Girls Write Now
Girls Write Now is a New York-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that mentors young writers and gender-expansive youth (ages 10-24) through one-to-one and peer mentorship, writing courses, community events, and a multimedia publishing platform, funded by donations and corporate partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Girls Write Now does
Girls Write Now is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that operates a multi-generational creative writing and mentoring program for writers and gender-expansive youth ages 10-24, paired with professional mentors ages 25+. Its core product surface is anchored by the Collaboratory digital platform, which centralizes mentor-mentee matching, course delivery, and community experiences, alongside three structured mentorship formats: Journey Mentorship (three-month cycles in Spring, Summer, Fall), Mentorship on Demand (flexible one-hour sessions open to any U.S. mentee age 13-24), and Peer-to-Peer Mentoring. The offering is supplemented by writing courses across genres, media, and disciplines; community experiences including Friday Night Salons, College Chats, Career Chats, Community Studios, and Affinity Groups; and a multimedia publishing arm producing podcasts (Speaking in First Draft, Writing Our Way to Wellness, A Fistful of Verse, Lunch with LitNYS), zines, digital stories, collaborative films, and award-winning annual anthologies.
The business model is donations-led: individual contributions and charitable giving form the primary revenue stream, complemented by corporate partnerships (Mattel, Spotify, Comcast NBCUniversal, Nike, Macmillan, LinkedIn, Tribeca), foundation grants (Moleskine Foundation, Hawthornden Foundation, Amazon Literary Partnership, Eames Institute, Genesis Inspiration Foundation), and ancillary revenue from anthology/book sales via Penguin Random House/Dutton, HarperOne, Tin House, Feminist Press, and direct retail channels (Books Are Magic, McNally Jackson, Amazon). Membership is currently offered at no cost for a limited time with Silver (Journey alumni) and Gold (5+ year) tiers, effectively a freemium tiering structure that has not yet been monetized at scale. Distribution is hybrid virtual and in-person with nationwide U.S. reach; the headquarter office is at 247 W 37th Street #1000, New York City, with a staff of 51-100 and a single founder-led executive team under Maya Nussbaum.
Girls Write Now firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Girls Write Now
- Legal name
- Girls Write Now
- Website
- https://girlswritenow.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Girls Write Now is a New York-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that mentors young writers and gender-expansive youth (ages 10-24) through one-to-one and peer mentorship, writing courses, community events, and a multimedia publishing platform, funded by donations and corporate partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Girls Write Now industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Creative Writing Mentorship and Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s & YA Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online & Hybrid Creative Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAL), Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel) (EDAMAMAA), Writing Craft & Technique Workshops (Voice, Structure, Character, Style) (EDAMAMAH), Writing Retreats & Intensive Bootcamps (EDAMAMAK), Writing Critique Groups & Peer Workshops (EDAMAMAJ), Writing Skills & Composition Enrichment (EDAMAJAC)
Keywords
Where Girls Write Now is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Girls Write Now business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and institutional donations form the primary revenue stream for this nonprofit organization
- Corporate Partnerships: Employee engagement programs, talent pipeline services, passion projects, and speaking engagements with corporate partners
- Membership Fees: Silver and Gold membership tiers offering access to writing courses, mentoring, community events, and opportunities. Currently free for a limited time.
- Publication Sales: Annual anthologies and specialty books published in partnership with Penguin Random House, HarperOne, and Tin House Books
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Standard Membership - Free access to select services |
| Subscription | Annual | Silver Membership - Automatic for Journey alumni |
| Subscription | Annual | Gold Membership - Five-year+ community members |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Girls Write Now product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Girls Write Now is a nonprofit organization that provides creative writing education, one-to-one cross-generational mentorship, and community programming for young writers ages 10-24, particularly girls and gender-expansive youth historically disempowered due to gender and gender identity. Its core offerings include structured Journey Mentorship cycles, flexible Mentorship on Demand sessions, writing courses across genres and media, community experiences (salons, college chats, career chats, studios), and a multimedia publishing platform producing anthologies, podcasts, stories, zines, and films.
Product overview
Girls Write Now is a nonprofit mentorship and writing education organization offering a multi-tiered platform of programs and services. The core offerings include Journey Mentorship (3-month structured programs), Mentorship on Demand (flexible one-hour sessions), and Peer to Peer Mentoring. These are supplemented by Writing Courses covering diverse genres and media, and Community Experiences (Salons, Studios, Chats). The Media Platform encompasses Stories, Books/Anthologies, Zines, Podcasts (Speaking in First Draft, Writing Our Way to Wellness, A Fistful of Verse, Lunch with LitNYS), and Film. The Collaboratory serves as the central digital platform connecting all offerings. Membership tiers (Silver and Gold) provide graduated access to programs. The organization focuses on mentoring writers and leaders ages 10-24, with programs delivered through virtual and in-person channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Collaboratory: Girls Write Now's central hub for connecting and creating as a community, offering writing courses, mentorship programs, and community experiences
Products and services
- Journey Mentorship A three-month structured mentorship program pairing mentors with mentees for one-to-one cross-generational mentoring, including writing course content, community workshops, and creative outcomes. Applications accepted for Spring, Summer, and Fall cycles.
- Mentorship on Demand (MOD) Flexible one-to-one mentoring option connecting mentees ages 13-24 with experienced professionals for focused, short-term one-hour sessions on topics like career development, college preparation, editing, creative writing, and wellness.
- Peer to Peer Mentoring Mentoring option within specific programmatic Journeys designed for peer-level support, school or work experiences, and group projects.
- Writing Courses 360-degree approach to writing education covering genres, media, disciplines, industries, and college/career readiness, offered as part of Journeys or ad hoc for members.
