Accepts applications
Can I apply?
Accepts applications
The funder's latest Form 990-PF says it accepts applications. Read the instructions below before you write.
- How to apply
The funder's latest Form 990-PF says it accepts applications. Read the instructions below before you write.
Application policy: Accepts applications, as stated on the FY2024 return.
These lines count this foundation's own Form 990-PF returns that the IRS has published as data. An amended return replaces its original. They describe past returns only.
This is a count from past returns. It does not say the foundation will consider a new request. How it is counted: names are compared as written on the returns, without "The" at the start, without endings such as "Inc" or "LLC", and without spaces and punctuation. A recipient also counts as already listed when our records link it to the same organization as an earlier recipient, or when its name is almost the same as an earlier name (a trigram similarity of 0.8 or more, where 1 means identical). The state on the grant row is not compared. Grants that the foundation marked as paid to an individual, such as a scholarship, are left out of both numbers, and no count is shown when most of its grants are marked that way. A person whom the foundation did not mark as an individual is still counted as a recipient. A recipient can still look new when its name is written very differently from year to year, and two different recipients with almost the same name can be counted as one.
Application guidance comes from the funder's own Form 990-PF, Part XV (the section where a private foundation says how to apply), shown as filed. It is the funder's words, not ours. These fields are free text and the IRS form cuts them short. Filers sometimes put whole sentences in the contact-name box. Shown exactly as filed.
Giving by year
Total assets by year
| Year | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Giving | Assets | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 990-PF | $13,753,554 | $16,739,498 | $16,144,753 | $313,179,597 |
Figures are as reported on the e-filed return, with no restatement. Fiscal years are the funder's own tax year, labelled by the calendar year the period ends in. A blank line means the return does not carry that figure; a real zero shows as $0. When an amended return replaces an original, every figure here uses the amended return. The original is not shown. Giving is what the funder actually paid out toward its charitable purpose in the year (qualifying distributions on Form 990-PF, charitable disbursements otherwise). Assets are what it holds; giving is what moves.
Recipient focus areas
Where recipients are
Based on the 23% of grant rows we could match to an organization record. The rest stay as reported. The IRS assigns the NTEE category when it grants exemption. It often reflects the original filing, not today's giving.
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RECITATION GRANTS - DETAIL UPON REQCHICAGO, IL | RECITATION PRIZES | $52,119 | 2023 | |
Recipients are shown as the funder wrote them on the return. A recipient with a link was matched to an organization record; the rest stay as reported and are never guessed. Some links come from other funders' returns: when three or more of them wrote the same name and state with one EIN, and the city on this row matches, we use that EIN. The name on this row is still shown as this funder wrote it.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Boone | PRESIDENT | 40.00 | $422,894 |
| Caren Yanis | TRUSTEE-THRU APRIL 2024 | 2.00 | $0 |
| Eugene Lowe | VICE CHAIR | 2.00 | $0 |
| Kary Mcilwain | VICE CHAIR-THRU APRIL 2024 |
From the officer list on the latest e-filed return. Compensation is as reported there; a blank means the return carries no figure.
| $312,201,376 |
| FY2023 | 990-PF | $7,644,729 | $18,575,315 | $16,385,855 | $300,431,923 | $299,280,976 |
| FY2022 | 990-PF | $10,267,155 | $19,264,441 | $16,788,854 | $292,503,710 | $291,109,814 |
| FY2021 | 990-PF | $70,333,831 | $13,491,798 | $11,239,377 | $341,014,923 | $339,711,294 |
| FY2020 | 990-PF | $14,478,611 | $11,755,658 | $10,165,573 | $318,692,609 | $305,203,857 |
| FY2019 | 990-PF | $18,295,410 | $11,992,250 | $10,285,104 | $294,153,882 | $280,650,341 |
| FY2018 | 990-PF | $15,604,907 | $11,092,891 | $8,780,810 | $257,114,576 | $243,375,785 |
| FY2017 | 990-PF | $19,135,065 | $10,519,741 | $8,717,824 | $276,545,089 | $262,613,529 |
| FY2016 | 990-PF | $9,666,437 | $9,913,697 | $7,957,240 | $246,339,257 | $232,109,905 |
| Exhibition Sponsorship |
| $50,000 |
| 2018 |
| POETIC JUSTICE INCMatched to this organization because 3 grant-making charities wrote this name with its EIN. Source: Schedule I of their Form 990 returns, fiscal years 2020 to 2024. Counted Oct 9, 2026.TULSA, OK | 2022 PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATION GRANT | $50,000 | 2022 |
| Steppenwolf Theatre CompanyMatched to this organization because 5 grant-making charities wrote this name with its EIN. Source: Schedule I of their Form 990 returns, fiscal years 2020 to 2025. Counted Oct 9, 2026.Chicago, IL | Poetry Programming | $50,000 | 2018 |
