MARIN POETRY CENTER

What MARIN POETRY CENTER does

Marin Poetry Center (MPC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization founded in 1981 by a group of Northern California poets and headquartered in San Rafael, California, with a mailing address at P.O. Box 9091 and operational footprint across Marin County and the broader San Francisco Bay Area. Its mission is to nurture enjoyment of poetry and the craft of writing through community programming that serves adult poets and poetry enthusiasts, Bay Area residents, and youth, including middle and high school students across the region.

MPC operates a portfolio of recurring programs: the Marin Poetry Center Anthology (annual members-only publication), Summer Traveling Show (roving readings at Bay Area library and cultural venues), monthly Reading Series featuring nationally recognized poets at Mill Valley Public Library, Poetry Round Table Workshop, MPC Poetry Book Club, Mic Drop Open Mic, seasonal Haiku in the Garden workshops, Creative Writing Retreats at Dominican University, and the Distinguished Visiting Poet Reading Series. Youth-facing programs include the Marin Youth Poet Laureate & Ambassador Program (ages 13-19), the High School Poetry Contest, and youth anthology submissions. Newer initiatives include the Voices of the Incarcerated digital exhibition, co-curated with the Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador and developed with California Poets in the Schools and the William James Association. Core technology consists of a WordPress-based website and Zoom for virtual events; no proprietary platform, mobile app, or API is offered.

The organization's revenue model is supported by individual memberships with seven tiered annual fees ($20 student, $35 senior, $40 regular, $100 patron with broadside, $250 supporter, $500 angel, plus a "Pay What You Can" tier), tax-deductible donations, modest event fees, and annual anthology sales. Distribution occurs through in-person events at Bay Area library venues, cultural institution partnerships, a membership program, and virtual Zoom events. MPC maintains strategic co-development partnerships with California Poets in the Schools, Marin Free Library, Urban Word NYC, Dominican University of California, Mill Valley Public Library, the William James Association, Portal Writing Workshop, and the Poetry Society of America, alongside venue partnerships with Falkirk Cultural Center, Marin Art & Garden Center, O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, Book Passage, Marin Shakespeare Company, Marin Society of Artists, and the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center. The organization is governed on democratic principles with member participation and has approximately 5 employees.

Name

MARIN POETRY CENTER

Legal name

Marin Poetry Center

Website

https://marinpoetrycenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Marin Poetry Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 that nurtures poetry enjoyment and writing craft across the Bay Area through readings, workshops, youth programs, and an annual member anthology, supported by tiered memberships, donations, and library and cultural venue partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Arts Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAB), Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

Keywords

• Poetry reading series
• Creative writing workshops
• Youth poetry programs
• Literary community events
• Poetry anthology publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mill Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees ranging from $20 (student) to $500 (angel), providing access to events, anthology submissions, traveling show participation, and other member benefits.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible contributions supporting events and programs, with 'Pay What You Can' option available.
3. Event Fees: Some events require registration fees (e.g., Dominican University day pass $30), while many library-based events are free.
4. Anthology Sales: Annual member anthology published and sold; patron members receive complimentary copy.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Marin Poetry Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization that operates poetry readings, workshops, an annual member anthology, a summer traveling show, youth poetry programs, and community events throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. It sells annual memberships at tiered price points and accepts tax-deductible donations to support programs featuring nationally recognized poets and emerging writers.

Product overview

Marin Poetry Center is a non-profit organization (founded 1981) that nurtures poetry enjoyment and writing craft throughout the Bay Area. The organization operates as a single unified service offering centered around poetry events, education, and community engagement. Its core portfolio consists of the annual Marin Poetry Center Anthology (members-only publication), the Summer Traveling Show (roving poetry readings across Bay Area venues), monthly Reading Series featuring nationally recognized poets, Poetry Round Table Workshop, MPC Poetry Book Club, Mic Drop Open Mic events, seasonal Haiku in the Garden workshops, Creative Writing Retreats, and Distinguished Visiting Poet Reading Series. The organization also runs significant youth programs including the Marin Youth Poet Laureate & Ambassador Program and annual High School Poetry Contest. Special initiatives include the Voices of the Incarcerated digital exhibition featuring poetry from San Quentin. Membership enables participation in these programs with tiered benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marin Poetry Center Anthology Annual anthology featuring members' poetry, published each year with a new theme; available to members and for purchase, with patron members receiving a complimentary copy.
• Summer Traveling Show A roving summer series of poetry readings held at libraries and cultural venues across the Bay Area, showcasing members' original work in fun group readings.
• Poetry Round Table Workshop Monthly workshop for members to discuss and refine their poetry craft, open to members of all experience levels.
• Reading Series Monthly poetry readings featuring nationally recognized poets, primarily hosted at the Mill Valley Public Library, with free admission to the public.
• Marin Youth Poet Laureate & Ambassador Program Stipend-funded position for young poets ages 13-19 to represent and celebrate diverse communities of Marin County; selected poet serves as a youth ambassador for poetry in the community.
• High School Poetry Contest Annual poetry contest open to all high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area, providing recognition and publication opportunities for young poets.
• MPC Poetry Book Club Monthly book club for discussing poetry collections, examining form, structure, and craft with members and poetry enthusiasts.
• Mic Drop Open Mic Monthly open mic series hosted by the Marin County Poet Laureate for poets to share 3 minutes of original work in a supportive community setting.
• Haiku in the Garden Seasonal haiku writing workshops held at the Marin Art & Garden Center in Ross, CA, combining poetry writing with nature observation.
• Creative Writing Retreat Full-day creative writing retreats at Dominican University of California featuring workshops in fiction, essay, memoir, and poetry, often in partnership with the university's MFA program.
• Distinguished Visiting Poet Reading Series Annual series featuring acclaimed visiting poets alongside local talent, hosted at venues such as the O'Hanlon Center for the Arts.
• Voices of the Incarcerated: Digital Exhibition Digital exhibition of poems by incarcerated individuals at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, co-curated with the current Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador, in collaboration with CalPoets, William James Association, and Portal Writing Workshop.

