Chapter 510
Chapter 510 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 that runs free creative-writing, bookmaking, and publishing programs for Black, brown, and queer youth ages 8–18 in Oakland, California, delivered at its downtown center and through Oakland Unified School District schools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Chapter 510 does
Chapter 510 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (legal entity Chapter 510 Ink, EIN #47-2793034) founded in 2013 by Janet Heller and Tavia Stewart as a made-in-Oakland youth writing, bookmaking, and publishing center. The organization serves youth ages 8–18 — prioritizing Black, brown, and queer youth — through free or low-cost creative-writing workshops, in-school programming across the Oakland Unified School District, and a publishing pipeline that has produced more than 100 youth-penned books and supported over 6,500 young authors over a decade. Programming is delivered at a downtown Oakland headquarters inside Swan's Market and at the Westlake Writers' Room (the only dedicated Writers' Room in all of OUSD) inside Westlake Middle School, augmented by community partnerships with Oakland Public Library, Oakland Roots Sports Club, and HopeLab.
Core offerings span the Youth Writing Workshops track, the SOUNDSPACE youth-produced podcast (distributed via Spotify and Apple Podcasts, entering its fifth season in 2026), the 510 Journal online literary magazine, the annual Write Your Roots multi-generational poetry collaboration, the Young Oakland Poets Expedition district pilot, and the Dept. of Make/Believe retail storefront (in-person and online at deptofmakebelieve.org). Space rental, retail sales of youth-authored books, individual donations, and foundation grants from organizations including OFCY, California Arts Council, Stuart Foundation, Hellman Foundation, and San Francisco Foundation together constitute the revenue mix.
The technology stack is conventional nonprofit SaaS — Google Drive for document collaboration, Mailchimp for email marketing, Salesforce for constituent management, and Quickbooks for finance — with Squarespace powering the public website and no proprietary technology, public API, or app products. Headcount stands at roughly 13 staff members across co-founders, program/operations/communications roles, and multiple teaching artists, with a board of directors staffed by executives from Clorox, Apple, Cisco, GI Partners, Link Logistics, and other major employers providing governance and fundraising leverage.
Chapter 510 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chapter 510
- Legal name
- Chapter 510 Ink
- Website
- https://chapter510.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Chapter 510 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 that runs free creative-writing, bookmaking, and publishing programs for Black, brown, and queer youth ages 8–18 in Oakland, California, delivered at its downtown center and through Oakland Unified School District schools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chapter 510 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Arts Education
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Middle Grade Publishing (MPAJAFAC), Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO), Early Literacy & Pre-Reading (Phonics, Letter Knowledge) (EDAGACAA)
Keywords
Where Chapter 510 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chapter 510 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Foundation Grants: Chapter 510 operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN #47-2793034) funded primarily through foundation grants from organizations including Oakland Fund for Children and Youth, California Arts Council, Stuart Foundation, Hellman Foundation, Quest Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, and others.
- Individual Donations: Individual donors at various giving levels (Illustrious Supporters at $75,000+, Epic Supporters at $50,000+, etc.) contribute to annual and one-time donations. The organization runs annual fundraising events and accepts donor-advised contributions.
- Space Rental Revenue: The organization rents its creative event space for workshops, readings, community celebrations, and performances. Each rental supports funding for free youth writing programs.
- Retail Sales: The Dept. of Make/Believe storefront sells books written by Oakland youth, merchandise, and gifts. Revenue supports Chapter 510's free writing programs.
- In-Kind Contributions: Accepts in-kind donations including bookmaking supplies, paper, laptops, art supplies, event tickets, and pro-bono consulting.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Free workshops for youth ages 8-19 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Chapter 510 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chapter 510 is a made-in-Oakland youth writing, bookmaking, and publishing center that delivers free creative writing workshops, mentorship, and publication opportunities for youth ages 8-18, prioritizing Black, brown, and queer youth. Programs are delivered at its downtown Oakland center, at partner Oakland Unified School District schools (including a dedicated Writers' Room at Westlake Middle School), and culminate in published anthologies, the SOUNDSPACE youth podcast, and the 510 Journal literary magazine. The Dept. of Make/Believe serves as the retail storefront selling youth-authored books.
