Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation is a Chicago-based 1912 nonprofit literary organization that publishes Poetry magazine, operates a digital archive of 58,000+ poems, and runs educational programs and literary prizes serving general readers, K-12 educators, poets, and literary organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1912
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Poetry Foundation does
The Poetry Foundation is an American nonprofit literary organization founded in 1912 and headquartered at 61 West Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois. Its core mission is to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for creation, experience, and sharing of poetry. The foundation serves four primary constituencies: general poetry readers, K-12 and community college educators, poets at various career stages, and literary organizations/publishers. Its flagship asset is Poetry magazine, a monthly literary periodical (10 book-length issues per year) featuring contemporary poetry, translations, essays, and visual art, originally founded by Harriet Monroe.
The foundation operates a digital platform at PoetryFoundation.org hosting an archive of more than 58,000 poems, poet profiles, topic collections, and educational resources, supplemented by the Poetry Magazine App (iOS and Android) that provides access to current and archival digital editions, podcasts, and audio recordings. Supporting products include the Poem of the Day email service, the Poetry Magazine Archive dating to 1912, the free five-day Summer Poetry Teachers Institute (capped at 165 participants and awarding 30 hours of Illinois State Board of Education professional development credit), and the Pegasus Poetry Book Prize (a $10,000 award administered in collaboration with Graywolf Press for U.S. poets aged 40 or older). The technology stack is content-centric: a web CMS, mobile apps, email delivery infrastructure, and braille distribution via the Library of Congress — no proprietary AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or third-party integrations are disclosed.
Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring magazine subscriptions (print, digital, and combined tiers starting at $39/year, plus student/educator discounts and gift options), single-issue sales, free public events in Chicago (some with livestreaming), and grants/charitable program administration. The foundation supplements its operating model by participating in cross-foundation coalitions, notably the $50 million over five years Literary Arts Fund led by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support nonprofit literary organizations. GTM motion is community-led and event-driven, leveraging newsletters, organic social, and seasonal programming rather than paid acquisition or enterprise sales channels.
Poetry Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Poetry Foundation
- Legal name
- Poetry Foundation
- Website
- https://poetryfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1912
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Poetry Foundation is a Chicago-based 1912 nonprofit literary organization that publishes Poetry magazine, operates a digital archive of 58,000+ poems, and runs educational programs and literary prizes serving general readers, K-12 educators, poets, and literary organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Poetry Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Literary Magazine Publishing
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK), Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAM), Spoken-Word Poetry Slams (MPAGACAF)
Keywords
Where Poetry Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Poetry Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: The Poetry Foundation publishes Poetry magazine, a monthly periodical featuring contemporary poetry, translations, essays, and visual art. Subscriptions include print, digital, and combined print+digital options delivered as 10 book-length issues per year.
- Grants and Charitable Programs: The foundation provides grants to support poets, poetry publishers, and literary organizations. Also participates in the $50 million Literary Arts Fund coalition to support nonprofit literary arts.
- Event Programming: Free public events in Chicago, with some events featuring special offers and livestreaming capabilities. Events celebrate National Poetry Month, poet laureates, and new poetry collections.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Print + Digital subscription at $39 per year |
| Subscription | Annual | Digital-only subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Student/Education Subscriptions |
| Subscription | Annual | Gift Subscriptions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Single Issues |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Poetry Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Poetry Foundation publishes Poetry magazine, a monthly literary periodical founded in 1912 featuring contemporary poetry, translations, essays, and visual art. It operates PoetryFoundation.org, a digital platform hosting over 58,000 poems, poet profiles, and educational resources, and administers educational programs (e.g., the Summer Poetry Teachers Institute), literary prizes (e.g., the Pegasus Poetry Book Prize), and grants to support poets and literary organizations.
Product overview
The Poetry Foundation operates as a literary arts organization offering a portfolio of products and services centered on poetry promotion and education. The core offerings include Poetry magazine (a monthly publication founded in 1912 featuring contemporary poetry and essays) and the Poetry Foundation website (an online platform with over 58,000 poems and poet profiles). Supporting products include the Poetry Magazine App (mobile application for iOS and Android), the Poem of the Day subscription service, and the Poetry Magazine Archive (spanning issues from 1912 to present). The Foundation also administers educational programs like the Summer Poetry Teachers Institute and literary awards including the Pegasus Poetry Book Prize in collaboration with Graywolf Press.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Poetry Magazine: A prestigious literary magazine publishing contemporary poetry, translations, essays, and visual art. Founded in 1912, it is one of the most influential poetry publications in the world.
Products and services
- Poetry Magazine The flagship monthly literary magazine founded in 1912, featuring contemporary poetry, translations, essays, and visual art. Published 10 times per year with distinct covers from different artists, available in print and digital subscriptions.
- Poetry Foundation Website The organization's primary digital platform offering free access to over 58,000 poems, poet profiles, educational resources, topic collections, and community engagement features for general poetry readers.
- Poetry Magazine App Mobile application available for iOS and Android providing access to current and archival digital editions, podcasts, and audio recordings of poems for subscribers.
- Poem of the Day Daily poem email delivery service selecting poems from the archive and Poetry magazine to correspond with historic events and poet anniversaries for general subscribers.
- Poetry Magazine Archive Comprehensive digital archive of Poetry magazine issues dating back to 1912, with issues available for individual purchase or via subscription.
- Summer Poetry Teachers Institute Free five-day professional development program for K-12 and community college educators, providing strategies to develop classroom-ready poetry lessons. Awards 30 hours of Illinois State Board of Education professional development credit.
