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New York · Public charity

The Academy of American Poets Inc

To encourage, stimulate, and foster the production of american poetry by providing fellowships for poets of proven merit, by granting scholarships, awards and prizes for poetic achievement, and by other such means as the board of directors may devise and determine.

$2.3M
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
26
Itemized grants FY2025
34
Organizations funded FY2024
32%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Itemized, FY2025
$504k
The rest is grants the schedule does not break out
Median grant, FY2025
$17,500
Largest grant, FY2025
$97,200
Organizations funded a year
15 to 49
FY2020 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
14
Total assets, FY2025
$17M

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 32% of the organizations The Academy of American Poets Inc funded were first-time grantees, receiving 21% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 79% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $150k went to new ones.

50%100%’21’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

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

’21’23’24
Arts & CultureEducationYouth DevelopmentCommunity ImprovementHousing & ShelterInternationalOther
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 arriving25$504k32%
FY202434$707k32%
FY202324$427k63%
FY202149$1.2M82%
FY202015$307kn/a
100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2025.

Arts & Culture$2.7MEducation$264kYouth Development$145kScience & Tech$50kRecreation & Sports$25kHousing & Shelter$10kCommunity Improvement$10kHuman Services$8k

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

ME
NH
WA
MT
MN
IL
WI
NY
MA
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CA
CO
NE
KY
VA
MD
DE
AZ
NM
AR
TN
SC
DC
HI
LA
MS
TX
FL

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2020 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Woodland Pattern Inc$292,86059%
Cave Canem Foundation Inc$234,340612%
Urban Word NYC Inc$154,67068%
Kundiman Inc$152,39057%
Split This Rock Inc$99,120415%
Youth Speaks Inc$95,22041%
Masspoetry Inc$85,42056%
Copper Canyon Press$85,00023%
Zoeglossia Inc$79,520527%
Lambda Literary Foundation$75,50037%
Show all 89 grantees
All grantees of The Academy of American Poets Inc by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Woodland Pattern Inc$292,86059%
Cave Canem Foundation Inc$234,340612%
Urban Word NYC Inc$154,67068%
Kundiman Inc$152,39057%
Split This Rock Inc$99,120415%
Youth Speaks Inc$95,22041%
Masspoetry Inc$85,42056%
Copper Canyon Press$85,00023%
Zoeglossia Inc$79,520527%
Lambda Literary Foundation$75,50037%
Beyond Baroque Foundation$71,50047%
Mizna$70,22036%
O Miami Inc$64,55054%
Chapter 510 Ink$60,00033%
Poetry Society of America$57,45053%
Arizona State University Foundation for a New American University$53,87020%
University of Arizona Foundation$53,50030%
Asian American Writers Workshop Inc$50,50032%
The Fennelly-Franklin Corp$50,0001n/a
Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska$50,0002n/a
Twin Poets$50,0001n/a
Coffee House Press Inc$50,00015%
Tina Chang LLC$50,0001n/a
826 National Inc$50,00021%
American Literary Translators Association$50,00026%
Kent State University$45,1004n/a
Pongo Publishing Inc$40,00028%
Alice James Poetry Cooperative$40,00028%
James Madison University Foundation Inc$37,50040%
Yuba Sutter Regional Arts Council$32,50033%
Nuyorican Poets Cafe Inc$30,00021%
University of Arizona$26,6501n/a
Brooklyn Book Festival Inc$25,00022%
Just Buffalo Literary Center Inc$25,00023%
Nebraska Writers Collective$25,00022%
Wordplay Cincy$25,00025%
Bowery Arts and Science Ltd$24,000318%
Poets House Inc$23,45031%
Get Lit - Words Ignite Inc$22,50031%
Southern Word Inc$20,00014%
The Watering Hole Poetry Organization$17,50023%
Boa Editions Ltd$17,50023%
Bucknell University$15,00010%
Center for New Music San Francisco Inc$15,0001n/a
Psi Chi the International Honor Society in Psychology$15,0001n/a
Community of Writers$15,00022%
The Poetry Project Ltd$14,40022%
Sibling Rivalry Press Foundation$12,5001n/a
Teachers & Writers Collaborative Inc$12,00022%
Youthworks$10,00010%
Haley House Inc & Affiliates$10,00010%
Pacific Arts Movement$10,00011%
Humanities Washington$10,00010%
The Loft Inc$10,00010%
Aspect Inc$10,000117%
Kentucky Public Radio Inc$10,00010%
Nebraska Humanities Council$10,00010%
National Poetry Series Inc$10,00023%
CityLit Project Inc$10,00018%
University of Mississippi$10,0001n/a
Hawaii Council for Humanities$10,00011%
California Poets in the Schools$10,00023%
Friends of Lorine Niedecker Inc$10,0001n/a
Altadena Library Foundation$10,000118%
Young Chicago Authors$10,00021%
Keep St Pete Lit Inc$10,000111%
Peace Center Foundation$10,00010%
New Orleans Poetry Festival Inc$10,000117%
Florida Humanities Council Inc$10,00010%
Fusion Partnership Inc$10,00020%
Writers' League of Texas$10,0001n/a
Syracuse University$10,00010%
Artswestchester Inc$10,00010%
Missoula Writing Collaborative$10,00023%
Radar Productions Inc$10,00024%
Brooklyn Public Library$10,00010%
Twelve Literary Arts$10,0002n/a
Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre Inc$10,00011%
Day Eight$10,00012%
Street Poets Inc$10,00011%
University Press of Colorado$10,00011%
La Union del Pueblo Entero$10,00010%
Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities$9,00010%
Words Without Borders Inc$8,00011%
Haven Violence Prevention and Support Services$7,50010%
Poetry Northwest$7,5001n/a
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Manchester$7,00010%
Writers & Books Inc$6,94411%
Maine Writers and Publishers Allian$5,5001n/a

