What WriteGirl does

WriteGirl is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit creative writing and mentoring organization founded in December 2001, operating as a project of Community Partners, a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. The organization serves teen girls and gender-expansive youth ages 13-18 in Los Angeles and increasingly nationwide and internationally, reaching more than 700 teens and young adults annually. WriteGirl's core product is the Core Mentoring Program, which pairs teens with nearly 400 volunteer professional writers — including poets, novelists, journalists, screenwriters, and songwriters — for monthly creative writing workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and a College Access Program that has maintained a 100% college enrollment rate for participants since inception. The organization has published 15+ award-winning anthologies, an online literary journal ('Lines & Breaks'), and digital activity workbooks (WriteGirl Planet), with publications winning more than 100 national and international book awards.

WriteGirl operates a multi-segment, multi-channel model. The primary participant segment is teen girls and gender-expansive youth served free of charge; a second segment consists of schools, community centers, and juvenile detention facilities reached through fee-for-service Partner Programs led by Teaching Artists; a third segment is teachers and youth leaders served through professional development. Programming is delivered online (global reach) and in person at cultural institutions including LACMA, the Autry Museum, the Natural History Museum, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Huntington. Sub-brands include Bold Ink Writers (boys and co-ed groups) and Lines & Breaks. The organization is funded primarily through donations from individuals, corporations (notably the Estée Lauder Companies WRITING CHANGE initiative), foundations, and government sources, supplemented by fee-for-service partner program revenue and in-kind donations, with a staff of approximately 16 and a board chaired by John Marshall. Notable alumni include Presidential Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman, and the organization has received the 2013 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from the White House, the 2021 CNN Hero recognition for Executive Director Keren Taylor, and the 2020 LA Times Innovator's Award.

Name

WriteGirl

Legal name

WriteGirl

Website

https://writegirl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WriteGirl is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit founded in 2001 that pairs teen girls and gender-expansive youth with nearly 400 professional writer volunteers for free creative writing mentoring, college access support, and leadership development, serving 700+ teens annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring and Creative Writing Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Writing Craft & Technique Workshops (Voice, Structure, Character, Style) (EDAMAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel) (EDAMAMAA), College Application & Personal Statement Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAN), Online & Hybrid Creative Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAL)

Keywords

• Youth creative writing
• Mentoring programs
• College access services
• Teen leadership development
• Gender-expansive youth

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: WriteGirl is a nonprofit organization that relies primarily on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government sources. The organization receives funding from grants, campaigns, and special events.
2. Fee-for-Service Partner Programs: WriteGirl presents hundreds of workshops at schools and community centers through fee-for-service partnerships that allow them to reach critically at-risk youth.
3. In-Kind Donations: Dozens of companies donate in-kind goods and services such as journals, pens, gifts for teens and volunteers, catering, and silent auction items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WriteGirl provides free creative writing mentorship, monthly workshops, and one-on-one mentoring from professional writers to teen girls and gender-expansive youth ages 13-18, combined with a Bold Leaders leadership development program and a College Access Program. The organization also runs fee-for-service partner workshops at schools, community centers, and juvenile detention facilities, and offers professional development training for teachers.

Product overview

WriteGirl is a creative writing and mentoring organization offering a multi-component program portfolio. The Core Mentoring Program provides monthly workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and the Bold Leaders leadership development program for teen girls and gender-expansive youth. The College Access Program offers individualized college preparation guidance. Partner Programs deliver fee-for-service workshops at schools and community facilities, while Teacher Training provides professional development for educators. The organization publishes award-winning anthologies and guides through WriteGirl Publications, maintains the online literary journal Lines & Breaks, and operates Bold Ink Writers as a program for boys and co-ed groups. WriteGirl Planet provides digital activity magazines with writing exercises.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bold Ink Writers: A program for boys and co-ed groups, providing creative writing workshops for male youth.
• Lines & Breaks
• WriteGirl Planet
• What's Behind the Blue Door?

