916 Ink
916 Ink is a Sacramento-based nonprofit founded in 2015 that delivers creative writing programs for grades 3-12 and Science of Reading-based literacy tutoring (Read On!) for striving 1st-4th grade readers, operating through partner schools, the Imaginarium creative writing space, and a volunteer facilitator network, funded primarily by donations, foundation grants, and e-commerce sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSacramento, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What 916 Ink does
916 Ink is a Sacramento, California-based 501(c)-style nonprofit organization (EIN 46-0705510) founded in 2015 that delivers creative writing programs and literacy tutoring to youth. Its core offerings fall into two product lines: (1) Creative Writing Programs for students in grades 3-12, delivered through 12-session school-site programs (18 hours of literary arts instruction producing 3-5 published pieces per student), drop-in after-school sessions (Word Squad, Author's Lab), one-day workshops, summer Amplify! camps, and field trips, all anchored by a proprietary "916 Ink Method" that progresses from imagination-sparking prompts through revision (using the Mistah Complaina character) to student publication; and (2) the Read On! Tutoring Program launched in Fall 2020, which delivers Science of Reading-based one-on-one literacy tutoring for striving 1st-4th grade readers using third-party platforms (Tutoring with the Lightning Squad, Skybrary).
The Imaginarium, a purpose-built creative writing space within the Maple Neighborhood Center in South Sacramento (3301 37th Avenue), functions as the physical hub for workshops, field trips, summer camps, and community meetings and is also rented out for events. The organization is volunteer-driven, relying on trained Wordslingers (workshop facilitators), Inspirators (workshop supporters), and Mistah Complaina reviewers to deliver programs, with a small identified staff including Christina Nelson as Read On! Program Manager.
Revenue is generated through donations and fundraising (with board members required to contribute annually), foundation and government grants (Arata Brothers as major funder, plus County of Sacramento and Sacramento Literacy Foundation), e-commerce sales of student-published books and merchandise, and modest facility rental fees ($250 for 1-4 hours, $450 for a full day). The organization reports strong outcome metrics, including 87% improved attitudes toward writing, 84% social-emotional development gains, and 70% of students looking forward to writing, and received Stanford University's National Student Support Accelerator Tutoring Program Design Badge for Read On! in February 2026. Distribution is regional (Sacramento area) via four named partner elementary schools, the Imaginarium, and community programs; no AI, API, or app product surfaces exist, and technology use is limited to third-party tutoring platforms and a Squarespace-hosted website with newsletter signups.
916 Ink firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 916 Ink
- Legal name
- 916 Ink
- Website
- https://916ink.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 916 Ink is a Sacramento-based nonprofit founded in 2015 that delivers creative writing programs for grades 3-12 and Science of Reading-based literacy tutoring (Read On!) for striving 1st-4th grade readers, operating through partner schools, the Imaginarium creative writing space, and a volunteer facilitator network, funded primarily by donations, foundation grants, and e-commerce sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
916 Ink industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Education and Literacy Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Writing Skills & Composition Enrichment (EDAMAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Early Literacy & Phonics Programs (EDAMAJAA)
Keywords
Where 916 Ink is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sacramento
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
916 Ink business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations, with board members required to make annual contributions and participate in fundraising efforts.
- E-commerce Sales: Revenue generated from online sales of published books and merchandise through the organization's shop.
- Facility Rental: The Imaginarium creative space is rented out for events at rates of $250 for 1-4 hours or $450 for a full day, with a $50 deposit required.
- Foundation and Government Grants: Funded by major funders including Arata Brothers, County of Sacramento, and Sacramento Literacy Foundation for program operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time | Imaginarium Rental - 1-4 Hours |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Imaginarium Rental - Additional Hours |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time | Imaginarium Rental - Full Day |
| Other | Annual | Creative Writing Programs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
916 Ink product offering
Product offeringCore offering
916 Ink is a Sacramento-based nonprofit that delivers in-person creative writing programs for youth in grades 3-12 and Science of Reading-based literacy tutoring for striving readers in grades 1-4. Programs are delivered through school-site partnerships, after-school drop-in sessions, summer camps, and workshops at the Imaginarium creative writing space, and culminate in published student-authored anthologies.
Product overview
916 Ink is a Sacramento-based nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of creative writing and literacy programs for youth. The core offerings include Creative Writing Programs (workshops, after-school Word Squad/Author's Lab drop-in sessions, school-site programs, and summer Amplify! camps) that use whimsical writing prompts to build confidence and publication skills, and the Read On! Tutoring Program—a Science of Reading-based literacy tutoring initiative for striving readers. The Imaginarium serves as the physical hub for these programs, a specially designed creative writing space within the Maple Neighborhood Center.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Read On!: Science of Reading based literacy tutoring program for striving readers in 1st-4th grade
- The Imaginarium
- WordSlingers
- AmplifY! Summer Writing Camp
- Young Storytellers Month
- InkStravaganza
Products and services
- Creative Writing Programs Flagship creative writing workshops and programs for students in grades 3-12, including 12-session school-site programs delivering 18 hours of literary arts instruction, after-school Word Squad and Author's Lab drop-in sessions, summer Amplify! camp, field trips, and the 916 Ink Method that culminates in each student publishing 3-5 pieces of poetry and prose.
- Read On! Tutoring Program One-on-one Science of Reading-based literacy tutoring for striving readers in grades 1-4, covering phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, delivered using the Tutoring with the Lightning Squad and Skybrary online platforms at partner elementary schools.
