Howard County Poetry and Literature Society
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974 that operates poetry festivals, reading series, author lectures, a youth poet laureate program, and a YouTube talk show serving Howard County, Maryland residents and a global online audience.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersColumbia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Howard County Poetry and Literature Society does
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society (HoCoCoLitSo) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary arts organization founded in 1974 and based in Columbia, Maryland. The organization exists to enlarge the audience for contemporary poetry and literature in Howard County through a portfolio of recurring programs, including The Writing Life (a writer-to-writer talk show distributed globally via YouTube with over 1 million viewers), the monthly Wilde Reading Series at Queen Takes Book, the Annual Irish Evening, the Blackbird Poetry Festival, the Bauder Lecture Series, and the Lucille Clifton Reading Series. It also administers the Howard County Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate programs in partnership with county government and the Howard County Arts Council, runs the annual Ellen Conroy Kennedy Poetry Prize contest, and maintains a Bauder Writer-in-Residence program for local schools.
The organization's underlying technology footprint is limited to digital video production for The Writing Life, recorded at Howard Community College's Dragon Digital TV studio and distributed via YouTube. HoCoPoLitSo does not operate a proprietary software platform; its technical assets consist of a 130+ episode video archive and standard community engagement tooling (website, email newsletter via Substack, social media accounts).
The business model combines four revenue streams: ticketed event sales (Irish Evening $50, Nightbird Festival $25, with educator/student discounts), small contest entry fees ($10 for the Poetry Prize), individual and corporate donations, and institutional grants from a defined set of Maryland public funders (Maryland State Arts Council, Howard County Arts Council, Howard County Government, Maryland Humanities) and local foundations (Community Foundation of Howard County, Dr. Lillian Bauder endowment). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with Co-Chair Ryna May, EdD, and operates with 11-50 staff. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the only transparent financial signal is a $3,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Howard County in January 2025. Customer concentration risk is moderate, reflecting a diversified but locally bounded audience and a small set of institutional funders.
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Howard County Poetry and Literature Society
- Legal name
- Howard County Poetry and Literature Society
- Website
- https://hocopolitso.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Howard County Poetry and Literature Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974 that operates poetry festivals, reading series, author lectures, a youth poet laureate program, and a YouTube talk show serving Howard County, Maryland residents and a global online audience.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Literary Arts Programming
- NAICS
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Periodical Publishers (51312)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Creative Nonfiction & Memoir Workshops (EDAMAMAC)
Keywords
Where Howard County Poetry and Literature Society is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Event ticket sales: Revenue generated from paid events including Irish Evening ($50 tickets), Nightbird Reading ($25), and other ticketed programming. Discounted rates available for educators and students.
- Donations and contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporate contributors. Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (FEIN 52-1146948) registered in Maryland.
- Contest entry fees: Ellen Conroy Kennedy Poetry Prize entry fee of $10 per entrant supports panel of judges.
- Government and foundation grants: Funding from Maryland State Arts Council, Howard County Arts Council, Howard County Government, Community Foundation of Howard County, Maryland Humanities, and Dr. Lillian Bauder.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Ellen Conroy Kennedy Poetry Prize entry fee |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Irish Evening tickets |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Nightbird Poetry Festival admission |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society (HoCoPoLitSo) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization that produces a portfolio of community-based poetry and literature programs, including live reading events (Wilde Reading Series, Irish Evening), annual festivals (Blackbird Poetry Festival, Lucille Clifton Reading), educational residencies (Bauder Lecture, Writer-in-Residence), and the globally distributed writer-to-writer talk show The Writing Life on YouTube. Programs are delivered in partnership with Howard Community College, Howard County Arts Council, and the Howard County Government.
Product overview
HoCoPoLitSo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization that operates as a single unified program focused on enlarging the audience for contemporary poetry and literature. The organization delivers its mission through a portfolio of interconnected programs: The Writing Life (a writer-to-writer talk show), the Wilde Reading Series (monthly local author readings), the Annual Irish Evening, the Blackbird Poetry Festival, the Bauder Lecture Series, and the Lucille Clifton Reading. Additional programs include the Howard County Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate Programs (administered in partnership with Howard County Arts Council and County Executive), the Ellen Conroy Kennedy Poetry Prize (annual contest), the Bauder Writer-In-Residence Program, and The LIT Calendar (regional literary events calendar).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Writing Life
Quantifiable outcome
- The Writing Life has over 1 million YouTube viewers worldwide
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Howard County Poetry and Literature Society
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Howard County Arts CouncilcorePartnership in administering the Howard County Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate programs, coordinated by HoCoPoLitSo with Howard County Arts Council managing grants process
- Howard County Government / Office of County Executive Calvin BallcoreCounty Executive formally appoints Poet Laureates; Howard County Government provides funding and support for programs including Poet Laureate initiatives
- Howard Community CollegecorePartnership for Bauder Lecture Series (endowed by Dr. Lillian Bauder), Blackbird Poetry Festival (Departments of Student Life and Humanities/World Languages), and The Writing Life recording studio (Dragon Digital TV)
- Queen Takes BookcoreIndependent bookstore venue for monthly Wilde Reading Series events (September-June) in Columbia, MD; provides space for two featured readers plus open mic sessions
- Girl Scouts of Central MarylandminorPartnership for Creative Café events for young writers in grades 6-12, led by Howard County Youth Poet Laureate
- The Little Patuxent ReviewminorLiterary journal that publishes the winning poem of the Ellen Conroy Kennedy Poetry Prize
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cave Canem Foundation: Nonprofit literary organization supporting Black poets through workshops, residencies, and readings. Comparable nonprofit literary-arts mission focused on poet development and community readings, mirroring HoCoPoLitSo's Blackbird Festival and writer programming priorities.