Products and services

• Core Mentoring Program A comprehensive free creative writing and mentoring program featuring monthly workshops, one-on-one mentoring from professional writers, and the Bold Leaders leadership development component, designed for teen girls and gender-expansive youth.
• College Access Program
• Partner Programs Fee-for-service creative writing workshops delivered at schools, community centers, and juvenile detention facilities by WriteGirl Teaching Artists, reaching youth ages 13-24 including critically at-risk populations.
• Teacher Training
• WriteGirl Publications Award-winning anthologies and creative writing guides showcasing teen voices, including 'This Moment', 'You Are Here', 'Pens on Fire', and 'What's Behind the Blue Door?' published with Chronicle Books.
• Lines & Breaks Online literary journal featuring creative writing from WriteGirl mentees, alums, and special guests, launched in 2021.
• Bold Ink Writers Creative writing program for boys and co-ed groups, providing workshops at schools, community centers, and juvenile detention facilities.
• WriteGirl Planet Digital magazine packed with writing activities, tips, and inspiring profiles available for download from the WriteGirl website.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college enrollment rate maintained for all Core Mentoring Program participants since 2001
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWriteGirl partners with the Natural History Museum to host writing workshops and events that introduce teens to art and cultural experiences Los Angeles has to offer. The museum provides venue space for WriteGirl programming.
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWriteGirl holds workshops at LACMA as part of their partnership to provide teens with rich cultural experiences while developing their creative writing skills.
• The Autry Museum of the American WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWriteGirl hosts in-person workshops at The Autry Museum, bringing together teens and mentors for creative writing activities in an inspiring museum setting.
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts & SciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Academy partners with WriteGirl for the 'Lights, Camera, WriteGirl!' red carpet benefit event held at their elegant Linwood Dunn Theater, where Hollywood actors perform scenes written by WriteGirl teens.
• Walt Disney Concert HallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWriteGirl partners with Walt Disney Concert Hall and other leading civic, cultural and arts organizations to host creative writing workshops.
• The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical GardenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Huntington is one of WriteGirl's cultural institution partners that hosts creative writing workshops for teens.
• Japanese American National MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWriteGirl hosts workshops at the Japanese American National Museum as part of their partnership to engage teens with cultural programming.
• Otis College of Art and DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOtis College is among the leading arts organizations WriteGirl partners with to host creative writing workshops.
• MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOCA is one of WriteGirl's cultural partners hosting creative writing workshops for teens.
• Obama FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing receiving the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, WriteGirl partnered with the Obama Foundation in 2018 to produce workshops for young community leaders throughout the country.
• Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWriteGirl partners with LACOE to provide programming for critically underserved and under-resourced pregnant, parenting, and incarcerated teen girls at sites including Destiny Girls Academy, Azusa Community School, and Road to Success Academy.
• Arts for Healing and Justice Network (AHJN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWriteGirl is a founding member of AHJN, which connects LA area organizations providing arts programming to incarcerated and systems-impacted youth. WriteGirl is committed to partnering with AHJN to transform the juvenile justice system via trauma- and healing-informed educational approaches.
• Chronicle BooksmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWriteGirl partnered with Chronicle Books to publish 'What's Behind the Blue Door? Creative Writing Prompts to Invite Inspiration,' a guided journal with writing tips and activities.
• Estée Lauder Companies WRITING CHANGE InitiativemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Estée Lauder Companies WRITING CHANGE initiative supports WriteGirl's literacy and mentorship programs for at-risk youth in underserved communities.
• Community Partners (Fiscal Sponsor)coreOthersWriteGirl is a project of Community Partners, a nonprofit charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3). Community Partners provides comprehensive administrative services including financial management.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 826 National: 826 National is a network of youth writing, tutoring, and publishing centers serving K-12 students with a mentor-led model. It is the closest direct analog to WriteGirl in mission, structure, and target population, though it is co-ed and operates across multiple cities.
• Girls Write Now: Girls Write Now provides mentoring and writing programs specifically for girls and gender-expansive youth in NYC. It mirrors WriteGirl's gender-focused, mentor-led creative writing model and serves a comparable demographic.
• Mighty Writers: Mighty Writers is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that provides free writing programs and mentorship to youth, including at-risk populations. It is comparable in mission, free-to-participant model, and focus on creative writing skill development.
• Urban Word NYC: Urban Word NYC is a youth literary arts organization that runs spoken word and creative writing programs for teens, including the annual Brave New Voices festival. It overlaps with WriteGirl in target demographic (teens) and creative writing program format.
• Youth Speaks: Youth Speaks is a leading nonprofit that uses spoken word poetry to empower youth. It shares WriteGirl's youth-development-through-writing mission and has built a comparable pipeline of published teen voices and high-profile cultural partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Girls Inc. Girls Inc. is a national girls-empowerment nonprofit network focused on inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. It is a broader incumbent in the girls-youth-development space, with which WriteGirl competes for the same pool of girl-focused philanthropic dollars.

Emerging players

• National Writing Project: The National Writing Project is a network of educators focused on improving writing instruction across the U.S. WriteGirl's teacher training programs are comparable in topic (creative writing pedagogy) and operate in a related but distinct segment of the writing-education ecosystem.
• The Moth: The Moth runs storytelling and education programs, including youth programs that teach narrative craft. It shares WriteGirl's emphasis on voice, storytelling, and creative writing education, though its primary delivery is spoken-word storytelling rather than written creative writing.

Others

• Step Up Women's Network: Step Up mentors teen girls from under-resourced communities, pairing them with professional women. It is comparable to WriteGirl in its girls-mentorship demographic and intent to deliver leadership outcomes, though its core delivery is general mentoring rather than creative writing.
• Academy for Teachers: Academy for Teachers is a nonprofit that provides professional development and community for K-12 teachers, including writers and English educators. WriteGirl's teacher training and trauma-informed pedagogy offerings are comparable in targeting the same educator audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/writegirlglobal
• Xx.com/WriteGirlLA
• Facebookfacebook.com/WriteGirlOrganization

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WriteGirl