- The Imaginarium A one-of-a-kind creative writing palace located within the Maple Neighborhood Center at 3301 37th Avenue, Sacramento, hosting workshops, field trips, summer creative writing camps, and community meetings, with whimsical decor including a prompt wall, vintage typewriters, and a display of 100+ 916 Ink student publications; the space is also available for event rental at $250 for 1-4 hours or $450 for a full day.
Quantifiable outcome
- 87% of students demonstrate improved attitudes toward writing
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use 916 Ink
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
916 Ink technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
916 Ink partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and partner.
- Success for All FoundationcoreProvides curriculum resources and coaching materials for the Read On! literacy tutoring program, contributing to program design and tutor training.
- Reading is FundamentalcoreProvides curriculum materials supporting the Read On! literacy tutoring program.
- Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of CommercecoreAwarded the Inspire Giving Award in 2015, which funded the opening of the Imaginarium creative writing space in South Sacramento.
- Bret Harte ElementarypartnerSchool partner hosting Read On! literacy tutoring program for striving readers in 1st-4th grade.
- Caroline Wenzel ElementarypartnerSchool partner hosting Read On! literacy tutoring program for striving readers in 1st-4th grade.
- Ethel Phillips ElementarypartnerSchool partner hosting Read On! literacy tutoring program for striving readers in 1st-4th grade.
- HW Harkness ElementarypartnerSchool partner hosting Read On! literacy tutoring program for striving readers in 1st-4th grade.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
916 Ink competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Reading Partners: Reading Partners is a national nonprofit that mobilizes volunteers to provide one-on-one literacy tutoring to struggling elementary readers in partner schools. It is a direct peer on the Read On! tutoring side, given its school-site, volunteer-tutor model focused on similar age ranges and reading outcomes.
- The Telling Room: The Telling Room is a Portland-based nonprofit youth writing center offering in-school and after-school creative writing workshops, volunteer-led tutoring, and student publication. Its workshop plus publication model in a dedicated creative space is structurally very similar to 916 Ink's Imaginarium-based offering.
- WriteGirl: WriteGirl is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit mentoring program that pairs teen girls with professional writers for creative writing workshops and publication. Its focus on youth creative writing, mentoring volunteers, and culminating publications mirrors 916 Ink's Word Squad / Author's Lab after-school programs.
- Behind the Book: Behind the Book is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides creative writing and literacy programs to underserved K-12 students through school partnerships. Its after-school programming, school-site delivery model, and publication-oriented outcomes make it a closely comparable direct peer to 916 Ink.
- BookSpring: BookSpring is an Austin-based nonprofit focused on building literacy in Central Texas children through school partnerships, in-classroom programs, and reading resources. Its school-site model and youth literacy focus make it a comparable, if geographically distinct, peer to 916 Ink's Read On! program.
- Book It! Repertory Theatre: Book-It is a Seattle-based nonprofit that combines literary arts education with professional theater, running in-school storytelling and writing programs for youth. Its arts-based literacy education model and school partnerships make it a comparable direct peer to 916 Ink's creative writing portfolio.
- 826 National: 826 National is a nonprofit network of youth writing and tutoring centers operating in multiple cities. It is the closest direct peer to 916 Ink, offering creative writing workshops, in-school programs, and literacy support to K-12 students with a similar volunteer-driven model culminating in student publication.
Broad incumbents
- Raising A Reader: Raising A Reader is a national early literacy nonprofit that partners with schools and community organizations to promote family-based reading routines. It overlaps with 916 Ink's literacy mission for early graders but operates at significantly larger national scale through affiliate networks.
- Reach Out and Read: Reach Out and Read is a large national nonprofit that promotes early literacy through pediatricians and partner clinics. It is a broad incumbent in the youth literacy space addressing similar outcomes (reading proficiency, social-emotional development) though delivered through a healthcare channel rather than schools.
Others
- Success for All Foundation: Success for All Foundation is a nonprofit that provides Science of Reading-aligned literacy curricula and tutoring programs to schools. It is a strategic partner/supplier to 916 Ink's Read On! program, providing curriculum materials and tutor training, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
916 Ink social profiles
Digital presence916 Ink financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
916 Ink leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
916 Ink funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
916 Ink 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 916 Ink
What does 916 Ink do?
916 Ink is a Sacramento-based nonprofit that delivers in-person creative writing programs for youth in grades 3-12 and Science of Reading-based literacy tutoring for striving readers in grades 1-4. Programs are delivered through school-site partnerships, after-school drop-in sessions, summer camps, and workshops at the Imaginarium creative writing space, and culminate in published student-authored anthologies.
Is 916 Ink a public or private company?
916 Ink is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was 916 Ink founded?
916 Ink was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 916 Ink based?
916 Ink is headquartered in Sacramento, United States, in the North America region.
How does 916 Ink make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Sales, facility Rental and foundation and Government Grants.
Who are 916 Ink's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Reading Partners, The Telling Room, WriteGirl, Behind the Book, BookSpring, Book It! Repertory Theatre and 826 National. Broad incumbents are Raising A Reader and Reach Out and Read. Success for All Foundation is listed as an others.
Does 916 Ink have an API?
No public API is recorded for 916 Ink.
What industry is 916 Ink in?
916 Ink's product category is Youth Education and Literacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAJAC, Writing Skills & Composition Enrichment, with a secondary code of EDAMAJAA, Early Literacy & Phonics Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 2731.