North Carolina Poetry Society

What North Carolina Poetry Society does

The North Carolina Poetry Society (NCPS) is a private, statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization headquartered in North Carolina, founded in 1932 and now employing approximately 6 people. It serves poets and poetry enthusiasts across the state through a portfolio of annual contests (Pinesong Awards, Brockman-Campbell Book Award, Lena Shull Book Award, Jaki Shelton Green Performance Poetry Prize, Kakalak Poetry & Art Contest), a regional mentorship program (Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series spanning Eastern, Central, and Western NC), fellowships and micro-grants (Meyers Fellowship, All of Us Micro Grants), and outreach programming such as Poetry in Plain Sight in public libraries and the annual Sam Ragan Awards Day at Weymouth Center for Arts & Humanities. Its digital footprint consists of a WordPress-based website, a monthly email newsletter (eMuse), a thrice-yearly print newsletter (Pine Whispers), and basic social media accounts.

NCPS operates an event-driven, membership-based model. Members receive the newsletters, access to contests, mentorship opportunities, and community programming; revenue is supplemented by donations and small contest entry fees (e.g., $10 for up to 3 poems or art pieces). Distribution relies on venue partnerships with independent bookstores (Malaprop's, City Lights, McIntyre's, Flyleaf Books), public libraries, and universities (WCU, ECU), with virtual open mics enabling broader remote participation. The organization publishes annual anthologies including Witness: From Appalachia to Hatteras and the Kakalak anthology (via Moonshine Review Press), and curates the NCPS Bookshelf on Bookshop.org to support NC authors and independent booksellers.

Name

North Carolina Poetry Society

Legal name

North Carolina Poetry Society

Website

https://ncpoetrysociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The North Carolina Poetry Society is a statewide nonprofit literary organization founded in 1932 that supports, promotes, and celebrates poetry across North Carolina through membership programs, contests, mentorship, micro-grants, and community events for poets and poetry enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Society and Arts Organization Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Poetry community
• Literary organization
• Poetry contests
• Writer mentorship
• Poetry publications

Headquarters

HQ city

North Carolina

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: The organization operates as a membership-based society. Members receive monthly e-newsletter, thrice-yearly print newsletter, and access to contests, mentorship programs, and other member benefits.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations, including specific donation levels such as $10 for bumper stickers.
3. Contest entry fees: Various contests such as Kakalak charge submission fees ($10 for up to 3 poems or art pieces).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NCPS is a member-supported nonprofit literary society that runs statewide programs for North Carolina poets and poetry enthusiasts. Its offerings include membership with monthly eMuse and thrice-yearly Pine Whispers newsletters, the Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet mentorship series, annual poetry contests and awards (Pinesong, Brockman-Campbell, Lena Shull, Kakalak, Jaki Shelton Green Performance Poetry Prize), the Meyers Poetry Fellowship, All of Us Micro Grants, the Poetry in Plain Sight public library program, and the annual Sam Ragan Awards Day.

Product overview

North Carolina Poetry Society operates as a non-profit literary organization offering a portfolio of programs including membership with newsletters, mentorship (Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series), fellowships, micro-grants, and annual contests (Pinesong Awards, Brockman-Campbell Book Award, Lena Shull Book Award, Kakalak, Jaki Shelton Green Performance Poetry Prize). The society runs Poetry in Plain Sight (displaying poetry in public libraries), hosts the annual Sam Ragan Awards Day, publishes eMuse monthly newsletter and Pine Whispers print newsletter, and curates the NCPS Bookshelf supporting local poets and independent bookstores.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple mentees selected annually across three regions (Western, Central, Eastern)
• +2 more outcomes