- Pegasus Poetry Book Prize A $10,000 literary award recognizing U.S. poets aged 40 or older for their first or second poetry collection, created in collaboration with Graywolf Press.
Quantifiable outcome
- 58,000+ poems accessible through the Poetry Foundation archive
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Poetry Foundation
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Poetry Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Poetry Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Illinois State Board of EducationcoreThe Poetry Foundation's Summer Poetry Teachers Institute awards 30 hours of professional development credit from the Illinois State Board of Education to K-12 and community college educators who complete the five-day program.
- Graywolf PresscoreThe Poetry Foundation and Graywolf Press collaboration on the Pegasus Poetry Book Prize, a $10,000 award recognizing U.S. poets aged 40 or older for their first or second poetry collection. Submissions were open until February 2, 2026. The prize aims to support poets at a late stage in their careers who have published no more than one full-length collection.
- Andrew W. Mellon FoundationflagshipA coalition of seven charitable foundations led by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation launched the Literary Arts Fund, a $50 million initiative to support nonprofit literary organizations in the United States over five years. The fund addresses underfunding in the literary arts sector, which receives a small percentage of arts grants, by providing financial support to promote diverse voices, literary development, and community engagement.
- Literary Arts Fund CoalitionflagshipThe Poetry Foundation is part of a seven-foundation coalition creating the $50 million Literary Arts Fund to support independent publishers, poetry festivals, and small publishers over five years. The initiative aims to address reduced financial support from major arts agencies.
Scale indicators7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Poetry Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Library of America: Library of America is a nonprofit publisher of canonical American literature, with a membership-driven model and a curated-edition catalog. Comparable in the literary-archive/publishing nonprofit category to the Poetry Foundation's archive-of-record role, but with a wider (not poetry-specific) editorial scope.
Direct peers
- Academy of American Poets: Academy of American Poets is the most direct comparable — a national nonprofit founded in 1934 dedicated to supporting American poets, operating Poets.org, administering the Poets Laureate program, running the National Poetry Month campaign, and awarding prizes. Same mission, same audience, and same funding model as the Poetry Foundation.
- Cave Canem Foundation: Cave Canem is a nonprofit literary organization dedicated to Black poets, offering residencies, prizes, and a celebrated annual retreat. Comparable as a poetry-focused nonprofit that supports poets through programming, prizes, and community-building — directly overlaps with the Poetry Foundation's grants and community mission.
- Copper Canyon Press: Copper Canyon Press is one of the largest and most prominent nonprofit poetry publishers in the U.S. Directly comparable to the Poetry Foundation's publishing activities, focused exclusively on poetry, and a likely peer in the same funding and prize ecosystems.
- National Book Foundation: The National Book Foundation administers the National Book Awards and runs literary programming in the U.S. Directly comparable as a literary-arts nonprofit that awards prizes, runs educational programs, and convenes the literary community — though with a broader (all-genre) focus than the Poetry Foundation.
- Graywolf Press: Graywolf Press is an independent nonprofit literary publisher with a significant poetry list and an active partnership with the Poetry Foundation (co-developed the Pegasus Poetry Book Prize). Directly comparable as a nonprofit poetry publisher and direct strategic partner.
- Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP): AWP is a nonprofit literary organization supporting writers and writing programs, best known for its annual conference and its advocacy for creative writing education. Comparable to the Poetry Foundation in supporting writers/poets through community, conferences, and educational programs.
- Poetry Society of America: The Poetry Society of America, founded in 1910, is a direct peer nonprofit that promotes poetry through readings, workshops, publications, and awards (including the Shelley Memorial Award). Operates in the same poetry nonprofit category as the Poetry Foundation with overlapping audiences.
Broad incumbents
- National Endowment for the Arts: The NEA is the largest U.S. federal arts funder, distributing grants that flow through to many of the same poets, publishers, and literary organizations supported by the Poetry Foundation. Comparable as a funder/convener in the same arts ecosystem, but operating at federal scale rather than the Foundation's poetry-specific focus.
- PEN America: PEN America is a larger literary-arts nonprofit focused on free expression, with extensive programming, advocacy, awards, and an events calendar. Comparable as a national literary nonprofit, but with a broader policy/advocacy mission than the Poetry Foundation's poetry-only focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Poetry Foundation social profiles
Digital presencePoetry Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Poetry Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Poetry Foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Poetry Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Poetry Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments55 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Poetry Foundation
What does Poetry Foundation do?
The Poetry Foundation publishes Poetry magazine, a monthly literary periodical founded in 1912 featuring contemporary poetry, translations, essays, and visual art. It operates PoetryFoundation.org, a digital platform hosting over 58,000 poems, poet profiles, and educational resources, and administers educational programs (e.g., the Summer Poetry Teachers Institute), literary prizes (e.g., the Pegasus Poetry Book Prize), and grants to support poets and literary organizations.
Is Poetry Foundation a public or private company?
Poetry Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Poetry Foundation founded?
Poetry Foundation was founded in 1912. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Poetry Foundation based?
Poetry Foundation is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Poetry Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are grants and Charitable Programs and event Programming.
Who are Poetry Foundation's main competitors?
Library of America is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Academy of American Poets, Cave Canem Foundation, Copper Canyon Press, National Book Foundation, Graywolf Press, Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) and Poetry Society of America. Broad incumbents are National Endowment for the Arts and PEN America.
Does Poetry Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Poetry Foundation.
What industry is Poetry Foundation in?
Poetry Foundation's product category is Literary Magazine Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAJ, Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAK, Literary Arts & Writing Organizations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 2721.