OVERVIEW: In addition to its prestigious awards program, PEN America offers grants and fellowships to writers working in various styles and genres. It has recently established two grantmaking programs for community projects concerning press freedom … [Read more...] about PEN America
PEN America
Free Speech Is Under Attack. Here’s What Funders Are Doing — and What Else Is Needed
The Literary Arts Are in Crisis. Funders Can Help More Than They Realize
Takeaways From Our Deep Dive on Writing and Literature Funding
Why Book Lover James Lewis Went in Big for Libraries and Librarians
With DEI Under Fire, Robert Wood Johnson Increases Its Commitment to Diversity in Medicine
As Book Banning Campaigns Spread, this Funder is Defending the Right to Read
Amanda Jones was accused of being a groomer and a pedophile, she was trolled and doxxed on social media and snubbed at high school football games. Given this treatment, one might assume that Jones is some kind of deviant. In fact, she is a school … [Read more...] about As Book Banning Campaigns Spread, this Funder is Defending the Right to Read
Seven Questions for Henry Luce Foundation President and CEO Mariko Silver
In 2019, the board of directors of the Henry Luce Foundation, which backs higher education, religion and theology, art and public policy, and Asia, named Dr. Mariko Silver the foundation’s fourth president and chief executive officer. At the time, … [Read more...] about Seven Questions for Henry Luce Foundation President and CEO Mariko Silver
How Philanthropy Can Combat a “Ferocious” Wave of Book Bans
In its recent report, “Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools,” nonprofit organization PEN America, which champions the cause of free expression in literature, “documented a ferocious wave of book bans that’s sweeping … [Read more...] about How Philanthropy Can Combat a “Ferocious” Wave of Book Bans
Despite the Fanfare, Ed Philanthropy’s Investment in Racial Justice Falls Short
The events of 2020 were so raw and eye-opening that they changed the conversation in the world of philanthropy. After the racial reckoning that followed George Floyd’s murder and other incidents of police violence around the country, major … [Read more...] about Despite the Fanfare, Ed Philanthropy’s Investment in Racial Justice Falls Short
IP Briefing: What’s Going on With Philanthropy for Writing and Literature?
In a sentence: Philanthropy for writing and literature is minuscule compared to other arts, but the field has some steadfast supporters. What’s going on Philanthropic support for writing and literature is scant compared to other arts, we reported in … [Read more...] about IP Briefing: What’s Going on With Philanthropy for Writing and Literature?
How Literary Nonprofits Got By in Tough Times—and What They Hope to See From Donors Now
On March 12, 2020, the board of directors of PEN America, a literary nonprofit dedicated to promoting free expression and literary culture, met in New York to discuss a fundraising campaign around its centenary in 2022–2023. “It was ‘all systems go, … [Read more...] about How Literary Nonprofits Got By in Tough Times—and What They Hope to See From Donors Now
“The Dignity of the Individual.” A Wall Streeter’s Focus on Human Rights and Equity
American finance leaders hold some of the world’s largest fortunes, and some are only now turning to big-time philanthropy. One intriguing thing about this cohort is just how varied their giving is, touching right-of-center and progressive policy … [Read more...] about “The Dignity of the Individual.” A Wall Streeter’s Focus on Human Rights and Equity
Writing for Change: Behind a New Fellowship Focused on Mass Incarceration
Last November, the Art for Justice Fund, launched by collector Agnes Gund with the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors to address issues related to mass incarceration, announced its first round of grant recipients.It primarily gave … [Read more...] about Writing for Change: Behind a New Fellowship Focused on Mass Incarceration
Phase One: Agnes Gund’s $100 Million Art for Justice Fund Takes Shape
In June, the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and collector and philanthropist Agnes Gund launched the $100 million Art for Justice Fund with funding from Gund's sale of Roy Lichtenstein's "Masterpiece."By aiming to safely reduce … [Read more...] about Phase One: Agnes Gund’s $100 Million Art for Justice Fund Takes Shape
Casting a Wide Net: Why More Funders May Expand the Nominee Pool for Literary Awards
Last year, when Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, many purists were perplexed, if not outraged. Dylan wasn't a novelist, they (rightfully) claimed, and his nomination was a slap in the face to more deserving American authors like … [Read more...] about Casting a Wide Net: Why More Funders May Expand the Nominee Pool for Literary Awards
Stand Up for Free Expression and the Money Will Follow: PEN America Girds for Trump
The "war" between Donald Trump and the media took a bizarre turn on Inauguration Day when police arrested six journalists who covered a flash mob riot in Washington, D.C. The tactic wasn't totally unexpected, yet the timing of it—just hours after the … [Read more...] about Stand Up for Free Expression and the Money Will Follow: PEN America Girds for Trump
It’s Actually About the Money: A Look at One the Biggest Prizes in Poetry
In a recent post about a gift to the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, we noted that campus music schools don't tend to get showered with big money. You know who else rarely gets showered with big money? Poets, that's who. Sure, there's the … [Read more...] about It’s Actually About the Money: A Look at One the Biggest Prizes in Poetry
Forget the Money. These Literary Prizes Are All About the Prestige
A little over a year ago, we noted that receiving a PEN America honor can be more valuable than the amount of the award itself. That's because PEN America, the U.S. branch of the world’s oldest international literary and human rights organization, is … [Read more...] about Forget the Money. These Literary Prizes Are All About the Prestige
