General Operating Support

The General Operating Support Program offers unrestricted funding to nonprofit poetry organizations, presses, publications, and select literary arts service and membership organizations. This funding is designed to support and strengthen core operations, including:

• Staff salaries
• Rent and utilities
• Technology
• General administrative expenses
• Marketing and fundraising efforts
• Technical support
• Hiring new paid staff positions

This program aims to provide flexible resources that enable organizations to focus on their missions and sustain their vital work in the literary arts.

Grants range in size from $10,000-$75,000, and all grants are for a 12-month period.

Eligibility

The Poetry Foundation provides general operating support to nonprofit poetry organizations, presses, publications, and select literary arts service and membership organizations that are based in the U.S. and U.S. territories. For the full eligibility guidelines, please refer to the Grants FAQs. Organizations without 501(c)(3) status may apply with a fiscal sponsor. Organizations have to have a minimum operating budget of $20,000, which can include in-kind revenue. Below are the eligibility details for each category:

Nonprofit Poetry Organizations and Literary Arts Service and Membership Organizations

The Foundation supports nonprofit poetry organizations based in the U.S. and U.S. territories with poetry central to their mission, along with select literary arts service and membership organizations. The Poetry Foundation supports both traditional literary arts service and membership organizations and literary arts organizations that serve as literary arts service and membership organizations for historically underrepresented poets and writers. Please note that our priority is to fund poetry-based organizations and presses, so our ability to fund these exceptions is limited. If you have questions about your organization’s eligibility in this category, please contact grants@poetryfoundation.org.

Nonprofit Poetry Presses and Publications

Nonprofit poetry presses and publications based in the U.S. and U.S. territories are eligible to apply for general operating grants. The Foundation also considers, on a case-by-case basis, presses and publications whose stated mission is to publish underrepresented poets and feature content that is at least 50% poetry. Please note that our priority is to fund poetry-based organizations and presses, so our ability to fund these exceptions is limited. 

If you have questions about your organization’s eligibility in this category, please contact grants@poetryfoundation.org.

Funding Restrictions

The Poetry Foundation does not provide grant funding to the following:

• Individuals
• For-profit organizations
• Universities, colleges, and K-12 schools
• Organizations whose primary focus is on youth younger than high school age
• Organizations whose primary focus is on literacy
• Religious organizations
• Capital proposals or endowment campaigns
• Commercial ventures

How to Apply

• Visit the Poetry Foundation online portal and click “request access.”
• Complete a registration request.
• If your registration is approved, you will receive an email from Fluxx with login credentials.
  • All emails will come from an @fluxx.io email address, so adjust your permissions accordingly.
  • If you do not receive the email within three business days, check your spam folder.
  • Please note that the password link you receive from Fluxx expires within seven days.
  • Registration requests will not be reviewed or approved from November 25–28, 2025 and December 19, 2025–January 5, 2026.

As part of our commitment to accessibility, the Poetry Foundation offers alternative application formats, such as audio, video, or an interview with transcription. To arrange an alternative method that best meets your accessibility needs, please contact grants@poetryfoundation.org or call 312-799-8059 at least two weeks before the application deadline.

For any questions about the application process or to schedule a conversation about your application, contact grants@poetryfoundation.org.

Information Session: 

View the June 10, 2026, Information Session Recording

View the General Operating Support Grants Information Session Presentation

Deadlines: 

Applications will open on June 1, 2026, and must be submitted by July 15, 2026, at 5:00 PM CT. All applications will be reviewed after the deadline, and applicants will be notified of a decision by early October 2026.

Reporting Requirements

Grantee-partners are required to submit a brief final report within 30 days of their grant’s end date. The report will be assigned in the Poetry Foundation’s grants portal when the grant is awarded.