Log Cabin Literary Center Inc | Boise, ID | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Podium Foundation | Richmond, VA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| So Say We All | San Diego, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Tulsa Literary Coalition Inc | Tulsa, OK | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Writers Center Inc | Bethesda, MD | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Writers Room Inc | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Adirondack Center for Writing | Saranac Lake, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Alabama Writers Forum Inc | Montgomery, AL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Antenna | New Orleans, LA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Artefactus Cultural Project | Miami, FL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Authors Guild Fdn Inc | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Childrens Book Project | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Citylit Project Inc | Baltimore, MD | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cuatrogatos Foundation | Miami, FL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Foundation for Women Writing for a Change of Jacksonville Inc | Jacksonville, FL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Fund for Educational Excellence Inc | Baltimore, MD | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Fusion Partnerships Inc | Baltimore, MD | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| In Black Ink | St Paul, MN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Insideout Literary Arts Project | Detroit, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Kimbilio | Saint Louis, MO | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lafayette Library and Learningcenter Foundation | Lafayette, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Metro DC Community Center Inc | Washington, DC | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Red Salmon Arts | Austin, TX | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Room Project LLC | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| San Antonio Festival of Books Inc | San Antonio, TX | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Southern Lit Alliance | Chattanooga, TN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Charis Circle Inc | Decatur, GA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The Tuxedo Project | Detroit, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Word a Storytelling Sanctuary Inc | Thornton, CO | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wordplay Cincy | Cincinnati, OH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Yallfest Charleston | Charleston, SC | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| 826DC Inc | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Anaphora Literary Arts | Santa Monica, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Boyds Mills Inc | Milanville, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Chicago Humanities Festival | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City Lore Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cleveland Kids Book Bank | Cleveland, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Community Partners | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation | Dayton, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Dominican Writers Assoc Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Driftless Writing Center | Viroqua, WI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Dstl Arts | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Eleven Pictures Ltd | Keysville, VA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Every Child a Reader Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Everybody Wins D C Inc | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Faulkner Foundation | Solana Beach, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Fishtrap Inc | Enterprise, OR | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Independent Arts & Media | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Intersection for the Arts | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Iowa City Unesco City of Literature | Iowa City, IA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Literary Cleveland | Cleveland, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Literary Freedom Project Inc | Bronx, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Litquake Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Make Literary Productions Nfp | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Nebraska Writers Collective | Omaha, NE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| New Literary Project | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ny Writers Coalition Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Open Books Ltd | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Page 15 Inc | Orlando, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Philippine American Writers and Artists | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Red Bookshelf Inc | Albany, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| San Antonio Public Library Foundation | San Antonio, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Short Run Seattle | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Telling Room | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The North Carolina Writers Network Inc | Winston Salem, NC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Woodland Pattern Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wordcrafters in Eugene | Eugene, OR | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Words Without Borders | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Writers Center of Indiana | Indianapolis, IN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Writers Garret | Dallas, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Young Black & Lit | Evanston, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Council of Learned Societies | New York, NY | $5,455 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
48 of 127 (38%) received money in more than one year over the 3 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose column of its filings, largest first. This is the closest thing to a statement of what it funds, in its own words.
- Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop
LITERARY ARTS EMERGENCY FUND GRANT - 826DC
CAPACITY-BUILDING GRANT PROGRAM - American Council of Learned Societies
ACLS PUBLIC FELLOWS PROGRAM
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 102 of 127 recipients we could match to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's, not ours -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 73 | $1,170,455 | $10,000 |
| 2021 | 90 | $1,550,000 | $15,000 |
| 2024 | 21 | $210,000 | $10,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
23% of its giving went to organizations in New York. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
Down to the city
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $15,000 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in New York.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from National Book Foundation Inc's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2020-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Recipient classifications, the concentration and retention figures and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations from them, described in how we build this.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 21 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 21 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 90 Broad Street 604, New York, NY, 10004.
EIN 13-3347524 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
Is something here wrong about your organization? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.