Awards and Grants

Since 2003, the Pegasus Awards ceremony has recognized the winners of the Poetry Foundation's awards, fellowships and prizes. This event includes readings, performances and discussions with awardees. Watch the 2021 Pegasus Awards Ceremony here. An audio described version of the event video is available here.

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In December 2021, the Poetry Foundation announced a new grantmaking strategy to support the fields of poetry and the literary arts with an initial commitment of $9 million over three years. Since the launch of the grants program in 2022, the Poetry Foundation has awarded over $6.3 million in grants to US-based nonprofit organizations, which includes presses and publications. The Poetry Foundation's grants program operates on the principles of trust-based philanthropy: open and accessible, transparent, accountable, and relationship based, in support of the following priorities:

• In 2022, we awarded $1 million in grants for a final round of pandemic relief funding, expanding on COVID-19 emergency relief funding provided to poetry and literary arts organizations in 2020 and 2021.
• Through the Equity in Verse program, we have awarded over $2.2 million in grants to BIPOC-led nonprofit poetry and literary arts organizations to help strengthen the capacity of BIPOC leadership in the field.
• We have awarded over $2 million in support to poetry-based organizations and poetry programs through the Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation program in an effort to increase access to poetry by engaging with new, diverse audiences while also encouraging new collaborations and innovation in the field.
• Through the special opportunities program, we have awarded over $1.1 million to support special events, opportunities, and programs, including underwriting fellowships, residencies, and awards for poets.
• The Poetry Foundation's grants program operates on the principles of trust-based philanthropy: Open and accessible, transparent, accountable, and relationship based.
• By upholding these principles, we strive to create a grant program that is responsive, inclusive, and impactful within the poetry community. Simultaneously, we are committed to promoting equity within the field: more than 60% of our grantmaking comprises general operating support, with nearly 60% of our funding directed towards diverse nonprofit organizations.