International Poetry Forum

What International Poetry Forum does

The International Poetry Forum is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization founded in 1966 by Dr. Samuel John Hazo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (EIN: 25-1379749). The organization operates a continuous poetry reading series that has hosted more than 800 writers, actors, musicians, and public figures from over 50 countries since inception, including 9 Nobel laureates, 14 Oscar winners, and 49 Pulitzer Prize recipients. Its core programs consist of the in-person Reading Series in Pittsburgh, the Poets in Person educational outreach program serving schools and community spaces in Allegheny County, and a digital archive (the Samuel Hazo era 1966-2009 recordings hosted by Carlow University) distributed through YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Supporting initiatives include the Charity Randall Citation award (1988-2009), Byblos Editions translation imprint (1978-1986), and the Pitt Poetry Series collaboration with University of Pittsburgh Press (1967-1976).

The organization's revenue model is donation-dependent, accepting tax-deductible contributions from individuals via one-time, weekly, or monthly cadences with preset amounts of $10, $20, $50, and $100, supplemented by grants from federal, state, and Pittsburgh-area foundations including the National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, Heinz Endowments, and Grable Foundation. Technology infrastructure is minimal: a Squarespace-hosted website, Stripe and PayPal payment processing, and standard social media channels. The organization operates with approximately 5 employees and is led by executive director Jake Grefenstette, who succeeded founder Samuel Hazo in 2023 after Hazo's 57-year directorship. Past participants and alumni include W.H. Auden, Jorge Luis Borges, James Earl Jones (three-time alumnus and honorary board member), Mark Strand, Gwendolyn Brooks, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Judy Collins, and Grace Kelly.

Name

International Poetry Forum

Legal name

International Poetry Forum

Website

https://internationalpoetryforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Poetry Forum is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1966 in Pittsburgh, PA, operating a continuous poetry reading series and educational outreach program (Poets in Person) serving students, educators, and poetry audiences regionally and globally through digital archives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Arts Services

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spoken-Word Poetry Slams (MPAGACAF), Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)

Keywords

• Literary nonprofit
• Poetry readings
• Poetry education
• Literary programming
• Arts outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization relies primarily on donations from individual supporters. The website provides options for one-time, weekly, or monthly donations with preset amounts ($10, $20, $50, $100) or custom amounts. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, making contributions tax-deductible.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: The organization receives support from foundations and corporate sponsors including the National Endowment for the Arts, A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Grable Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, and numerous other corporate and organizational donors listed in their supporter directory.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The International Poetry Forum is an independent 501(c)(3) literary nonprofit that has hosted in-person poetry readings and performances featuring world-renowned poets, writers, actors, and musicians in Pittsburgh, PA since 1966. The organization also delivers the Poets in Person educational outreach program bringing poets into schools and community spaces across Allegheny County, and preserves recordings through digital archives and partnerships with Carlow University.

Product overview

The International Poetry Forum operates as a nonprofit literary organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on poetry as a spoken art form. The core offerings include a historic reading series (since 1966) and the Poets in Person outreach program for schools and communities. Supporting these are digital archives, multiple publication initiatives including Byblos Editions and Pitt Poetry Series collaborations, the Charity Randall Citation award program, and an artwork program. The organization also operates an online donation and fundraising platform. All programs are oriented toward promoting poetry appreciation, particularly among students and educators in Pittsburgh, PA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reading Series The organization's flagship program featuring in-person poetry readings and performances hosted in Pittsburgh since 1966, featuring hundreds of celebrated poets and performers from around the world including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Oscar winners.
• Poets in Person Outreach Program Educational outreach initiative bringing historically engaged poetry education into local schools and communities across Allegheny County, including workshops, seminars, and lectures by visiting poets. The program is offered free to schools and community organizations.
• Digital Archives Online repository of audio and video recordings from past poetry events, including materials from the Samuel Hazo era (1966-2009) hosted by Carlow University, and video recordings available on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook reaching millions of viewers worldwide.
• Pitt Poetry Series Collaboration Collaborative publishing initiative with the University of Pittsburgh Press (1967-1976) that produced the United States Award and International Award, which evolved into the ongoing Pitt Poetry Series, including works by Nobel Laureates Tomas Tranströmer and Odysseus Elytis.
• Byblos Editions Limited-edition translation imprint publishing works by international poets (1978-1986), including ten handcrafted hardback books later republished as softcover trade editions by University of Ohio Press.
• Charity Randall Citation Award for poets committed to public presentation of poetry (1988-2009), sponsored by the Charity Randall Foundation, recognizing recipients including Nobel Laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners.
• Artwork Program Visual arts initiative featuring event posters created by professional and student artists since 1966, celebrating the relationship between poetry and visual art.

