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New York · Public charity

National Book Foundation Inc

The mission of the national book foundation is to celebrate the best literature published in the united states, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in our culture. Nbf carries out its mission through awards & honors (most notably the national book awards founded in 1950), public programs (bringing…

$470k
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
21
Itemized grants FY2025
87
Organizations funded FY2022
54%
First-time grantees FY2022
Read the full brief
Itemized, FY2025
$210k
The rest is grants the schedule does not break out
Median grant, FY2025
$10,000
Largest grant, FY2025
$10,000
Organizations funded a year
1 to 87
FY2017 to FY2022
States reached, FY2025
13
Total assets, FY2025
$5.5M

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2022, 54% of the organizations National Book Foundation Inc funded were first-time grantees, receiving 50% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2022, 50% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $760k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’18’19’20’21’22
Arts & CultureEducationHuman ServicesInternationalCommunity ImprovementRecreation & SportsOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2025still arriving20$200k35%
FY202287$1.5M54%
FY202172$1.2M100%
FY20201$10k100%
FY20191$10k100%
FY20182$20k100%
FY20171$10kn/a
100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Arts & Culture$2.9MEducation$65kInternational$25kPhilanthropy$20kYouth Development$10k

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

ME
WA
ID
MN
IL
WI
MI
NY
MA
OR
IA
IN
OH
PA
CA
CO
NE
MO
KY
VA
MD
AZ
NM
TN
NC
SC
DC
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
TX
FL

