Writing and Literature

/

Writing can reach and resonate with a diverse and wide-ranging community of readers. Literature, stories, poetry and spoken word help people understand and make sense of the complicated and critical issues we face. Giving to support writing and literature also offers a good return on investment, say seasoned donors, in part because writers and literary organizations typically have low overhead costs. Writers can — and have for centuries — done a lot with a little. 

Philanthropic giving for writing and literature is miniscule when compared to support for other artistic endeavors. Some funders stepped up with emergency funding for writers and literary nonprofits during the pandemic. But there remains a lot of space for donors who care about the literary arts to support these often small-budget, cash-strapped organizations — including poetry associations, youth spoken word organizations, book festivals, writing workshops, community-based creative writing programs, and small, independent publishers. Given the relative paucity of institutional funding for literary nonprofits, individual donors — often passionate readers — are important funders of writing and literature. This brief offers advice about how donors can make a difference in this area. It highlights the leading philanthropic strategies and offers guidance for how donors new to this space can get started with their giving.  

Strategies for Impact

Nonprofits are engaged in a range of programs and projects related to writing and literature. All this work is important and could benefit from greater donor support. Below, we discuss areas where donors might focus their funding and spotlight several organizations that represent the kind of nonprofits that donors might consider supporting.  

  • Champion diversity. Donors have growing opportunities to fund nonprofits that promote BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+, youth, disabled, incarcerated, immigrant and young writers. Cave Canem was founded in 1996 to address the underrepresentation of African American poets in the literary landscape. The nonprofit offers an annual, week-long retreat, workshops, and a fellowship for emerging Black poets. The Feminist Press publishes an array of genres including fiction, activist nonfiction, literature in translation, hybrid memoirs and children’s books, with a vision to “create a world where everyone recognizes themselves in a book.” The Asian American Writers’ Workshop amplifies the literary voices of Asian Americans through events, workshops, fellowships, a digital magazine, a podcast and print anthologies; the nonprofit also hosts creative writing classes at senior centers and public high schools. Lambda Literary showcases queer storytelling through its magazine, writers’ residency, book festival, classroom programs, and more. Vida: Women in Literary Arts is a nonprofit literary organization dedicated to highlighting gender imbalances in publishing and diversifying the literary landscape. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Youth Speaks centers young voices through spoken word education and performances. 

  • Support literary vehicles for social change. The arts, including writing and literature, can be vital vehicles for advancing social and cultural change. Through its nine chapters around the country, 826 National supports young writers to channel their creativity, explore their identity, and advocate for themselves and their community through the written word. PEN America works at the intersection of literature and human rights, with campaigns addressing censorship, book bans, free speech, and supporting writers at risk around the world. Guernica is a nonprofit magazine that brings together art and politics. The Feminist Center for Creative Work in Los Angeles publishes a magazine, runs a small press, and offers creative workshops and community to nurture feminist art, guided by a belief that art has the power to transform the status quo. Tia Chucha cultural center, bookstore and press is a cross-cultural organization focused on socially engaged poetry and literature. 

  • Embrace nontraditional approaches. Funders in this sector have historically followed a traditional model of awards and residencies for writers and project-specific grants for organizations, such as educational writing workshops for youth or prison writing programs. But funders are starting to back new strategies and different kinds of organizations. Freedom Reads brings books into prisons in the form of handcrafted 500-book libraries. StoryCorps’ oral history format highlights the transformative act of telling — and listening to — a personal story. Recordings are archived at the Library of Congress. WriteGirl pairs girls and nonbinary teens ages 13 to 18 with women writers who mentor them in creative writing. Alums include Amanda Gorman, who performed poetry at the 2021 Biden inauguration.  

  • Nurture literature as a vital part of communities. In light of the growing polarization and divisions in the United States, some donors have become interested in how literature can strengthen local communities and promote civic engagement. Donating to local libraries or community literary centers like the Woodland Pattern Book Center in Milwaukee or Beyond Baroque in Los Angeles are ways to support literature at the community level. 

  • Back nonprofit publishing. The rapid consolidation of the for-profit book publishing industry has greatly reduced the number of publishers and the number and type of books they release. Nonprofit, independent presses publish emerging authors and ambitious works that commercial publishers may deem too risky. Literary magazines also play an important role in developing and showcasing new writing talent. If there is a small press or literary magazine that consistently publishes literature you love, consider becoming a sustaining donor. Or to explore the rich ecosystem of independent publishing, browse your local independent bookstore or check out the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses.

Insights and Advice 

In considering which impact strategies to support, donors should consider their personal interests and outlook to find the best fit. They should also keep an eye out for emerging opportunities to give with maximum impact to writing and literature. Here, we offer a few insights and suggestions:

  • Don’t go it alone. Intermediaries and philanthropy-serving organizations can do a huge amount of the leg work of identifying opportunities in the field, and getting involved with one of these groups, such as Grantmakers in the Arts, is a great way for donors to save time and give more effectively. Donors interested in supporting individual artists in need can give to intermediaries that regrant funds to writers, such as PEN America, which has a writers’ emergency fund.

  • Support collaborative efforts. Partnerships are often a pathway to success for nonprofit literary organizations. Take Open Book, a literary gathering place in Minneapolis cofounded by Loft Literary Center, Milkweed Editions, and Minnesota Center for Book Arts. It overcame logistical, financial and strategic challenges, and serves as an artful anchor in the city. The American Academy of Poets’ Poetry Coalition is a national alliance of nearly thirty organizations working together to promote the cultural value of poets and the important contribution contemporary poetry makes in the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds.

For Donors Getting Started

Donors who are new to this space should take the time to learn about the landscape. A good place to start is by reading IP’s State of American Philanthropy brief on Giving for Writing & Literature. In addition, peruse recent articles that IP has published about current events in this area of philanthropy. Some of the organizations mentioned above also offer helpful information, such as Grantmakers in the Arts, Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, and PEN America. 

Have suggestions for improving this brief? Please email us at editor@insidephilanthropy.com.