Saint Paul Almanac

What Saint Paul Almanac does

Saint Paul Almanac is a Saint Paul, Minnesota-based nonprofit literary-arts organization founded in 2005 that operates a portfolio of programs centered on community storytelling. Its core product is an annual anthology—now in Volume 14: Illumination (2025)—publishing prose, poetry, and artwork from diverse Minnesota contributors, including incarcerated writers, community activists, and emerging voices. Supporting the anthology is an integrated stack of programs: the Community Editor Apprenticeship (a paid, equity-focused editorial training program paying $800 per apprentice and producing pipeline talent for Twin Cities publishers like Arcata Press), the Storymobile mobile-storytelling partnership with Irrigate Arts, documentary projects including "Rooted In Rondo" and "Rondo: Beyond the Pavement," writing contests (Sidewalk Poetry, Poetry NOW, Environmental Justice Storytelling, Break Through, COURAGE), wellness classes such as "Yoga for Book Lovers, Writers & Poets," and the multilingual Global Poetry Celebration.

The underlying platform is a WooCommerce e-commerce storefront and Submittable-based submissions portal, with content published on a WordPress content management system; the technology footprint is standard nonprofit publishing tooling rather than proprietary technology. There are no APIs, no software products beyond the website, no AI/ML components, and no patents or trademarks disclosed.

Revenue is generated through four streams: anthology and retrospective volume sales ($20-$24.95 per copy), classes and workshops ($75 for a four-session series or $20 per session at partner venues), Almanac Accolades sustaining memberships on a recurring basis, and grants and donations from foundations and government sources including a documented $90,000 Heritage Partnership Grant jointly awarded with the Minnesota Humanities Center and a Propel "Seeding Cultural Treasures" Grant. The go-to-market is community-led: storytelling events, open mic nights, writing contests, and literary festivals drive book sales, class registrations, and membership conversions across the Twin Cities regional market.

Name

Saint Paul Almanac

Legal name

Saint Paul Almanac

Website

https://saintpaulalmanac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saint Paul Almanac is a Saint Paul, Minnesota nonprofit literary-arts organization, founded in 2005, that publishes an annual community anthology (now Volume 14) and runs the Community Editor Apprenticeship, Storymobile, documentary projects, writing contests, and poetry events for diverse Minnesota writers and readers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Arts & Community Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel) (EDAMAMAA), Creative Nonfiction & Memoir Workshops (EDAMAMAC)

Keywords

• Community storytelling
• Literary arts programs
• Anthology publishing
• Editorial apprenticeships
• Writing workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Anthology Sales: Sale of annual Saint Paul Almanac anthologies and retrospective volumes. Each volume is priced at $20-$24.95 depending on edition.
2. Classes and Workshops: Yoga and writing workshops offered at partner venues like Black Garnet Books, priced at $75 for a 4-session series or $20 per class.
3. Sustaining Memberships: Almanac Accolades sustaining membership program offering ongoing supporter benefits.
4. Grants and Fundraising: Funding from foundations and government grants including Heritage Partnership Grants and Propel Seeding Cultural Treasures grants, plus donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Saint Paul Almanac publishes an annual anthology of community-written prose, poetry, and artwork (Volume 14: Illumination released in 2025 as the 20th anniversary edition, with nearly 100 contributors). It also operates paid editorial training through the Community Editor Apprenticeship program and runs storytelling programs such as Storymobile, writing contests, classes, and community literary events for Saint Paul writers and readers.

Product overview

Saint Paul Almanac is a literary-centered arts organization that operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on community storytelling. The core product is the annual Saint Paul Almanac anthology (now in Volume 14), published since 2005, which features prose, poetry, and artwork from diverse community voices. Supporting the anthology are programs including the Community Editor Apprenticeship (which trains editors to select and edit submissions), the Storymobile (mobile storytelling workshops), documentary projects (Rooted In Rondo, Rondo: Beyond the Pavement), writing contests, and classes like Yoga for Book Lovers. Seasonal events like the Global Poetry Celebration extend the organization's reach. The portfolio works together to fulfill the mission of sharing stories across cultures and cultivating dialogue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rooted In Rondo: A youth-produced short documentary and audio piece on the resiliency of Saint Paul's Rondo community.
• Rondo: Beyond the Pavement
• Storymobile
• Community Editor Apprenticeship
• Almanac Accolades