Product overview
Chapter 510 is a made-in-Oakland youth writing, bookmaking, and publishing center that operates as a single unified offering centered on connecting youth (ages 8-19) to the power of their stories. The organization provides free or low-cost programs primarily focused on creative writing workshops, youth publishing, and audio storytelling. Core programs include Youth Writing Workshops (taught by experienced teaching artists), the SOUNDSPACE youth podcast, 510 Journal literary magazine, Write Your Roots annual community poetry project, the Young Oakland Poets Expedition district-wide program, and the Westlake Writers' Room in-school program. The Dept. of Make/Believe serves as the retail storefront and community space where youth-authored books are sold. Programs prioritize Black, brown, and queer youth, with most culminating in published books or audio productions. The organization is an 826 National-inspired writing center.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SOUNDSPACE: A youth podcast created by teens of Oakland, CA, featuring original audio stories exploring topics like mental health, the future, and personal experiences.
- 510 Journal
- Write Your Roots
- The Dept. of Make / Believe
Products and services
- Youth Writing Workshops Free or low-cost writing workshops for youth ages 8-18, prioritizing Black, brown, and queer youth. Programs include picture book writing for elementary students, fiction writing for BIPOC middle schoolers, digital storytelling, and poetry for high schoolers. Most programs culminate in published books or audio productions.
- SOUNDSPACE Youth Podcast Youth-produced podcast series created by Oakland teens. Episodes cover topics including mental health, community stories, and personal experiences. Distributed via Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The fifth season, 'I Hear You: Audio Stories about Mental Health & Wellness,' features 8 episodes by teen podcasters.
- 510 Journal Literary Magazine Monthly literary magazine featuring poetry, stories, and essays written by young Oakland writers ages 12-18. Each issue is posted online, created as a letter-pressed card or poster, and distributed via newsletter.
- Write Your Roots Annual all-town, multi-generational poetry collaboration organized in partnership with Oakland Roots sports club. Oakland community members contribute lines to a collaborative epic poem which is compiled, woven together, and published.
- Dept. of Make / Believe Storefront A whimsical storefront and community space (part of Swan's Market) at 546 9th Street in Oakland, where books written by Oakland youth are sold, creative manifestations are filed, and a community card catalog exists. Open Wed-Sat 11am-5pm.
- Westlake Writers' Room Dedicated writing space within Westlake Middle School library, created in partnership with Gensler architects and artist Simon Tran. Offers ELL students creative writing and book arts with kinesthetic, tactile learning approaches. The only dedicated Writers' Room in all of OUSD.
- Young Oakland Poets Expedition Poetry writing and publishing program for 4th graders across Oakland Unified School District. Part of three-year strategic plan to deepen impact in OUSD schools and include more literacy-based curriculums across the district, focusing on creative writing and poetry.
- Event Space Rental Event and workshop space rental for staff retreats, book releases, summer camps, community celebrations, and workshops. Available for hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly rentals. Proceeds support free youth writing programs.
- When The Stars Bloom in Oakland (Youth Anthology) Poetry anthology written by 200 4th graders across 8 classrooms at 6 schools in OUSD as part of the Young Oakland Poets Expedition pilot program. Almost 300 books distributed to Oakland families at the OUSD Lit Fest in May 2026.
Quantifiable outcome
- 6,500+ young authors supported in Oakland over 10 years
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Chapter 510
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Chapter 510 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Chapter 510 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, key, secondary and flagship.
- Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)coreChapter 510 has a deep partnership with OUSD for delivering poetry and creative writing programs across the district. The Young Oakland Poets Expedition pilot involved 8 classrooms in 6 schools with 200 students. The Westlake Writers' Room serves as the only dedicated Writers' Room in OUSD. Programs align with OUSD's literacy goals and serve as a model for scaling creative writing across the district.
- HopeLabkeyHopeLab supports the SOUNDSPACE teen podcast program with research grounding and resources around equity-centered solutions for Black, brown, and queer young people's mental health and wellness. HopeLab staff participate in events and provide expertise that informs program content.
- Gensler ArchitectskeyGensler architects collaborated with Chapter 510 to design and build the Westlake Writers' Room at Westlake Middle School, transforming an old closet into a dedicated writing space.
- Simon TrankeyArtist Simon Tran collaborated on the Westlake Writers' Room design, bringing creative vision to the space alongside Gensler architects.