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

Show all 131 grantees
All grantees of National Book Foundation Inc by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
The Mercantile Library Association of the City of New York Inc$75,00022%
Writers in the Schools$75,00023%
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop$75,00037%
The Loft Inc$65,00022%
Zora Neale Hurston Richard Wright Foundation$65,000211%
Bookmarks Inc$60,00023%
Small Press Distribution Inc$60,00024%
Gemini Series Inc$60,00035%
Seven Stories Institute$60,00028%
The Muse Writers Center$50,00034%
Texas Book Festival$50,00031%
Research Foundation of the City University of New York$50,00020%
Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation$50,0001n/a
Literary Arts Inc$50,00021%
Brooklyn Book Festival Inc$50,00026%
Inprint Inc$40,00031%
Culturetrust Greater Philadelphia$40,00011%
Greensboro Literary Organization$40,000211%
Storyville Center for the Spoken Word Inc$40,00020%
Association of Writers & Writing Programs$40,00021%
Pen Faulkner Foundation$40,00024%
Foundation for the Future of Literature and Literacy dba Bay Area Book Festival$40,00023%
Herstory Writers Network Inc$40,00027%
Girls Write Now Inc$35,00031%
Tennessee WilliamsNew Orleans Literary Festival$30,00025%
Miami Dade College Foundation Inc$30,00020%
American Literary Translators Association$30,00024%
Boston Book Festival Inc$30,00024%
Pen American Center Inc$30,00020%
Kids Write Good$25,00017%
Chapter 510 Ink$25,00013%
Carnegie Literacy Center Inc Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning$25,00021%
Young Men's Christian Association of Central New York Inc$25,00020%
National Novel Writing Month$25,00012%
Buckeye Authors Book Fair Committee Inc$25,000214%
Society of the Muse of the Southwest$25,00029%
Seattle Arts and Lectures$25,00011%
City of Asylum$25,00011%
Poets and Writers Inc$25,00011%
Community-Word Project Inc$25,00011%
Writers & Books Inc$25,00022%
Write Around Portland$25,00024%
Contextos Nfp$25,00021%
Louisville Story Program$25,00024%
Teachers & Writers Collaborative Inc$25,00022%
The Aspen Institute Inc$25,00020%
Behind the Book Inc$25,00021%
The Porch Writers Collective Inc$25,00024%
Kearny Street Workshop Incorporated$25,00015%
Roots Wounds Words Inc$25,000113%
So Say We All$20,00026%
House of Speakeasy Foundation$20,00024%
Podium RVA$20,00023%
Lighthouse Writers Workshop Inc$20,00020%
The Writers Room$20,00014%
City Arts & Lectures Inc$20,00022%
Tulsa Literary Coalition Inc$20,00024%
Log Cabin Literary Center Inc$20,00021%
The Writers Center$20,00021%
Foundation for Women Writing for a Change of Jacksonville Inc$15,000124%
Ya'Ll Fest Charleston$15,000111%
Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation$15,00011%
Antenna$15,00011%
The Word A Storytelling Sanctuary Inc$15,00014%
Insideout Literary Arts Project$15,00011%
San Antonio Festival of Books Inc$15,00012%
The Authors Guild Foundation Inc$15,00011%
Southern Lit Alliance$15,00019%
The Charis Circle Inc$15,000111%
Children's Book Project$15,00015%
Room Project$15,0001n/a
Wordplay Cincy$15,0001n/a
The Tuxedo Project$15,000121%
Adirondack Center for Writing Inc$15,00017%
Metro DC Community Center Inc$15,00012%
Fund for Educational Excellence Inc$15,00010%
In Black Ink$15,00014%
Alabama Writers Forum Inc$15,00014%
Fusion Partnership Inc$15,00010%
Kimbilio$15,000119%
Artefactus Cultural Project Inc$15,000112%
CityLit Project Inc$15,00019%
Cuatrogatos Foundation Inc$15,000131%
Red Salmon Arts$15,00014%
Highlights Foundation Inc$10,00011%
Cleveland Kids' Book Bank$10,0001n/a
Anaphora Literary Arts$10,00018%
Short Run Seattle$10,000117%
Cave Canem Foundation Inc$10,00012%
Intersection for the Arts$10,0001n/a
Community Partners$10,00010%
DIBS for Kids$10,00013%
Writers Garret$10,00014%
Dstl Arts$10,00019%
Independent Arts & Media$10,00010%
Every Child a Reader Inc$10,000121%
The Litquake Foundation$10,00012%
Iowa City Unesco City of Literature$10,00015%
Woodland Pattern Inc$10,00010%
Nebraska Writers Collective$10,00012%
Words Without Borders Inc$10,00012%
City Lore Inc$10,00010%
Literary Cleveland$10,0001n/a
The Academy of American Poets Inc$10,00011%
Ny Writers Coalition Inc$10,00012%
Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance$10,0001n/a
Faulkner Foundation$10,00012%
Open Books Ltd$10,00010%
Page 15 Inc$10,00012%
Eleven Pictures Ltd$10,00015%
Richard Robinson Charitable Trust$10,0001n/a
Wordcrafters in Eugene$10,00014%
Driftless Writing Center$10,0001n/a
The North Carolina Writers' Network Inc$10,00014%
New Literary Project$10,00013%
Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation$10,00013%
Make Literary Productions Nfp$10,00017%
Dominican Writers Assoc Inc$10,00018%
San Antonio Public Library Foundation$10,00011%
Indiana Writers Center Inc$10,00014%
Literary Freedom Project Inc$10,000114%
West Philadelphia Alliance for Children$10,00014%
The RED Bookshelf Inc$10,00014%
The Telling Room$10,00011%
Chicago Humanities Festival$10,00010%
Young Black and Lit$10,00012%
Everybody Wins DC Inc$10,00011%
Philippine American Writers and Artists$10,000112%
Fishtrap Inc$10,00011%
826dc Inc$10,00011%
American Council of Learned Societies$5,45510%