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

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

• Carlow UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarlow University hosts the historic digital archive of the International Poetry Forum's Samuel Hazo era (1966-2009), making audio recordings and materials accessible to the public.
• University of Pittsburgh PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with the International Poetry Forum from 1967-1976 to publish nearly 50 books through the Pitt Poetry Series, including works by Nobel Laureates Tomas Tranströmer and Odysseus Elytis.
• Carnegie Library of PittsburghmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored the publication of Mundus Artium journal (1972-1981), an international journal of literature and the arts that published renowned authors including Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz, and Jorge Luis Borges.
• Junior League of PittsburghminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed to the initial vision and development of the Poets in Person outreach program alongside Fred Rogers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• The Loft Literary Center: Minneapolis-based independent literary center offering classes, readings, and writer support. Comparable to IPF as a nonprofit literary institution running educational programming and readings, but serving a different US region.

Direct peers

• National Book Foundation: Nonprofit that administers the National Book Awards and runs literary programs aimed at expanding readership. Comparable to IPF as a national literary nonprofit programming around celebrated authors and broader cultural engagement.
• Lannan Foundation: Family foundation supporting innovative literature and poets through grants, residencies, and literary readings. Comparable to IPF as a foundation-backed institution funding poetry programming and hosting literary events.
• Dodge Poetry Festival: Biennial Newark-based poetry festival produced by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, featuring celebrated poets in large-scale readings and programming. Directly comparable to IPF as a major US poetry festival/reading series rooted in a specific region.
• PEN America: US literary and free-expression nonprofit that runs programming, public readings, and advocacy around writers and literature. Comparable to IPF as a mission-driven literary nonprofit hosting writers and developing programming around literary culture.
• Poetry Foundation: Publisher of Poetry magazine and operator of the Poetry Foundation, a Chicago-based literary nonprofit dedicated to poetry as a living art. Most directly comparable to IPF as a major US poetry nonprofit running programs, publications, and educational outreach.
• Academy of American Poets: National nonprofit that promotes poets and poetry through Poets.org, the National Poetry Month campaign, and school programs including Poem-a-Day. Closely comparable to IPF as a US-based poetry nonprofit running educational and public engagement programs.
• 92nd Street Y: New York cultural nonprofit with the Unterberg Poetry Center, which has hosted literary readings and conversations since 1939. Directly comparable to IPF as a long-running literary readings series and educational cultural institution.

Emerging players

• Cave Canem Foundation: New York-based nonprofit supporting Black poets through residencies, retreats, readings, and publications. Comparable to IPF as a poetry-focused nonprofit hosting readings and developing poets, though with a narrower programmatic mission.
• Poets & Writers Inc. Nonprofit organization supporting creative writers through publications, programs, and a national literary calendar. Comparable to IPF in serving the literary ecosystem, though more focused on writers' services than readings and performance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@InternationalPoetryForum
• Facebookfacebook.com/intlpoetryforum
• Instagraminstagram.com/international.poetry.forum
• TikToktiktok.com/@internationalpoetryforum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-poetry-forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 International Poetry Forum