- Split This Rock: DC-based nonprofit that produces poetry festivals, readings, and literary programming in the mid-Atlantic. Directly comparable to HoCoPoLitSo's model of regional literary festivals, readings, and writing-community programming; serves a similar mid-Atlantic demographic.
- The Loft Literary Center: Minneapolis-based nonprofit literary arts center offering classes, readings, writing residencies, and community workshops. Closely comparable mission and programming mix (readings, classes, festivals) to HoCoPoLitSo's Wilde Reading Series and Blackbird Poetry Festival.
Emerging players
- 826 National: Nonprofit network supporting writing and literacy education for youth through community writing centers. Overlaps with HoCoPoLitSo's Bauder Writer-In-Residence and Creative Cafes youth programs, though 826's model is storefront-anchored across multiple cities.
Regional players
- Folger Shakespeare Library: DC-based nonprofit literary institution offering readings, lectures, and educational programming in the mid-Atlantic. Comparable to HoCoPoLitSo's literary programming mix, with a permanent venue and broader institutional scope but also operating as a heritage library rather than a poetry-focused organization.
- Busboys and Poets: DC-area bookstore-cafe hybrid that hosts readings, spoken word, and literary programming in a community-focused commercial-venue format. Comparable literary community gathering space model to HoCoPoLitSo's Wilde Reading Series at Queen Takes Book; HoCoPoLitSo even holds some events at Busboys and Poets venues.
Broad incumbents
- PEN America: National literary and free-expression nonprofit that runs readings, festivals, and writing programs. Comparable nonprofit mission focused on literary community-building, though headquartered nationally with advocacy beyond HoCoPoLitSo's regional scope.
- National Book Foundation: Nonprofit that presents the National Book Awards and year-round literary programming. Comparable as a literary nonprofit steward brand, with much larger national reach and recognition than HoCoPoLitSo's local programming.
- Poetry Foundation: National nonprofit steward of contemporary poetry, publisher of Poetry magazine, and operator of poetry.org. Comparable to HoCoPoLitSo as a mission-driven literary nonprofit focused on enlarging the audience for poetry, but operating at national/international scale and running a major print/digital periodical rather than live community programming.
- Academy of American Poets: National literary nonprofit that promotes poetry through Prize, Poem-A-Day, and education programs. Comparable to HoCoPoLitSo as a poetry-focused nonprofit expanding access to literary arts, though its scope is national/online rather than community-anchored.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society social profiles
Digital presenceHoward County Poetry and Literature Society compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Howard County Poetry and Literature Society
What does Howard County Poetry and Literature Society do?
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society (HoCoPoLitSo) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization that produces a portfolio of community-based poetry and literature programs, including live reading events (Wilde Reading Series, Irish Evening), annual festivals (Blackbird Poetry Festival, Lucille Clifton Reading), educational residencies (Bauder Lecture, Writer-in-Residence), and the globally distributed writer-to-writer talk show The Writing Life on YouTube. Programs are delivered in partnership with Howard Community College, Howard County Arts Council, and the Howard County Government.
Is Howard County Poetry and Literature Society a public or private company?
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Howard County Poetry and Literature Society founded?
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society was founded in 1974. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Howard County Poetry and Literature Society based?
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society is headquartered in Columbia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Howard County Poetry and Literature Society make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Event ticket sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and contributions, contest entry fees and government and foundation grants.
Who are Howard County Poetry and Literature Society's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cave Canem Foundation, Split This Rock and The Loft Literary Center. 826 National is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Folger Shakespeare Library and Busboys and Poets. Broad incumbents are PEN America, National Book Foundation, Poetry Foundation and Academy of American Poets.
Does Howard County Poetry and Literature Society have an API?
No public API is recorded for Howard County Poetry and Literature Society.
What industry is Howard County Poetry and Literature Society in?
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society's product category is Community Literary Arts Programming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAK, Literary Arts & Writing Organizations, with a secondary code of EDAMAMAC, Creative Nonfiction & Memoir Workshops. Its NAICS code is 5131 and its SIC code is 2741.