National Book Foundation Inc
National Book Foundation Inc is a public charity based in New York, NY. The Foundation presents the National Book Awards and supports literary arts organizations through capacity-building grants, alongside awards, public programs, and education and book-access initiatives.
National Book Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: National Book Foundation Inc gave $210K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $210,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- Average grant
- $10,000
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $5,488,077
- -2.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (19% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to National Book Foundation Inc
- Review Cycle
- May 10, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET, for the application cycle described on the Foundation’s website.
- Deadline
- May 10, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
- Contact
Mailing address: 90 Broad Street 604, New York, NY 10004
Phone: (212) 685-0261
Website: https://nationalbook.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who National Book Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was 826DC ($10K). Together the top 10 received $100K.
Grant Size Distribution
184 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 175 grants of 184 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation describes its public programs and book distributions as reaching communities across the United States. Its 2025 grants also show support across multiple states: the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were California (19%), Texas (14%), Washington, DC (10%), Ohio (10%), and New York (10%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How National Book Foundation Inc gives
- Giving fell 86% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $10K (2019) to $1.6M (2022). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $210K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 826DC Washington, DC | Capacity-Building Grant Program | $10,000 |
| City Arts & Lectures Inc San Francisco, CA | Capacity-Building Grant Program | $10,000 |
| Cleveland Kids' Book Bank Cleveland, OH | Capacity-Building Grant Program | $10,000 |
| Community Foundation for Mississippi Jackson, MS | Capacity-Building Grant Program | $10,000 |
| Everybody Wins DC Inc Washington, DC | Capacity-Building Grant Program | $10,000 |
| Gemini Series Inc (DBA Gemini Ink) San Antonio, TX | Capacity-Building Grant Program | $10,000 |
| Girls Write Now Inc New York, NY | Capacity-Building Grant Program | $10,000 |
| Inprint Inc Houston, TX | Capacity-Building Grant Program | $10,000 |
| Lighthouse Writers Workshop Inc Denver, CO | Capacity-Building Grant Program | $10,000 |
| Literary Cleveland Cleveland Heights, OH | Capacity-Building Grant Program | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,488,077 | $2,890,429 | $3,274,943 | $210,000 | 21 | $129,885 |
| 2024 | $5,643,387 | $3,106,519 | $2,658,910 | — | — | $124,305 |
| 2023 | $4,829,963 | $2,395,970 | $2,376,616 | — | — | $110,276 |
| 2022 | $4,696,616 | $3,836,375 | $3,671,609 | $1,550,000 | 90 | $-7,731 |
| 2021 | $4,633,222 | $3,233,411 | $3,043,972 | $1,170,455 | 73 | $133,404 |
| 2020 | $4,008,488 | $1,530,414 | $1,781,513 | $10,000 | 1 | $70,779 |
| 2019 | $4,227,086 | $1,940,628 | $1,987,095 | $10,000 | 1 | $97,345 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s programs include the National Book Awards and other honors; public events featuring authors; education and access initiatives, including programs for young people; and support for the literary field. Its stated values include reaching readers who have faced barriers to access to books and writers, and supporting nonprofit literary arts organizations.
Through its Capacity-Building Grant Program, the Foundation has offered nonprofit literary arts organizations grants for projects involving fundraising, finance or marketing; staff or board skill-building; strategic planning; diversity and equity initiatives; leadership development; management training; sabbaticals for long-term staff or leaders; and succession planning.
Examples of grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. City Arts & Lectures describes its mission as providing literary events for the public and charitable organizations. Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop says it provides creative writing education and other arts services to people incarcerated in Minnesota state prisons. Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank describes its work as providing free books to children through community partners to foster literacy and a love of reading. Literary Cleveland says it assists writers and readers at all stages, promotes literature, and advances Northeast Ohio as a center of diverse voices and visions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 21 grants totaling $210,000. Each was $10,000, making $10,000 the typical grant size in that year. The reported grant purposes were capacity-building grants.
2025 recipients included City Arts & Lectures, Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop, Lighthouse Writers Workshop, Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank, and Literary Cleveland, each receiving $10,000. Texas Book Festival also received $10,000; it describes its mission as connecting authors and readers through experiences celebrating literacy, ideas, and imagination.
The Foundation’s website describes a Capacity-Building Grant Program offering grants of $5,000 or $10,000 to nonprofit literary arts organizations. For the 2024 cycle, applications were reviewed by an independent panel, with final decisions made by the Foundation and approved by a committee of its board. The website states that applications for that cycle closed on May 10, 2024.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing include David Steinberger, board chair; Fiona McCrae, board vice chair; Elpidio Villarreal, board treasurer; and Calvin Sims, secretary. Other listed board members are Quang Bao, James Daunt, Markus Dohle, Morgan Entrekin, Lucia Ferreira, and Kimball Hastings.
National Book Foundation Inc is led by Ruth Dickey, Executive Director since 2023 (on filings since 2022); 2 of 25 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ruth Dickey
Executive Director
Excutive Director → Executive Director, 2023
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$156K (2022) → $258K (2025)
David Steinberger
Board Chair
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Tansey
Director of Development
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$124K (2023) → $141K (2025)
Lisa Lucas
Board Member
Executive Director → Board Member, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$192K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Anthony W. Marx
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Calvin Sims
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Needleman
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elpidio Villarreal
Board Treasurer
Board Member → Board Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fiona McCrae
Board Vice Chair
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenneth L. Wallach
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lucia Ferreira
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Markus Dohle
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Weiner
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Morgan Entrekin
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Quang Bao
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amandeep Kochar
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Daunt
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kimball Hastings
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julia A. Reidhead
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles Yu
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Yaged
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Samira Nasr
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jahm Najafi
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Karp
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peggy Koenig
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Jordan Smith (2021–2024) — Deputy Director
- Former: Lynn Nesbit (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Jennifer Rudolph Walsh (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Les B. Levi (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: W. Drake McFeely (2019–2021) — Board Treasurer
- Former: Carolyn K. Reidy (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: David Drummond (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Michael Lynton (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Tim Mantel (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Demos Parneros (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Strauss Zelnick (2019) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $258K, to Ruth Dickey (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about National Book Foundation Inc
How much does National Book Foundation Inc give each year?
National Book Foundation Inc gave $210K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990.
What is National Book Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
National Book Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $10,000, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does National Book Foundation Inc give grants?
National Book Foundation Inc's top state is California, with 19% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Texas (14%) and District of Columbia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (3 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does National Book Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on National Book Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Capacity-Building Grant Program" (21 grants).
Who are National Book Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
National Book Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include 826DC ($10,000), City Arts & Lectures Inc ($10,000) and Cleveland Kids' Book Bank ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is National Book Foundation Inc?
National Book Foundation Inc reported $5.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.9M.
What does National Book Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s programs include the National Book Awards and other honors; public events featuring authors; education and access initiatives, including programs for young people; and support for the literary field. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from National Book Foundation Inc?
National Book Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check nationalbook.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is National Book Foundation Inc's EIN?
National Book Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3347524. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). National Book Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/national-book-foundation-inc-morg_be47c8f863324f018ac89185f5b0db5d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133347524_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{National Book Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/national-book-foundation-inc-morg_be47c8f863324f018ac89185f5b0db5d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from National Book Foundation Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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