The PEN/Faulkner Foundation

What The PEN/Faulkner Foundation does

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization founded in 1980 by National Book Award-winner Mary Lee Settle. The Foundation administers a portfolio of four major literary awards: the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction (one of the top three national fiction awards in the United States, judged entirely by writers and free of commercial influence), the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel (assumed in 2025), the PEN/Bernard and Ann Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story (since 1988), and the PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion (since 2020). Alongside its awards work, the Foundation runs four recurring public literary program series — DC Reads, The Big Idea, The Lit Show, and Literary Conversations — that bring established and emerging authors together for public discussions of contemporary issues.

The Foundation's education programs deliver free, in-person literary programming to DC Title I public and charter school students in grades 3-12 through Writers in Schools, Writing Workshops, Writers in Residence, and the Nuestras Voces initiative (launched 2017) serving bilingual students and English Language Learners. Education programs have supported more than 100 local writers through paid teaching opportunities. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (currently co-presided over by Anne K. Aaron and Elizabeth Shreve as of June 2026) and operates with a small professional staff of 11-50 employees under Executive Director Gwydion Suilebhan.

The Foundation's revenue model is donation-driven rather than product-driven. Funding sources span individual donations (range $5 to $5,000, including monthly recurring gifts), the Founding Friends membership tier ($500+ individual, $1,000+ couple, granting access to exclusive author luncheons), corporate sponsorships from major publishers, foundation grants (Boone Family, Cornelia T. Bailey, Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz, Lambert, National Book Foundation), and government support from the National Endowment for the Arts, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and DC Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs. A planned giving program accepts bequests. No proprietary technology platform, API, or software product exists; programs are delivered through the website (penfaulkner.org), email, social channels, and direct in-person engagement.

Name

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation

Legal name

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation

Website

https://penfaulkner.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation is a Washington, DC-based literary nonprofit founded in 1980 that administers four major American fiction awards, runs public literary programming, and provides free creative writing education to Title I public and charter school students in grades 3-12.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Arts and Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Literary awards administration
• Fiction writing programs
• Literacy education programs
• Community literary events
• Nonprofit arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible contributions from individuals supporting PEN/Faulkner's mission. Donations range from $5 to $5,000, with options for one-time or monthly recurring gifts. Donors can also make stock gifts by contacting the Director of Development.
2. Founding Friends Membership: Annual memberships at $500+ (or $1000+ per couple) providing access to exclusive luncheons with prominent authors held in private homes. Memberships are non-transferable and annual renewals.
3. Corporate Giving: Sponsorships and contributions from corporations interested in supporting PEN/Faulkner's literary and education programs. Includes event sponsorships and program sponsorships.
4. Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including The Boone Family Foundation, The Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, The Lambert Foundation, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The National Book Foundation, and others.
5. Government Support: Funding from DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, DC Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs, and National Endowment for the Arts.
6. Planned Giving: Bequests and deferred gifts included in donors' estate plans. Tax ID: 52-1431622. Gifts support PEN/Faulkner's mission far into the future.
7. Award Celebration Event: Annual fundraising event celebrating PEN/Faulkner Award finalists and Literary Champion. Proceeds support education programs, Literary Conversations, and awards.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation administers four major literary awards (PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story, and PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion), produces public literary programs (DC Reads, The Big Idea, The Lit Show, Literary Conversations), and runs free education programs (Writers in Schools, Writers in Residence, Writing Workshops, Nuestras Voces) for students in grades 3–12 across DC Title I and charter schools. Programming, awards, and donor support services are delivered through in-person events, DC schools, the Foundation's website, email communications, and social media.

