New York · Nonprofit
MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC
MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC (New York) receives grants from 2 organizations whose IRS filings report $175,199 to it, the largest being LILIAN E AND EARL A BETTINGER CHARITABLE ($159,199). 2 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2024
- $826k
- Funders on record
- 2
- Grants received
- $175k
- Net assets
- $1.2M
What Mystery Writers of America Inc does
Mission
Mystery writers of america ("mwa") is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. Mwa is dedicated to promoting higher regard for crime writing and recognition.
As stated on its FY2024 Form 990.
Programs
Edgar awards - annual edgar awards dinner grants awards to authors honoring their excellence in books, short stories, media and lifetime achievement.
$314,088 spent$172,825 earned by the program50% of program spendingMwa symposium/workshops - workshops, seminars and conferences run for members and non-members for promotional and informational purposes. Program also devoted to the mystery genre; sponsors literary events featuring readings from noted crime writers. Sponsors programs to advance literacy using the donated services of writers who act as readers, mentors and spokespeople in public libraries and schools around the us.
$229,825 spent$132,437 earned by the program36% of program spendingMemberships and other programs the mystery writers of america website has many services for members which are helpful in building and sustaining their writing careers via education (like mwa university), national conferences, newsletters and publicity. The website also is the portal for everything related to the edgar awards, from the history to award submissions to upcoming events.
$52,646 spentof which $6,000 as grants$313,767 earned by the program8% of program spendingThe third degree - our national newsletter, is distributed monthly to the membership and includes articles about the business of writing, the genre, and the organization.
$37,486 spent6% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $634,045.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2018, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2018, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2019 to 2020, from $1.3M to $1.5M (+15%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2018 0% · 2019 0% · 2020 4% · 2021 3% · 2022 0% · 2023 0%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
43% of MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC’s revenue is contributions — about as donation-reliant as the typical peer (64% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 4 of the last 7 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 1 funder to 2 funders, grant income rose $1k → $97k.
From the IRS filings of MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC leans on a few funders — its largest provides 91% of grant income and the top three 100%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 100% · 2019 100% · 2020 100% · 2021 100% · 2022 100% · 2023 95% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Where its funders are
MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC draws 100% of its grant income from funders outside New York, across 2 states in all.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC is better cushioned than half of the 17,936 arts & culture nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 17,936 arts & culture nonprofits $100k–$1M, FY2024
Government funding MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $125 on record.
- REFUNDS - GENERAL $125
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In New York
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
74% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
97%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC?
- MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC (New York) receives grants from 2 organizations whose IRS filings report $175,199 to it, the largest being LILIAN E AND EARL A BETTINGER CHARITABLE ($159,199). 2 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC have?
- IRS filings report 2 organizations giving $175,199 in grants to MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC, 2 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC?
- LILIAN E AND EARL A BETTINGER CHARITABLE is the largest funder on record, with $159,199 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in New York. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Mystery Writers of America →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2024 (financials across 2018–2024), and the filings of 2 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing