irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $195KWRITERS' RETREAT - A WEEK-LONG RETREAT OFFERING LGBT WRITERS THE CHANCE TO BE IMMERSED IN WRITING FICTION, NONFICTION, OR POETRY, AND TO LEARN FROM OTHER LGBT WRITERS AND PUBLISHING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS.
- #2 $540KWRITERS IN SCHOOLS - BRINGING AWARD-WINNING LGBT WRITERS INTO SCHOOLS TO DISCUSS THEIR BOOKS WITH STUDENTS.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Creative Incubator for LGBTQ+ Writers
New program launched to expand accessible offerings for LGBTQ+ writers, complementing the in-person and virtual Writers Retreat
Emerge Anthology
Annual anthology edited by a Lambda Literary Fellow through the Emerge Editorial Scholarship, showcasing work from emerging LGBTQ writers
Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices
Nationwide writing residency program offering mentorship, workshops, and community for emerging LGBTQ writers across genres including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, playwriting, and screenwriting
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Literary Publishing and Support Programs 1 activity
- Administer literary prizes and awards for LGBTQ+ writers and editorsConfers multiple annual prizes including the Jim Duggins Prize ($5,000), Jeanne Córdova Prize ($2,500), Pat Holt Prize ($4,000), Denneny Prize ($2,500), Samuel Prize ($5,000), and Karla Jay Prize ($1,500) to support mid-career novelists, emerging scholars, editors, critics, and writers over 50.
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Library Book Donation Management 1 activity
- Distribute LGBTQ+ books through Books Not Bans and Lammys LibraryProvides free LGBTQ+ books to communities via the Books Not Bans initiative and the Lammys Library program, which has donated over 6,000 books to nonprofit groups, resource centers, libraries, Pride festivals, incarcerated individuals, and youth in transitional housing.
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LGBTQ+ Community Events and Celebrations 1 activity
- Host Lavender Con and LitFest literary eventsOrganizes annual in-person literary festivals including Lavender Con (e.g., June 14–15, 2025 in Washington) and Lambda LitFest, a week-long community-curated festival in Los Angeles launched in 2017 to showcase queer literature and culture.
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Free Expression Defense & Advocacy 1 activity
- Lead advocacy against book bans through Authors Against Book BansOrganizes Authors Against Book Bans, a coalition of book creators opposing censorship and advocating for the freedom to read, particularly in defense of LGBTQ+ books.
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LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency & Community Education 1 activity
- Manage LGBTQ Writers in Schools programPlaces LGBTQ+ writers in K–12 classrooms for curricular and extracurricular visits, workshops, and discussions about LGBTQ+ literature; has reached thousands of students in New York City since 2015 and expanded to 10,000 students by 2021.
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Emerging Filmmaker Support Programs 1 activity
- Operate Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ VoicesRuns an annual week-long residency program launched in 2007 that provides mentorship, craft instruction, and public reading opportunities to emerging LGBTQ+ writers across genres; includes scholarship and fellowship support, with 96 writers selected for the 2026 retreat.
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Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
- Support LGBTQ+ youth writing and publicationOffers 8-week writing workshops for young LGBTQ+ writers, publishes anthologies of youth poetry and prose, and creates publishing opportunities through targeted submission calls and the Queer Youth Voices Anthology.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Administer Lambda Literary Awards (Lammy Awards)Recognizes the best LGBTQ+ books published each year across 26 categories through an annual awards program, including finalist announcements, judging panels, and a ceremony (e.g., the 2026 Lammy Awards at Sony Hall). The program began in 1989 and celebrates outstanding LGBTQ+ storytelling.
- Maintain historical and searchable databases of LGBTQ+ literary recognitionOperates fully searchable directories and databases of all Lambda Literary Award finalists and winners since 1988, documenting finalists, category evolution, and publisher trends for public access.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.22M
Contributions & grants$1.05M86%
Program service revenue$167K14%
Investment income$2K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.15M
Program expenses76%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising13%
Salaries & benefits$598K
Grants paid out$5K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.12M
Cash$803K
Investments$0
Liabilities$173K
Net assets$949K
Liquid reserves8.3 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -24.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 11
- ASHLEY BLACKMON — TREASURER
- GARY MOBLEY — CHAIR
- JOBERT E ABUEVA — DIRECTOR
- KEVIN STEMMLER — DIRECTOR
- KRISTYN CARTER — DIRECTOR
- MAULIK PANCHOLY — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL LEVESQUE — DIRECTOR
- MICHELLE HERRARA-MULLIGAN — DIRECTOR
- PRESTON SO — DIRECTOR
- RAY DANIELS — SECRETARY
- TOBI HARPER PETRIE — DIRECTOR
relationships · 31
Who they work with
- Academy of American Poets Partner — Offers the Academy Scholarship to support women and/or femme poets attending the Writers Retreat.
