Readings & Workshops Guidelines

Before getting started on a grant application, please read the guidelines below and download the applicable toolkit or template. If you still have questions, please check our Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQ) for answers—and if you still have questions, feel free to reach out to us—we're happy to help! See below for contact information.

When you are ready to begin, click the APPLY button to get started!

PLEASE NOTE: Applications accepted for events taking place through September 30, 2024, will be the first applications to be submitted using our new application system, so we ask for your patience as we continue to refine and improve the new application. Additionally, to account for the transition to a new grants management system and quarterly deadline schedule, we will accept and make grants for events through September 30, on a rolling basis. On August 1, we will begin to accept applications for events scheduled October 1 through December 31, 2024, per the quarterly schedule.

Helpful tools

• Toolkit for Applicants (PDF)
• Toolkit for Grantees (PDF)
• Template for Writers (PDF)
• Credit Lines and Logos
• FAQ

Guidelines for Festival Grants, Reading Series Grants, and Mini grants

New York State organizations that sponsor readings and workshops may apply for Mini-Grants, Reading Series Grants, and Festival Grants to pay writers for their participation. All grants are paid by P&W directly to the writer. Due to a mandate from our funders, grants for events outside of New York City (i.e. New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond counties) are restricted to writers who are New York State residents.

We consider applications from sponsoring or presenting organizations only; nonprofit status is not required. Writers may not apply without a sponsoring organization. However, we encourage writers to initiate events and let organizations know they can apply on their behalf.

Organizations are strongly encouraged to match P&W’s payment to the writer. However, if an organization is not able to match or add to the writer’s fee, we will still consider the application.

If a grant is awarded, payments are sent directly to the writer approximately two to four weeks after the event. To support as many literary events as possible, we generally grant no more than $3,000 to organizations during our fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), and across all grant opportunities. Decisions on maximum grant amounts are based on the availability of funds and are made at the discretion of Poets & Writers. These caps fluctuate depending on the availability of funds in each jurisdiction and the number of applications we receive.

We make grants for writers' fees only. We do not fund administrative costs, publicity, transportation, or other expenses related to producing events. We do not fund panel discussions, lectures, in-school events, children's events, staged dramatic readings, or storytelling events featuring non-original works.

We encourage organizers to list their events on our free, online Literary Events Calendar.

ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS

Organizations that may apply for grants include, but are not limited to: reading series, literary festivals, colleges, cultural centers, museums, libraries, correctional facilities, hospitals, small presses, community centers, senior centers, places of worship, bookstores, cafés, galleries, and theaters. Nonprofit status is not required.

Events must be open to the public, except for events taking place in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. 

ELIGIBLE WRITERS

Published poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, and performance poets are eligible to receive grant payments from Poets & Writers. A writer’s bio listing publication or spoken word performance credits must be included in the application to show that the writer is eligible.

The event organizer, board members, and paid employees of the organization sponsoring the event are not eligible for funding. Employees and board members of Poets & Writers are not eligible for funding.

Writers are grant recipients and are not employees of Poets & Writers. Writers receiving P&W grants totaling $600 or more per calendar year are required to provide their social security number and should be aware that grant support may be considered taxable income.

Due to a mandate from our funders, grants for events outside of New York City (i.e. New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond counties) are restricted to writers who are New York State residents.

About Mini Grants

We award Mini-Grants for individual readings ($150 to $450 per session) and/or workshops ($200 to $300 per session) that may or may not be part of a larger reading series or festival. Mini-grants are paid by P&W directly to the individual writer. The entity organizing or hosting the event must act as the lead sponsor and must submit an application for support. As part of the application, please be prepared to provide the name of the participating writer, proposed event date(s), and amount requested, per the ranges listed above. Please apply according to the following schedule:

FUNDING PRIORITIES

As part of our belief that literature is vital to sustaining a vibrant culture and our mission to help create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible public, priority is given to organizations that:

• serve a culturally diverse audience
• feature culturally diverse writers
• feature writers who have not previously presented at that venue
• present programs in rural or other underserved areas
• have not previously received R&W support (If an organization has received R&W funding in the past, we consider whether it has followed the grant guidelines and returned reports in a timely manner.)
• are able to match R&W's payment to the writer (not including in-kind contributions such as meals, lodging, and travel)
• have a publicity and marketing plan to draw audience, and a track record of attracting audiences to past events.

Virtual Events

Organizations should take into account these special considerations when applying for funding for virtual events:

Virtual events must be sponsored by an organization located in New York State. When completing the grant application, the “Event Site” should be listed as the organization’s mailing address.

Virtual readings should be live-streamed through an audio/video platform which is accessible to the public. If possible, we encourage recording virtual readings and archiving them through publicly-accessible platforms, such as YouTube or Vimeo.

Virtual readings must have live audio and video components; we do not offer funding for podcasts or pre-recorded broadcasts.

Virtual writing workshops must include real-time online instruction of workshop attendees by a live facilitator, and can be open or closed to the public, dependent on workshop type. Virtual workshops must have live audio and/or video components.

While we will consider virtual events that charge a fee, we prioritize applications for events that are free or low-cost.

Reporting for virtual events is the same as for in-person events: Event organizers and writers are asked to complete brief reports to let us know how the event went, how many participated, and so on.

As always, event organizers are responsible for ensuring that all publicity materials carry the appropriate credit lines and logos, and for uploading copies of these materials with their report.

REPORTS

After your P&W–supported event has occurred, sponsors and writers will need to access our online system to complete an event report. Your reports help us demonstrate the value of the Readings & Workshops program to funders and help us continue to offer support to writers and organizations hosting literary events.

CONTACT US

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us! Call (212) 226-3586 x226 or e-mail programs@pw.org.