- Community Experiences
Companies that use Girls Write Now
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Girls Write Now technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Girls Write Now partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- Tribeca Film FestivalflagshipCo-hosting partnership at 2026 Tribeca Film Festival
- Eames InstituteminorNamed Founder & Executive Director Maya Nussbaum a 2026 honoree of the Curious 100
- Dutton BooksflagshipAnnual anthology publishing partner, part of Penguin Random House, for award-winning collections showcasing mentee writing
- Amazon Literary PartnershipcoreLiterary partnership supporting anthology publication and distribution
- Feminist PresscorePublishing partner for anthologies championing next generation of writers
- HarperOneflagshipHarperCollins imprint that published 25th anniversary book 'On the Art of the Craft: A Guidebook to Collaborative Storytelling' conceived and edited by Girls Write Now community
- Tin House BooksflagshipPublished 20th anniversary book 'Girls Write Now: Two Decades of True Stories from Young Female Voices'
- Women's Media GroupcoreWMG Scholarship for mentees committed to media careers; created by Girls Write Now mentor Nevin Mays
- Moleskine FoundationminorCreativity Pioneers partner exploring 'Disorientation and the Compass of Language' at Casa Ecco on Lake Como
- Hawthornden FoundationsminorConnected Girls Write Now to changemakers across the globe through Creativity Pioneers initiative
- LitNYSflagshipGirls Write Now plays key leadership role in country's largest literary arts ecosystem, connecting partners through LitNews newsletter, Lunch With Lit podcast, and Mentor on Call peer support service
- Macmillan PublisherscoreCareer readiness programming including Macmillan Career Chat sessions with publishing professionals
- STARS Citywide Girls InitiativecoreCoalition of ten nonprofits serving girls and gender-expansive youth in NYC; produced Town Hall on safe spaces for 2026
- NBCUniversalcoreCollaborative film projects with NBCU and Reel Works based on original mentee writing
- Reel WorkscoreFilm collaboration producing mentee-written content with NBCU
- Toni Morrison's Princeton AteliercoreCollaborative film projects based on original mentee writing
- CITYartsminorMentees inspired CITYarts Peace Wall project
- LinkedInminorFeatured Girls Write Now's innovative approach to virtual community on LinkedIn for Nonprofits blog
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Girls Write Now competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 826 National: Network of youth writing and tutoring centers founded by Dave Eggers; operates a similar creative writing mentorship model for school-aged youth with publishing outputs, making it the most direct comparable to Girls Write Now's programming structure.
- Young Writers Project: Digital platform connecting young writers with mentors and publishing opportunities; comparable in its virtual mentorship and youth-publishing focus, though broader in geographic and demographic scope.
- Scholastic Writing Awards: Long-running national writing recognition program for students in grades 7-12; comparable as a youth writing recognition and publishing pipeline, though it does not emphasize one-to-one mentorship.
- National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo): Nonprofit that runs the global young writers program and NaNoWriMo writing events for teens and adults; comparable in building community around creative writing production, though primarily event-driven rather than mentorship-based.
- Urban Word NYC: NYC-based youth literary arts nonprofit offering spoken word, writing workshops, and mentorship to teens; directly overlaps Girls Write Now's NYC youth-writing-mentorship mission and city footprint.
- PowerMyLearning: Nonprofit connecting underserved students with mentors and learning supports; comparable in youth mentorship and educational equity positioning, though broader across subjects than writing.
- WriteGirl: LA-based creative writing and mentoring nonprofit for teen girls; the closest demographic and programmatic analog to Girls Write Now on the West Coast.
Regional players
- 826NYC (a chapter of 826 National): NYC chapter of 826 National offering youth writing programs in Brooklyn; comparable in NYC-local youth writing mentorship but operates as a sibling to 826 National rather than a women-focused mission.
Broad incumbents
- Khan Academy: Large-scale educational nonprofit offering free courses including humanities and writing content to learners nationwide; comparable as a free educational content platform but not focused on creative writing mentorship.
- Adobe Foundation / Adobe Youth Voices: Foundation programs that pair creative tools (including creative writing and media production) with youth mentorship in partnership with schools and nonprofits; comparable as an adjacent corporate-philanthropy creative-youth platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Girls Write Now social profiles
Digital presenceGirls Write Now financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Girls Write Now leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Girls Write Now funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Girls Write Now 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 Girls Write Now
What does Girls Write Now do?
Girls Write Now is a nonprofit organization that provides creative writing education, one-to-one cross-generational mentorship, and community programming for young writers ages 10-24, particularly girls and gender-expansive youth historically disempowered due to gender and gender identity. Its core offerings include structured Journey Mentorship cycles, flexible Mentorship on Demand sessions, writing courses across genres and media, community experiences (salons, college chats, career chats, studios), and a multimedia publishing platform producing anthologies, podcasts, stories, zines, and films.
Is Girls Write Now a public or private company?
Girls Write Now is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Girls Write Now founded?
Girls Write Now was founded in 1999. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Girls Write Now based?
Girls Write Now is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Girls Write Now make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, membership Fees and publication Sales.
Who are Girls Write Now's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 826 National, Young Writers Project, Scholastic Writing Awards, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Urban Word NYC, PowerMyLearning and WriteGirl. 826NYC (a chapter of 826 National) is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Khan Academy and Adobe Foundation / Adobe Youth Voices.
Does Girls Write Now have an API?
No public API is recorded for Girls Write Now.
What industry is Girls Write Now in?
Girls Write Now's product category is Youth Creative Writing Mentorship and Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAMAF, Children’s & YA Writing Workshops, with a secondary code of EDAMAMAL, Online & Hybrid Creative Writing Workshops. Its NAICS code is 61161 and its SIC code is 2741.