Product overview

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation is a literary nonprofit organization that operates a portfolio of award programs, literary programs, and education programs. The core awards include the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction (one of the top three national fiction awards), the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story, and the PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion distinction. Their literary programs include DC Reads, The Big Idea, The Lit Show, and Literary Conversations, which bring authors together for public discussions. Education programs serving DC students include Writers in Schools, Writers in Residence, Writing Workshops, and Nuestras Voces. The organization also operates donor programs including Founding Friends membership and Planned Giving. The Lisa Page Literary Education Fellowship provides a pathway for fiction writers to gain teaching experience in DC schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction
• PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel
• PEN/Bernard and Ann Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story
• PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion
• PEN/Faulkner Award Celebration
• DC Reads
• The Big Idea
• The Lit Show
• Literary Conversations
• Writers in Schools
• Writers in Residence
• Writing Workshops
• Nuestras Voces
• Founding Friends
• Planned Giving
• Lisa Page Literary Education Fellowship

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of readers, writers, and students reached annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 major and core.

• Penguin Random HousemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing support for PEN/Faulkner awards and literary programs. Major publishing house with aligned mission in promoting literature.
• W.W. NortonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndependent publisher sponsor supporting PEN/Faulkner initiatives. Publisher of PEN/Faulkner Award-winning titles.
• Politics & ProsemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndependent DC bookstore partnering with PEN/Faulkner for literary events and author appearances.
• Hachette Book GroupmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor publishing house sponsor supporting PEN/Faulkner literary programs.
• DC Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary education partner for PEN/Faulkner's school-based literary programs serving students grades 3-12 across DC Title I and Targeted Assistance schools.
• Title I DC Charter SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharter school partners receiving PEN/Faulkner education programs including author visits, writing instruction, and book donations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Endowment for the Arts: Federal agency providing grants to PEN/Faulkner and other literary organizations. Comparable as a funder of literary arts education but operates as a government grantmaker rather than a peer literary nonprofit.
• Politics & Prose Bookstore: Independent DC bookstore partnering with PEN/Faulkner on literary events and author appearances. Comparable as a DC-based literary community institution supporting local writers and readers through events and programming.

Emerging players

• Lambda Literary: Administers the Lambda Literary Awards (Lammys) recognizing LGBTQ+ literature. Operates a literary-award-administering nonprofit model serving a specialized writer and reader community, with comparable programs including public readings, education, and writer recognition.
• Before Columbus Foundation: Administers the American Book Awards recognizing literary excellence without commercial considerations. Comparable as a smaller literary-award-administering nonprofit with similar values around writer-judged recognition of diverse American fiction and nonfiction.
• MacDowell (MacDowell Colony): Provides residencies and fellowships for creative writers. While primarily a residency program rather than an award administrator, MacDowell serves the same fiction writer community as PEN/Faulkner through complementary support mechanisms and shares multiple board member connections.
• Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP): Service organization supporting independent literary publishers through grants, workshops, and advocacy. Operates as a literary nonprofit with comparable education and capacity-building programs, though focused on publishers rather than readers.

Direct peers

• Lannan Foundation: Family foundation supporting literary freedom, indigenous communities, and arts through grants and the Lannan Literary Awards. Operates similar grantmaking and award programs for fiction and nonfiction authors, with overlapping donor base in literary philanthropy.
• PEN America: Parent PEN organization administering the PEN Literary Awards and advocating for free expression. PEN/Faulkner operates as an independent PEN-affiliated center, and PEN America administers overlapping literary awards and programs serving similar writer and reader audiences.
• National Book Foundation: Administers the National Book Award, one of PEN/Faulkner's principal peer awards for American fiction. Directly comparable literary nonprofit operating a prestigious annual fiction award, public literary programs, and education initiatives, and is also a financial supporter of PEN/Faulkner.
• The Whiting Foundation: Administers the Whiting Awards and Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grants recognizing emerging writers. Directly comparable literary nonprofit funding individual writers through prizes, sharing the literary-awards-administering model and serving emerging fiction writers as a target audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWCCrvVoEHuQ_6yK0oB5v3Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/penfaulkner
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pen-faulkner-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/penfaulkner

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 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 The PEN/Faulkner Foundation