Where it is load-bearing

National Book Foundation Inc supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 1 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 122 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetThe Mercantile Library Association of the City of New York Inc: $75,000 over 2y, 1.6% of budgetWriters in the Schools: $75,000 over 2y, 2.5% of budgetMinnesota Prison Writing Workshop: $75,000 over 3y, 6.9% of budgetThe Loft Inc: $65,000 over 2y, 1.9% of budgetZora Neale Hurston Richard Wright Foundation: $65,000 over 2y, 11% of budgetBookmarks Inc: $60,000 over 2y, 2.8% of budgetSmall Press Distribution Inc: $60,000 over 2y, 3.9% of budgetGemini Series Inc: $60,000 over 3y, 4.6% of budgetSeven Stories Institute: $60,000 over 2y, 8.4% of budgetThe Muse Writers Center: $50,000 over 3y, 4.2% of budgetTexas Book Festival: $50,000 over 3y, 1.2% of budgetResearch Foundation of the City University of New York: $50,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetLiterary Arts Inc: $50,000 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetBrooklyn Book Festival Inc: $50,000 over 2y, 5.7% of budgetInprint Inc: $40,000 over 3y, 1.1% of budgetCulturetrust Greater Philadelphia: $40,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetGreensboro Literary Organization: $40,000 over 2y, 11% of budgetStoryville Center for the Spoken Word Inc: $40,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetAssociation of Writers & Writing Programs: $40,000 over 2y, 0.7% of budgetPen Faulkner Foundation: $40,000 over 2y, 3.7% of budgetFoundation for the Future of Literature and Literacy dba Bay Area Book Festival: $40,000 over 2y, 2.8% of budgetHerstory Writers Network Inc: $40,000 over 2y, 7.3% of budgetGirls Write Now Inc: $35,000 over 3y, 0.7% of budgetTennessee WilliamsNew Orleans Literary Festival: $30,000 over 2y, 5.4% of budgetMiami Dade College Foundation Inc: $30,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetAmerican Literary Translators Association: $30,000 over 2y, 3.8% of budgetBoston Book Festival Inc: $30,000 over 2y, 4.2% of budgetPen American Center Inc: $30,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetKids Write Good: $25,000 over 1y, 6.9% of budgetChapter 510 Ink: $25,000 over 1y, 3.2% of budgetCarnegie Literacy Center Inc Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning: $25,000 over 2y, 1.2% of budgetYoung Men's Christian Association of Central New York Inc: $25,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetNational Novel Writing Month: $25,000 over 1y, 2.2% of budgetBuckeye Authors Book Fair Committee Inc: $25,000 over 2y, 14% of budgetSociety of the Muse of the Southwest: $25,000 over 2y, 8.7% of budgetSeattle Arts and Lectures: $25,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetCity of Asylum: $25,000 over 1y, 1.3% of budgetPoets and Writers Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetCommunity-Word Project Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 1.3% of budgetWriters & Books Inc: $25,000 over 2y, 1.9% of budgetWrite Around Portland: $25,000 over 2y, 3.7% of budgetContextos Nfp: $25,000 over 2y, 0.7% of budgetLouisville Story Program: $25,000 over 2y, 4.3% of budgetTeachers & Writers Collaborative Inc: $25,000 over 2y, 2.3% of budgetThe Aspen Institute Inc: $25,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetBehind the Book Inc: $25,000 over 2y, 1.1% of budgetThe Porch Writers Collective Inc: $25,000 over 2y, 4.0% of budgetKearny Street Workshop Incorporated: $25,000 over 1y, 5.2% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 122.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The Poetry FoundationIL63× affinity30 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Poetry Foundation · The Academy of American Poets Inc · Hawthornden Foundation · Nora Roberts Foundation · Just Buffalo Literary Center Inc · The Hyde and Watson Foundation · Arts Midwest Incorporated · Cornelia T Bailey Charitable Trust · South Arts Inc · The Andrew W Mellon Foundation · The Ford Foundation · New York Council for the Humanities

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare National Book Foundation Inc with peer funders

About National Book Foundation Inc

How much does National Book Foundation Inc give?
National Book Foundation Inc reported 21 itemized grants totaling $210,000, out of $470,458 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 1 and 87 organizations a year over FY2017 to FY2022.
What does National Book Foundation Inc fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2025, its largest causes are Arts & Culture (96%), Education (2%), International (1%).
Who are National Book Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2025: The Mercantile Library Association of the City of New York Inc ($75k), Writers in the Schools ($75k), Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop ($75k).
Does National Book Foundation Inc fund new organizations?
In FY2022, 54% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Which funders back the same organizations as National Book Foundation Inc?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include The Poetry Foundation, The Academy of American Poets Inc, Hawthornden Foundation.
Where is National Book Foundation Inc based?
National Book Foundation Inc is based in NY.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 132 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

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