| KUNDIMANNEW YORK, NY | 2022 EQUITY IN VERSE GRANTS | $50,000 | 2022 |
| SEVENTH GENERATION FUND FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES INCSANTA FE, NM | POETRY PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND INNOVATION FOR DINTAH DRAMA FESTIVAL | $50,000 | 2023 |
| INSIDEOUT LITERARY ARTS PROJECT (INSIDEOUT LITERARY ARTS)DETROIT, MI | EQUITY IN VERSE | $50,000 | 2023 |
| POETRY CENTER OF CHICAGOMatched to this organization because 3 grant-making charities wrote this name with its EIN. Source: Schedule I of their Form 990 returns, fiscal years 2021 to 2024. Counted Oct 9, 2026.CHICAGO, IL | POETRY PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS AND INNOVATION GRANT | $50,000 | 2024 |
| Project &Chicago, IL | General Support of Poetry Programs | $50,000 | 2017 |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES ISUNORMAL, IL | 2022 EQUITY IN VERSE GRANT FOR OBSIDIAN | $50,000 | 2022 |
| Make-Believe AssociationChicago, IL | Poetry Programming | $50,000 | 2018 |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES UNIV OF ILLURBANA, IL | 2022 GRANT FOR GWENDOLYN BROOKS SOCIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE | $50,000 | 2022 |
| CHIARTS FOUNDATIONCHICAGO, IL | 2022 PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATION GRANT | $50,000 | 2022 |
| COMMUNITY LITERATURE INITIATIVELOS ANGELES, CA | 2022 EQUITY IN VERSE GRANT | $50,000 | 2022 |
| THE BEAUTIFUL PROJECT INCDURHAM, NC | POETRY PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND INNOVATION | $50,000 | 2023 |
| CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATERCHICAGO, IL | SUPPORT FOR AS YOU LIKE IT | $50,000 | 2020 |
| O MIAMI INCMIAMI SHORES, FL | 2022 PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATION GRANT | $50,000 | 2022 |
| WOODLAND PATTERN INCMILWAUKEE, WI | EQUITY IN VERSE GRANT FOR IN-NA-PO, INDIGENOUS NATIONS POETS | $50,000 | 2024 |
| MINNESOTA PRISON WRITING WORKSHOST PAUL, MN | 2022 PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATION GRANT | $50,000 | 2022 |
| RADICAL REVERSALBLOOMFIELD, NJ | EQUITY IN VERSE | $50,000 | 2023 |
| THIRD WORLD PRESS FOUNDATIONCHICAGO, IL | 2022 EQUITY IN VERSE GRANT | $50,000 | 2022 |
| JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATHARRISONBURG, VA | 2022 EQUITY IN VERSE GRANT FOR FURIOUS FLOWERS POETRY CENTER | $50,000 | 2022 |
| COMMUNITY LITERATURE INITIATIVELOS ANGELES, CA | EQUITY IN VERSE GRANT | $50,000 | 2024 |
| PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE BLACK ARTSBALTIMORE, MD | 2022 PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATION GRANT | $50,000 | 2022 |
| SISTERS IN CINEMA NFPCHICAGO, IL | 2022 PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATION GRANT | $50,000 | 2022 |
| 2.00 |
| $0 |
| Andrew Jacobs | FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR | 2.00 | $0 |
| Stuart Miller | AUDIT COMMITTEE CHAIR | 2.00 | $0 |
| Angel Ysaguirre | EQUITY COMM CHAIR | 2.00 | $0 |
| John Bracken | TRUSTEE | 2.00 | $0 |
| Cecilia Conrad | TRUSTEE-THRU APRIL 2024 | 2.00 | $0 |
| Gwendolyn Perry Davis | BOARD CHAIR | 2.00 | $0 |
| Fabiola Delgado | TRUSTEE | 2.00 | $0 |
| Michael Fassnacht | TRUSTEE | 2.00 | $0 |
| Deborah Gillespie | TRUSTEE | 2.00 | $0 |
| Marguerite Griffin | TRUSTEE | 2.00 | $0 |
| Parneshia Jones | TRUSTEE | 2.00 | $0 |
| Marc Bamuthi Joseph | TRUSTEE | 2.00 | $0 |
| Lindsey Peckinpaugh | TRUSTEE | 2.00 | $0 |
| Lynne Thompson | TRUSTEE | 2.00 | $0 |
| Joe Brocato | TRUSTEE-STARTED SEPT 2024 | 2.00 | $0 |
| Jennifer Casteller | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 40.00 | $272,304 |
| Deepa Gupta | TRUSTEE-STARTED SEPT 2024 | 2.00 | $0 |
| Greg Thompson | TRUSTEE-STARTED SEPT 2024 | 2.00 | $0 |
Only shared inboxes and organization phone lines that appear in public filings are shown here. Contact details for named individuals are never published, even though the filing itself is public.
Nearest by size, location and giving pattern in the database. Geography weighs heavily. Treat it as a starting list, not a ranking of fit.
Form 990-PF · FY2023 · period ending Dec 31, 2023IRS bulk XML
Filing id 202413169349102436
Form 990-PF · FY2022 · period ending Dec 31, 2022
Filing id 202303149349100145
Form 990-PF · FY2021 · period ending Dec 31, 2021
Filing id 202223199349102302
Form 990-PF · FY2020 · period ending Dec 31, 2020
Filing id 202123199349104597
Form 990-PF · FY2019 · period ending Dec 31, 2019
Filing id 202033169349101743
Form 990-PF · FY2018 · period ending Dec 31, 2018
Filing id 201903189349102490
Form 990-PF · FY2017 · period ending Dec 31, 2017
Filing id 201823179349101462
Form 990-PF · FY2016 · period ending Dec 31, 2016
Filing id 201743149349101274
Form 990-PF · FY2015 · period ending Dec 31, 2015
Filing id 201623139349100642
IRS filings are the source for every fact on this page. Nothing a model writes is ever a source; it can only point at a row here.