Where it is load-bearing

The Academy of American Poets Inc supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 1 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 74 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetWoodland Pattern Inc: $292,860 over 5y, 8.7% of budgetCave Canem Foundation Inc: $234,340 over 6y, 12% of budgetUrban Word NYC Inc: $154,670 over 6y, 7.6% of budgetKundiman Inc: $152,390 over 5y, 7.4% of budgetSplit This Rock Inc: $99,120 over 4y, 15% of budgetYouth Speaks Inc: $95,220 over 4y, 0.7% of budgetMasspoetry Inc: $85,420 over 5y, 6.5% of budgetCopper Canyon Press: $85,000 over 2y, 3.0% of budgetZoeglossia Inc: $79,520 over 5y, 27% of budgetLambda Literary Foundation: $75,500 over 3y, 6.5% of budgetBeyond Baroque Foundation: $71,500 over 4y, 6.8% of budgetMizna: $70,220 over 3y, 6.2% of budgetO Miami Inc: $64,550 over 5y, 4.1% of budgetChapter 510 Ink: $60,000 over 3y, 2.9% of budgetPoetry Society of America: $57,450 over 5y, 2.6% of budgetArizona State University Foundation for a New American University: $53,870 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetUniversity of Arizona Foundation: $53,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetAsian American Writers Workshop Inc: $50,500 over 3y, 2.3% of budgetCoffee House Press Inc: $50,000 over 1y, 4.8% of budget826 National Inc: $50,000 over 2y, 1.0% of budgetAmerican Literary Translators Association: $50,000 over 2y, 6.0% of budgetPongo Publishing Inc: $40,000 over 2y, 7.8% of budgetAlice James Poetry Cooperative: $40,000 over 2y, 8.4% of budgetJames Madison University Foundation Inc: $37,500 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetYuba Sutter Regional Arts Council: $32,500 over 3y, 3.5% of budgetNuyorican Poets Cafe Inc: $30,000 over 2y, 1.0% of budgetBrooklyn Book Festival Inc: $25,000 over 2y, 2.4% of budgetJust Buffalo Literary Center Inc: $25,000 over 2y, 2.6% of budgetNebraska Writers Collective: $25,000 over 2y, 2.2% of budgetWordplay Cincy: $25,000 over 2y, 4.6% of budgetBowery Arts and Science Ltd: $24,000 over 3y, 18% of budgetPoets House Inc: $23,450 over 3y, 0.9% of budgetGet Lit - Words Ignite Inc: $22,500 over 3y, 0.5% of budgetSouthern Word Inc: $20,000 over 1y, 3.8% of budgetThe Watering Hole Poetry Organization: $17,500 over 2y, 2.6% of budgetBoa Editions Ltd: $17,500 over 2y, 3.4% of budgetBucknell University: $15,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCommunity of Writers: $15,000 over 2y, 2.4% of budgetThe Poetry Project Ltd: $14,400 over 2y, 2.2% of budgetTeachers & Writers Collaborative Inc: $12,000 over 2y, 2.2% of budgetYouthworks: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetHaley House Inc & Affiliates: $10,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetPacific Arts Movement: $10,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetHumanities Washington: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetThe Loft Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetAspect Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 17% of budgetKentucky Public Radio Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetNebraska Humanities Council: $10,000 over 1y, 0.5% 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 74.

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 FoundationIL95.9× affinity46 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Poetry Foundation · Hawthornden Foundation · National Book Foundation Inc · Just Buffalo Literary Center Inc · Lannan Foundation · Jerome Foundation Inc · California Humanities · The Andrew W Mellon Foundation · The Ford Foundation · Federation of State Humanities Councils · Geraldine R Dodge Foundation Inc · Youth Speaks Inc

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 The Academy of American Poets Inc with peer funders

About The Academy of American Poets Inc

How much does The Academy of American Poets Inc give?
The Academy of American Poets Inc reported 26 itemized grants totaling $504,044, out of $2,317,561 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 15 and 49 organizations a year over FY2020 to FY2024.
What does The Academy of American Poets Inc fund?
By grant dollars over FY2020 to FY2025, its largest causes are Arts & Culture (84%), Education (8%), Youth Development (4%).
Who are The Academy of American Poets Inc's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2020 to FY2025: Woodland Pattern Inc ($293k), Cave Canem Foundation Inc ($234k), Urban Word NYC Inc ($155k).
Does The Academy of American Poets Inc fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 32% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Which funders back the same organizations as The Academy of American Poets Inc?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include The Poetry Foundation, Hawthornden Foundation, National Book Foundation Inc.
Where is The Academy of American Poets Inc based?
The Academy of American Poets 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 90 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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