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

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

• Weymouth Center for Arts & HumanitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue partner for annual Sam Ragan Awards Day and regular Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series readings in Southern Pines, NC. The center hosts major NCPS events throughout the year.
• Malaprop's Bookstore and CafecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegular venue for poetry readings, book launches, and workshops in Asheville, NC. Hosts Poet Quartet events and various NCPS-affiliated poet events.
• City Lights BookstorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for readings in Sylva, NC, featuring NC poets and NCPS events including readings with Brockman-Campbell Award winners.
• McIntyre's BookscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegular venue for NCPS monthly readings in Pittsboro, NC, featuring contest winners and NC poets.
• Flyleaf BookscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost of Second Sunday Poetry Series in Chapel Hill, featuring NC poets and NCPS-sponsored events.
• North Carolina Literary ReviewmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Jaki Shelton Green Performance Poetry Prize, awarded annually for the best performance poem.
• Charlotte LitmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Charlotte offering poetry workshops, the Pen to Paper program, and Charlotte Lit Press chapbook submissions. NCPS board member David E. Poston has worked with Charlotte Lit.
• Bookshop.org NCPS BookshelfminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNCPS Bookshelf feature showcasing poetry books by upcoming program speakers, North Carolina Poets Laureate, and NCPS members to support NC authors and independent booksellers.
• Moonshine Review PressmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher of the annual Kakalak anthology featuring contest winners.
• Public libraries (Poetry in Plain Sight)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with public libraries across NC to display poetry through the Poetry in Plain Sight program, making poetry accessible to communities statewide.
• Western Carolina UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series readings as part of WCU's annual Literary Festival.
• Chapel Hill Public LibrarycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series Central Region readings.
• East Carolina University (Joyner Library)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series Eastern Region readings at the Faulkner Gallery.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Texas Institute of Letters: State-level literary honor society offering awards and programs for Texas writers. Comparable to NCPS as a state-based literary organization, with similar awards programming but a multi-genre focus.
• Georgia Poetry Society: State-level poetry society offering contests, workshops, readings, and a chapbook publication program to Georgia poets. Closely comparable to NCPS in structure, mission, and programming cadence, making it a direct state-society peer.
• North Carolina Writers' Network: North Carolina-based nonprofit serving writers across genres with workshops, conferences, contests, and networking. Comparable to NCPS as a statewide literary nonprofit supporting writers, though with broader genre scope beyond poetry.
• North Carolina Literary Review: East Carolina University-affiliated literary journal covering NC writers, co-sponsor of NCPS's Jaki Shelton Green Performance Poetry Prize. Comparable through overlapping programming, audiences, and shared sponsorship of literary awards in North Carolina.

Broad incumbents

• Poetry Foundation: Publisher of Poetry magazine and operator of poetry.org, running national education, grantmaking, and literary programming. Comparable to NCPS as a literary nonprofit serving poets and readers, though operating with substantially greater resources and a national footprint.
• Academy of American Poets: National nonprofit that supports poets through grants, education programs, and Poem-a-Day. Comparable to NCPS as a poetry-focused membership and literary society, but operates at national scale with a far larger endowment and staff.

Regional players

• Bookmarks (NC literary nonprofit): North Carolina literary nonprofit promoting reading and authors through a book festival and programming. Comparable to NCPS as a state-level literary nonprofit, though with a broader reader-facing mission.
• Virginia Center for the Creative Arts: Regional nonprofit providing residencies and literary programming for writers. Comparable to NCPS as a literary support organization, though operating a residency model rather than a membership society model.
• Charlotte Lit: Charlotte-based literary nonprofit offering workshops, reading series, and chapbook publishing. Functions as a regional peer within North Carolina, with overlapping workshop and event programming.

Others

• Weymouth Center for Arts & Humanities: Southern Pines, NC venue partner that hosts NCPS's Sam Ragan Awards Day and Gilbert-Chappell readings. Comparable as a nonprofit arts organization serving the NC literary community, though focused on venue/program hosting rather than membership-based programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ncpoetrysociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/ncpoetrysociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-carolina-poetry-society

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

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Frequently asked questions about North Carolina Poetry Society