- Oakland Roots Sports ClubsecondaryOakland Roots is a Purpose Partner collaborating on the annual Write Your Roots poetry project and community events. Chapter 510 participates in Oakland Roots games as a community partner.
- 826 NationalflagshipChapter 510 is an 826 National-inspired organization, part of a global network of youth writing centers. This affiliation provides program framework, best practices, and connection to the broader youth writing center movement.
- Oakland Public Library Youth Poet Laureate Programcore510 Journal started as a partnership with Oakland Public Library's Youth Poet Laureate Program in 2012. Chapter 510 creates annual posters featuring the Youth Poet Laureate and distributes thousands of journals to libraries and schools.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chapter 510 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- 826 National: The national umbrella organization for youth writing centers that Chapter 510 is explicitly modeled on as an '826 National-inspired' organization, providing the program framework and network affiliation for comparable youth writing and publishing programs across the U.S.
- National Writing Project: A national network of teacher-leaders focused on improving writing instruction in U.S. schools, including K–12 youth. Comparable in mission around youth writing development, though it operates as a professional-development network rather than a direct youth publishing center.
Direct peers
- 826 Valencia (San Francisco): The flagship 826 youth writing center in San Francisco, offering free writing workshops, tutoring, and student publishing programs to youth ages 6–18. Operates the same hybrid model of education plus publishing (including a storefront), making it the closest geographic and programmatic peer to Chapter 510.
- 826NYC: New York City's 826 youth writing center providing free writing tutoring and publishing programs for students ages 6–18, with a publishing arm and pirate-themed retail store. Highly comparable structure of free workshops plus student publication output.
- 826CHI (Chicago): Chicago's 826 youth writing center delivering free creative and expository writing programs to students ages 6–18, with a student publishing imprint. Direct peer given the same 826 model of writing instruction combined with youth publication.
- The Telling Room (Portland, ME): A nonprofit writing center in Portland, Maine dedicated to helping youth ages 6–18 develop writing and publishing skills, producing professionally published anthologies by young writers. Highly comparable mission, age range, and youth-publishing-as-outcome model.
- Youth Speaks: San Francisco-based nonprofit arts and education organization that creates safe spaces for young people's literacy and artistic expression through spoken word poetry, with strong overlap in serving BIPOC and queer youth in the Bay Area publishing original youth-authored work.
- WritersCorps: Bay Area youth writing and mentoring program originally founded by Janet Heller (Chapter 510's co-founder) before she launched Chapter 510. Direct organizational and philosophical lineage to Chapter 510's youth writing and publishing mission.
- 826 Boston: Boston-area youth writing center serving students ages 6–18 with free writing, tutoring, and publishing programs as part of the 826 National network, providing the same workshop-plus-publication model as Chapter 510.
- 826LA: Los Angeles-based 826 youth writing center providing free writing programs and student publishing to youth ages 6–18, including programs serving students of color in under-resourced schools — closely aligned mission and demographic focus with Chapter 510.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Chapter 510 social profiles
Digital presenceChapter 510 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chapter 510 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Chapter 510 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Chapter 510 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Chapter 510
What does Chapter 510 do?
Chapter 510 is a made-in-Oakland youth writing, bookmaking, and publishing center that delivers free creative writing workshops, mentorship, and publication opportunities for youth ages 8-18, prioritizing Black, brown, and queer youth. Programs are delivered at its downtown Oakland center, at partner Oakland Unified School District schools (including a dedicated Writers' Room at Westlake Middle School), and culminate in published anthologies, the SOUNDSPACE youth podcast, and the 510 Journal literary magazine. The Dept. of Make/Believe serves as the retail storefront selling youth-authored books.
Is Chapter 510 a public or private company?
Chapter 510 is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Chapter 510 founded?
Chapter 510 was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Chapter 510 based?
Chapter 510 is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chapter 510 make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Foundation Grants are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, space Rental Revenue, retail Sales and in-Kind Contributions.
Who are Chapter 510's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are 826 National and National Writing Project. Direct peers are 826 Valencia (San Francisco), 826NYC, 826CHI (Chicago), The Telling Room (Portland, ME), Youth Speaks, WritersCorps, 826 Boston and 826LA.
Does Chapter 510 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chapter 510.
What industry is Chapter 510 in?
Chapter 510's product category is Youth Arts Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAFAE, Children’s Nonfiction Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAFAC, Middle Grade Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.