Products and services

• Saint Paul Almanac (The Book) An annual printed anthology of community-based stories, poems, and artwork from Saint Paul writers and artists, published since 2007. Each volume (e.g., Volume 14: Illumination, $24.95) gathers prose, poetry, and visual art from nearly 100 contributors representing diverse Minnesota voices including incarcerated writers, those with health challenges, and marginalized communities. Sold to individual readers and supporters via the organization's online store and at launch events.
• Community Editor Apprenticeship A paid editorial training program that teaches individuals aged 16 and older an equity-focused, democratic editorial process used to produce the Saint Paul Almanac anthology. Apprentices participate in eight in-person sessions, earn a $800 stipend, and receive a certificate of satisfactory completion; graduates have moved into entry-level positions and fellowships at Twin Cities publishing houses such as Arcata Press.
• Storymobile A mobile storytelling program involving filmmakers, audio makers, and writers who work with individuals and community groups to write, speak, perform, and record the stories of their lives. Operates as a partnership with Irrigate Arts (Storymobile 2.0) and supports oral history preservation and youth media education.
• Rooted In Rondo A youth-produced short documentary and audio piece documenting the resiliency of Saint Paul's historic Rondo community. Produced under the Saint Paul Almanac umbrella to preserve oral history and amplify underrepresented voices from a historically African American neighborhood.
• Rondo: Beyond the Pavement A student-produced film and podcast chronicling the history of the once-thriving African American Rondo neighborhood in Saint Paul that was torn apart by the Interstate 94 corridor. Produced to preserve cultural memory and educate audiences on community displacement.
• Writing Contests A suite of recurring writing contests including Poetry NOW Poetry FOREVER, the Sidewalk Poetry Contest, the COURAGE Writing Contest, the Break Through Writing Contest, and the Environmental (In)Justice Storytelling Contest. Contest winners and contributors are regularly featured in the annual Saint Paul Almanac anthology.
• Yoga for Book Lovers, Writers & Poets A wellness class combining yoga movement practice with writing prompts, designed for readers, writers, and editors who experience stiffness from sitting and writing. Priced at $75 for a 4-session series (currently 50% OFF from $150) or $20 per individual class, with registration for the age-16+ class.
• Global Poetry Celebration An annual multilingual poetry celebration featuring poems read in 10+ languages including Arabic, Burmese, Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Punjabi, Spanish, Turkish, and Urdu. Presented in partnership with Cracked Walnut as part of the Poets & Pints Series at Sisyphus Brewing in Minneapolis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Apprentices gain entry-level positions and fellowships in Twin Cities publishing houses after completing the program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Black Garnet BooksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 July 2026Local independent bookstore venue hosting yoga and writing classes for Saint Paul Almanac. Located at 1319 University Avenue West, St Paul, MN 55104.
• Cracked WalnutmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026Co-presenter of the annual Global Poetry Celebration as part of the monthly Poets & Pints Series. Cracked Walnut hosts the event at Sisyphus Brewing in Minneapolis, expanding reach beyond Saint Paul.
• Sisyphus BrewingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2026Venue host for the Global Poetry Celebration event, providing physical location for the Poets & Pints Series programming.
• Irrigate Arts (Storymobile)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2016Storymobile 2.0 partnership bringing people-powered storytelling to the streets of Saint Paul through a mobile storytelling unit.
• Arcata PresscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2015Primary publisher of Saint Paul Almanac anthologies. Arcata Press works closely with the organization on publication and has partnered with Minnesota Humanities Center for Heritage Partnership Grants. The publishing partnership provides apprentices insights into the publishing industry.
• Minnesota Humanities CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2015Awarded $90,000 Heritage Partnership Grant jointly to Saint Paul Almanac and Minnesota Humanities Center, demonstrating a significant government/foundation partnership for cultural preservation and literary arts programming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Graywolf Press: Minneapolis-based nonprofit literary publisher known for literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Compares on nonprofit publishing model, Minnesota base, and commitment to diverse literary voices, though at significantly larger scale.
• Milkweed Editions: Minneapolis-based nonprofit literary publisher that publishes books, essays, and literary programming. Comparable as a Midwest nonprofit publisher operating a community-focused literary mission with multi-revenue funding model.
• Coffee House Press: Minneapolis-based nonprofit literary publisher focusing on diverse voices and innovative literature. Comparable on nonprofit publishing model, Minnesota base, and mission-driven literary program.
• Tin House Books: Independent literary publisher with strong workshop and community programming tradition. Comparable on the literary publishing plus educational workshop portfolio, although Portland-based rather than Midwest.

Direct peers

• The Loft Literary Center: Minneapolis-based literary arts center offering writing classes, workshops, mentorship, and community programming. Highly comparable on Twin Cities literary mission, workshop-based revenue, and community writer development.
• Open Book (Open Book Performance): Minneapolis literary arts center combining publishing, performance, and education programs. Comparable as a Midwest literary arts hub with multi-program model serving writers and readers.

Regional players

• Intermedia Arts: Minneapolis-based nonprofit focused on community-based arts and storytelling programming. Comparable as a Midwest nonprofit combining storytelling, equity-focused programming, and cultural preservation across multiple disciplines.

Emerging players

• Neighborhood Writing Connection (various community journalism projects): Community-based writing and journalism initiatives that publish neighborhood stories. Comparable on community-driven storytelling and publishing mission serving underrepresented writers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stpaulalmanac
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGsp767JnfYt08oAVjmnJfg
• Facebookfacebook.com/saintpaulalmanac
• Instagraminstagram.com/saintpaulalmanac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-saint-paul-almanac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Saint Paul Almanac