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

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California Poets in the Schools (CPITS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Youth Poet Laureate Program; CPITS is a key partner in supporting youth poetry development and the teen poetry reading program
• Marin Free LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in youth poetry programming including teen poetry readings and community events
• Urban Word NYCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner supporting youth poetry programs and poet laureate initiatives
• Dominican University of CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCosponsoring MFA program workshops and readings; host for high school anthology launches at Guzman Hall; creative writing retreat venue
• Mill Valley Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome for Marin Poetry Center live events; cosponsors programs; Creekside Room venue for reading series
• William James AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for San Quentin Writing program presenting work by incarcerated writers
• Portal Writing WorkshopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in San Quentin writing collaboration
• Red Hen PressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublishing partner for Francesca Bell's poetry collections (Bright Stain, What Small Sound) and translations
• Falkirk Cultural CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner for holiday potluck and community poetry read-arounds; historic 1886 mansion in San Rafael
• Marin Art & Garden CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue for haiku workshops and seasonal poetry gatherings in Ross, CA
• O'Hanlon Center for the ArtsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMill Valley venue for traveling show episodes and distinguished visiting poet series
• Book PassageminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent venue at Corte Madera and San Francisco Ferry Building locations for traveling show
• Marin Shakespeare CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSan Rafael venue partner for traveling show episodes
• Marin Society of ArtistsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSan Rafael venue for traveling show episodes
• Osher Marin Jewish Community CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCosponsored special event (Erica Jong and Francesca Bell reading) at Kanbar Auditorium
• Poetry Society of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Robert Hass event presentation

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 826 Valencia: San Francisco-based literary nonprofit supporting students with writing tutoring, workshops, and publications. Closely comparable to MPC in its Bay Area footprint, 501(c)(3) structure, and youth-focused creative writing programming (overlap with MPC's Youth Poet Laureate and high school contest).
• Hugo House: Seattle's center for the literary arts offering readings, workshops, and writing residencies. Highly comparable to MPC as a community literary-arts center with a tiered membership model and broad event programming for writers.
• Lighthouse Writers Workshop: Denver-based literary nonprofit running writing workshops, readings, and youth programs (LitLeague). Comparable to MPC in operating a workshop-and-reading literary-arts community model with youth outreach, though on a larger paid-workshop scale.
• Community of Writers (formerly Squaw Valley): Northern California nonprofit running annual writing workshops and a prestigious poetry conference. Comparable to MPC because of the geographic overlap in California, the focus on craft workshops for poets, and the event-based nonprofit model.
• Dodge Poetry Foundation: New Jersey-based poetry nonprofit running the biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, readings, and education programs. Closely comparable to MPC as a regionally focused poetry nonprofit combining programming, education, and community engagement.
• Poetry Society of America: Long-standing membership poetry society running readings, workshops, awards, and the National Poetry Month initiative. Already a confirmed partner of MPC (co-presented Robert Hass event); highly comparable in mission and program mix.

Emerging players

• Poetry Project: NYC-based poetry nonprofit running readings, workshops, and a poetry newsletter with a long avant-garde track record. Comparable to MPC as a community-anchored poetry nonprofit hosting readings and workshops on a regional footprint.
• Kundiman: Nonprofit supporting Asian American poetry through retreats, mentorship, and a teaching artists program. Comparable to MPC as a smaller poetry/community-focused 501(c)(3) running workshops, retreats, and community-building literary programming; thematic overlap is limited but operating model is similar.

Broad incumbents

• Academy of American Poets: National nonprofit founded in 1934 that runs Poets.org, Poem-a-Day, the Poets Forum, and university prize programs. Comparable to MPC because both are membership/community-facing poetry nonprofits advancing the craft and appreciation of poetry in the U.S.
• Poetry Foundation: Largest literary-arts nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to poetry; publishes Poetry magazine and runs Poetry.com. Comparable because both operate as nonprofit poetry organizations sustained by philanthropic and member support, and both publish recurring literary content while running community programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marin-poetry-center

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 →

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