- Alexander Chee Funder — Cosponsors the Justin Chin Memorial Scholarship for queer Asian American and Pacific Islander writers.
- Amazon Literary Partnership Partner — Corporate partner listed among Lambda Literary's sponsors.
- Charles Flowers Partner — Executive Director who co-led the founding of the Lambda Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices in 2007
- Christine Hyung-Oak Lee Funder — Cosponsors the Justin Chin Memorial Scholarship for queer Asian American and Pacific Islander writers.
- Chuck Forester Funder — Philanthropist who created the J. Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50
- Danez Smith Partner — Wrote the foreword for the 2019 Emerge Anthology.
- David Ebershoff Funder — Sponsors the Lili Elbe Scholarship for trans writers.
- Garth Greenwell Partner — Wrote the foreword for the 2017 Emerge Anthology.
- Horizons Foundation Funder — Administers the James Duggins, PhD Fund for Outstanding Mid-Career LGBTQ Novelists, which funds the Duggins Prize
- Horizons Foundation Partner — LGBTQ+ grantmaking foundation listed among Lambda Literary's sponsors.
- Katherine V. Forrest Partner — Board President who co-led the founding of the Lambda Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices in 2007
- Kay Ulanday Barrett Partner — Wrote the introduction for the 2025 Emerge Anthology.
- Lammy Awards Partner — Program associated with Lambda Literary that accepts volunteer participation.
- Lesbians for Good Funder — Funder of the Pat Holt Prize for Critical Arts Writing
- Miami Book Fair Partner — Collaborates on the Emerging Writer Fellowships program for LGBTQ+ writers.
- National Endowment for the Arts Government — Federal arts funding agency listed among Lambda Literary's sponsors.
- New York City Department of Education Government — Government agency listed among Lambda Literary's sponsors.
- Nicola Griffith Partner — Board member who led the effort to launch LambdaLiterary.org in 2010
- Nicole Dennis-Benn Partner — Wrote the foreword for the 2021 Emerge Anthology.
- Noah Arhm Choi Partner — Poet-in-Residence leading the LGBTQ+ Youth Poet Laureate Residency
- Phillip B. Williams Partner — 2023 Retreat Poetry Faculty who wrote the introduction to the 2023 Emerge Anthology.
- Roger Q. Mason Partner — Wrote the foreword for the 2024 Emerge Anthology.
- Ryka Aoki Partner — Wrote the foreword for the 2018 Emerge Anthology.
- Sarah Schulman Partner — Wrote the foreword for the 2016 Emerge Anthology.
- Stonewall Community Foundation Partner — Philanthropic organization listed among Lambda Literary's sponsors.
- Submittable Partner — Uses Submittable as the digital platform for receiving award submissions.
- Submittable Partner — Uses Submittable as the digital submission platform for the Lammy Awards.
- Sue Landers Partner — Executive Director who led the pivot to virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020
- Writers in Schools Partner — Program that accepts volunteer participation under Lambda Literary's offerings.
+ 1 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Centered Literary Developmentmethodology: community-centered literary advocacyBy integrating mentorship, peer networks, and identity-affirming spaces, Lambda Literary fosters the growth of LGBTQ+ writers because shared identity and relational support increase creative engagement and literary persistence.
- Cultivation of Inclusive Literary Ecosystemsmethodology: cultivate_inclusive_literary_ecosystemsBy supporting writers across career stages and evolving community definitions, Lambda Literary expands creative equity because inclusive systems that adapt to emerging identities sustain long-term cultural vitality.
- Editorial Advancement of Social Movementmethodology: editorial-advancement-of-social-movementBy supporting editorial development and publication of LGBTQ+ voices, Lambda Literary contributes to broader social change because literary recognition strengthens cultural narratives that drive social movement momentum.
- Relational Literacy in Educationmethodology: relational-literacyBy connecting literature to students' lived experiences through reading and writing, Lambda Literary affirms LGBTQ+ identities in educational settings because personal relevance increases engagement and fosters resilience.
- Visibility Through Affirmative Recognitionmethodology: awards-based_visibilityBy celebrating LGBTQ+ literature through juried awards and inclusive categorization, Lambda Literary elevates public and institutional visibility of queer authors because cultural legitimacy is advanced through representative recognition and self-defined evaluation.