Readings & Workshops Mini-Grants

The Readings & Workshops Mini-Grants provide funding for individual readings and workshops, ranging from $150 to $450 per session. Open to New York State and California organizations, these grants support writers' participation in events. Eligible organizations include colleges, cultural centers, and libraries. Priority is given to those serving diverse audiences and presenting in underserved areas. The application process requires details about the writer and event dates. Grant amounts are capped annually, and matching funds are encouraged.

About Mini-Grants
We award Mini-Grants for individual readings ($150 to $450 per session) and/or workshops ($200 to $300 per session) that may or may not be part of a larger reading series or festival. Mini-grants are paid by P&W directly to the individual writer. The entity organizing or hosting the event must act as the lead sponsor and must submit an application for support. As part of the application, please be prepared to provide the name of the participating writer, proposed event date(s), and amount requested, per the ranges listed above.
New York State and California organizations that sponsor readings and workshops may apply for Mini-Grants to pay writers for their participation. All grants are paid by P&W directly to the writer. Due to a mandate from our funders, grants for events outside of New York City (i.e. New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond counties) are restricted to writers who are New York State residents; there is no restriction in California.
If a grant is awarded, payments are sent directly to the writer approximately two to four weeks after the event. To support as many literary events as possible, we generally grant no more than $3,000 to organizations during our fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), and across all grant opportunities; in California, the annual cap per organization per year is $1,500.
Decisions on maximum grant amounts are based on the availability of funds and are made at the discretion of Poets & Writers. These caps fluctuate depending on the availability of funds in each jurisdiction and the number of applications we receive.
Organizations are strongly encouraged to match P&W’s payment to the writer. However, if an organization is not able to match or add to the writer’s fee, we will still consider the application.
Funding Priorities
As part of our belief that literature is vital to sustaining a vibrant culture and our mission to help create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible public, priority is given to organizations that:

• serve a culturally diverse audience
• feature culturally diverse writers
• feature writers who have not previously presented at that venue
• present programs in rural or other underserved areas

have not previously received R&W support (If an organization has received R&W funding in the past, we consider whether it has followed the grant guidelines and returned reports in a timely manner.)
are able to match R&W's payment to the writer (not including in-kind contributions such as meals, lodging, and travel)
have a publicity and marketing plan to draw audience, and a track record of attracting audiences to past events.
Deadlines
New York & California- June 1, 2025New York- August 31, 2025 ; November 30, 2025 ; March 1, 2026

Eligibility

Eligible organizations: Organizations that may apply for grants include: colleges, cultural centers, museums, libraries, correctional facilities, hospitals, small presses, community centers, senior centers, places of worship, bookstores, cafés, galleries, and theaters. Nonprofit status is not required.Events must be open to the public, with the exception of events taking place in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. Eligible writers: Published poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and performance poets are eligible to receive grant payments from Poets & Writers. A writer’s bio listing publication or spoken word performance credits must be included in the application to show that the writer is eligible.Writers are grant recipients and are not employees of Poets & Writers. To support as many literary events as possible, we generally grant no more than $3,000 to organizations during our fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), and across all grant opportunities; in California, the annual cap per organization per year is $1,500.Decisions on maximum grant amounts are based on the availability of funds and are made at the discretion of Poets & Writers.We make grants for writers' fees only.

Ineligibility

We do not fund administrative costs, publicity, transportation, or other expenses related to producing events. We do not fund panel discussions, lectures, in-school events, children's events, staged dramatic readings, or storytelling events featuring non-original works.The event organizer, board members, and paid employees of the organization sponsoring the event are not eligible for funding.