The Poetry Foundation is a 501(c)(3) exempt private nonoperating foundation located in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 2003 upon receipt of a major gift from philanthropist Ruth Lilly, the organization evolved from the Modern Poetry Association, a literary organization founded in 1941 to support the publication of Poetry magazine. The Poetry Foundation is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in American culture, with the mission to discover and celebrate the best poetry and place it before the largest possible audience.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$313.2M
+4.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.2M
+19.4% YoY
Grant Count
179
+9.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$24K
+8.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The Poetry Foundation transforms lives through the power of words. The organization's work aims to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry.
The foundation fulfills its mission through multiple channels:
Poetry Magazine: Founded in Chicago by Harriet Monroe in 1912, Poetry is the oldest monthly journal devoted to verse in the English-speaking world. The publication maintains Harriet Monroe's "Open Door" policy, which commits to printing the best poetry written today in whatever style, genre, or approach. In recent years, nearly half of the poets published in Poetry have been first-time contributors.
Online Archive: Poetryfoundation.org hosts the largest free online archive of poetry, containing 47,122 poems as of 2023.
Educational Programs: The foundation offers an array of free programs, events, and awards to amplify poetry and celebrate poets. Programs include book clubs, writing workshops, virtual events, and partnerships with educational institutions.
Poetry Out Loud: A national poetry recitation competition for high school students that engaged 159,830 students from 1,447 schools and organizations across every state and several territories in 2023.
Summer Poetry Teachers Institute: A program providing educators with performances, breakout sessions, and virtual panels led by poets.
Grantmaking
The Poetry Foundation's grants program was established in 2022 when the organization transitioned from an operating to a non-operating foundation. The grants program supports nonprofit organizations with a core commitment to poetry and the literary arts, with the goal of supporting the field of poetry and the literary arts more robustly, equitably, and transparently.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Illinois, New York, and California, though the organization's reach extends nationally and internationally through its online platforms and programs.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Revenue (2023):
- Total assets: $300,431,923
- Total revenues: $7,644,729
- Total expenses: $18,575,315
Assets and Revenue (2022):
- Total assets: $293,000,000
- Total revenues: $10,300,000
- Total expenses: $19,300,000
Staffing:
- 39 employees (as of 2023)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $313,179,597 | $300,431,923 | $292,503,710 |
| Revenue | $13,753,554 | $7,644,729 | $10,267,155 |
| Expenses | $16,739,498 | $18,575,315 | $19,264,441 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $16,144,753 | $16,385,855 | $16,788,854 |
| Net Investment Income | $13,193,048 | $6,228,798 | $6,397,060 |
| Distributable Amount | $13,913,595 | $13,417,797 | $13,783,095 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
238 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Poetry Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Michelle Boone: Principal Officer
- Jennifer Casteller: Chief Operating Officer
- Holly Amos: Managing Editor
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MICHELLE BOONE | PRESIDENT | 40 | $422,894 |
| CAREN YANIS | TRUSTEE-THRU APRIL 2024 | 2 | — |
| EUGENE LOWE | VICE CHAIR | 2 | — |
| KARY MCILWAIN | VICE CHAIR-THRU APRIL 2024 | 2 | — |
| ANDREW JACOBS | FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR | 2 | — |
| STUART MILLER | AUDIT COMMITTEE CHAIR | 2 | — |
| ANGEL YSAGUIRRE | EQUITY COMM CHAIR | 2 | — |
| JOHN BRACKEN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| CECILIA CONRAD | TRUSTEE-THRU APRIL 2024 | 2 | — |
| GWENDOLYN PERRY DAVIS | BOARD CHAIR | 2 | — |
| FABIOLA DELGADO | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| MICHAEL FASSNACHT | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| DEBORAH GILLESPIE | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| MARGUERITE GRIFFIN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| PARNESHIA JONES | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| MARC BAMUTHI JOSEPH | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| LINDSEY PECKINPAUGH | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| LYNNE THOMPSON | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| JOE BROCATO | TRUSTEE-STARTED SEPT 2024 | 2 | — |
| JENNIFER CASTELLER | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 40 | $272,304 |
| DEEPA GUPTA | TRUSTEE-STARTED SEPT 2024 | 2 | — |
| GREG THOMPSON | TRUSTEE-STARTED SEPT 2024 | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Poetry Foundation has announced multiple grant distributions in recent years, including:
Poetry Foundation Awards $1.3 Million in GrantsAwards of $1.3 million in grants
Poetry Foundation Awards $1.3 Million in GrantsAwards of $1.5 million in grants
Poetry Foundation Awards $1.3 Million in GrantsAnnouncement of the first Sustainable Futures Grants cohort
Poetry Foundation Announces the First Sustainable Futures Grants CohortIn 2023, the foundation's programs demonstrated significant reach and engagement:
28 events welcomed 2,061 in-person attendees and 1,064 virtual attendees
The library hosted 12 book clubs and 104 writing workshops, engaging 1,718 participants
The foundation maintained a presence at two offsite partner events: One Poem, One Chicago and The Words of Wonder Literary Festival
The Summer Poetry Teachers Institute engaged 104 educators with performances and sessions led by 20 poets
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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