The Poetry Foundation has launched its Sustainable Futures Grants program, awarding over $3 million in multi-year operating support to 12 poetry organizations across the United States. This initiative aims to strengthen the national poetry ecosystem by providing three-year grants that offer recipients the flexibility and stability to advance their missions and broaden their impact.
In addition to funding, the grant recipients will join a series of convenings and professional development sessions to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing. The Poetry Foundation designed this program in response to declining arts funding and feedback from previous grantees, emphasizing sustained, unrestricted support.
Michelle T. Boone, president and CEO of the Poetry Foundation, highlighted that this multi-year funding model enables organizations to plan ahead and address community needs, enhancing stability within the literary arts.
The inaugural cohort, all former Poetry Foundation grantees, includes organizations dedicated to uplifting underrepresented poetic voices through fellowships, residencies, publishing, workshops, youth education, and poetry events nationwide.
Grants range from $150,000 to $450,000 over three years and include:
- American Poetry Museum (Washington, D.C.) – $150,000
- Cave Canem (New York) – $450,000
- Chicago Poetry Center (Illinois) – $300,000
- Guild Literary Complex (Illinois) – $225,000
- Indigenous Nations Poets (Wisconsin) – $225,000
- InsideOut Literary Arts (Michigan) – $300,000
- Noemi Press (Arizona) – $150,000
- O, Miami (Florida) – $300,000
- Poets House (New York) – $300,000
- Split This Rock (Washington, D.C.) – $225,000
- The Watering Hole (South Carolina) – $150,000
- Young Chicago Authors (Illinois) – $300,000
Chris Guzaitis, director of grants and awards, stressed the importance of supporting poetry organizations that nurture diverse voices and build community access to the literary arts, praising the cohort as leaders shaping poetry’s future with creativity and resilience.
The Poetry Foundation invites nonprofit poetry organizations, presses, publications, and literary arts service groups to apply for general operating support grants by July 15, 2025. This program reflects the Foundation’s commitment to amplifying diverse poetic voices and fostering a more equitable and sustainable poetry landscape.
The Poetry Foundation champions the transformative power of poetry, providing spaces for creation, experience, and sharing.
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