named programs · 7 · from sources
What they call their work
Adrián Pérez Melgosa Stories for Our Time Internship Program
Internship program for students to engage in intergenerational online writing circles on social justice themes, connecting campus and community.
Amy Maiello Hagedorn National Facilitators Training Institute
Training program for social justice practitioners to learn and apply Herstory’s pedagogy in schools, prisons, and community settings.
Herstory Beyond Bars National Fellowship Program
National fellowship for individuals working on carceral justice projects, combining memoir writing with restorative justice discourse and curriculum development.
Herstory in the Classroom
Empathy-based memoir writing workshops for K–12 students that integrate social-emotional learning and narrative mastery to build agency and community.
Jacob Volkman Human Rights Fellowship
Fellowship supporting intergenerational writing circles that bridge divides and advance human rights through memoir writing.
Linda Howard Weissman Pro Bono Law Internship Program
Internship for Touro Law students to co-write memoirs with court-involved youth, fostering self-advocacy and empathy in the legal system.
MSW Social Justice Fellowship
Yearlong fellowship for advanced MSW students to use guided memoir writing in fieldwork with underserved communities in Wyandanch, NY, promoting healing and community change.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advance carceral justice reform through narrative advocacyUses memoir excerpts and participant stories as tools for policy change, including contributions to New York State’s Raise the Age campaign that helped end the incarceration of 16- and 17-year-olds with adults for nonviolent offenses. Supports national discourse on justice reform through a fellowship program that convenes leaders to use memoir writing as a catalyst for innovation and systemic critique.
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Creative Arts Therapy Programs 1 activity
- Facilitate memoir-writing workshops for healing and community engagementOperates ongoing in-person and online memoir-writing workshops across diverse settings including K–12 schools, colleges, correctional facilities, community organizations, senior centers, and libraries, where participants share personal stories in supportive circles using empathy-based feedback. Workshops are adapted to specific populations such as incarcerated individuals, neurodivergent youth, immigrants, and those with sexual or reproductive health care experiences, promoting healing, empowerment, and narrative agency.
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Oral History Collection and Preservation 1 activity
- Maintain and disseminate a living archive of personal narrativesCurates and shares a growing collection of memoirs written by participants across programs, ensuring broad dissemination to educators, policymakers, human rights activists, and service providers. Supports integration of stories into curricula and public forums to amplify marginalized voices and inform social discourse.
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Behavioral Health and Human Services Training 1 activity
- Support student and professional development through internships and fellowshipsOffers structured internship and fellowship opportunities for MSW students, law students, and emerging leaders, integrating academic training with community-based memoir-writing initiatives. Programs include a yearlong fellowship for five MSW students in Wyandanch, NY, and a pro bono law internship pairing Touro students with court-involved youth in joint writing workshops to support self-expression and advocacy.
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Volunteer and Professional Training Programs 1 activity
- Train facilitators in empathy-based memoir writing for social changeProvides annual training programs through the Amy Maiello Hagedorn National Facilitators Training Institute and other cohort-based models, equipping professionals, advocates, and individuals with lived experience of systemic injustice to lead guided memoir-writing workshops. Trained facilitators are placed in schools, prisons, and community settings for sustained practice, supporting intergenerational storytelling and institutional transformation.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$601K
Contributions & grants$505K84%
Program service revenue$93K15%
Investment income$2K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$689K
Program expenses82%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$387K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$125K
Cash$100K
Investments$0
Liabilities$10K
Net assets$115K
Liquid reserves1.7 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +1.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERIKA DUNCAN | Executive Dir. | 40 | $104K |
board members · 13
- ALEXANDRA VELEZ — Director
- ANA FIGUEROA — Treasurer
- CARLENE THOMAS — Director
- DEVIN THORNBURG — Director
- EILEEN RYAN — Director
- HEATHER PASMORE — BOARD CHAIR
- HERMOINE PIERRE JOHNSON — Director
- JACQUENLINE THOMAS — Director
- JOSEPH PAGE — Secretary
- Jennifer Isik — Director
- LAUREL JANSSEN BREEN — VICE CHAIR
- LIENA GUREVICH PHD — Director
- STEPHEN MARKS — Director
relationships · 31
Who they work with
- Alpern Family Foundation Funder — Funder of Herstory Writers Network Inc.
- Amy Maiello Hagedorn National Facilitators Training Institute Partner — Training arm for facilitators, interns, and fellows within Herstory Writers Network
- Angela and Scott Jaggar Foundation Funder — Funder of Herstory Writers Network Inc.
- CARECEN Partner — Collaborates on memoir-writing workshops for immigrant community members.
- Erika Duncan Partner — Founder, Executive and Artistic Director who created the organization's unique pedagogy
- Flagstar Foundation Funder — Funder of Herstory Writers Network Inc.
- Herstory Beyond Bars Network — Related initiative that applies Herstory's pedagogy in carceral settings, referenced through linked website.
- Humanities Institute at Stony Brook University Partner — Houses the National Facilitator Training Institute.
- Humanities New York Funder — Funder of Herstory Writers Network Inc.
- Latina women Partner — Co-created programs to amplify their voices through memoir-writing
- Long Beach Latino Civic Association Partner — Collaborates on memoir-writing workshops for immigrant community members.
- Long Island Unitarian Universalist Fund Funder — Funder of Herstory Writers Network Inc.
- New York Community Trust Funder — Funder of Herstory Writers Network Inc.
- New York Immigration Coalition Partner — Co-hosts memoir-writing workshops for immigrant community members to explore connections between personal stories and social change.
- New York State Government — Collaborated with state-level advocacy efforts leading to the 2017 Raise the Age legislation.
- Planned Parenthood of Peconic Hudson Partner — Co-hosts memoir-writing workshops focused on sexual and reproductive health care stories.
- Sangha Education Center Partner — Co-hosts creative writing workshops for neurodivergent teens and young adults.
- Southampton Cultural Center Partner — Hosted early Herstory memoir-writing workshops
- Stony Brook University Partner — Collaborates through the Adrián Pérez Melgosa Stories for Our Time Internship Program, linking students with community writing circles.
- Suffolk County’s Correctional Academy Partner — Publications used in the mandatory training program for correction officer trainees.
- The Horace and Amy Hagedorn Fund Funder — Funder of Herstory Writers Network Inc.
- The John David Breen Foundation Funder — Funder of Herstory Writers Network Inc.
- Touro Law Center Partner — Hosts law students participating in the Linda Howard Weissman Pro Bono Law Internship Program with court-involved youth.
- William E. and Maude S. Pritchard Charitable Trust Funder — Funder of Herstory Writers Network Inc.
- community and online spaces Partner — Offers memoir-writing workshops in community and online settings.
- county jail Partner — Provides memoir writing workshops for women in a county jail.
- incarcerated women Partner — Co-created programs to amplify their voices through memoir-writing
- jails and prisons across the country Partner — Adapts and delivers memoir-writing workshops in jails and prisons nationwide.
- law school Partner — Conducts programs for court-involved young people at a law school.
- schools and universities on Long Island Partner — Adapts and delivers memoir-writing workshops in collaboration with schools and universities on Long Island.
+ 1 more
strategies · 3
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.
- Empathy-Centered Narrative Pedagogymethodology: empathy-centered_pedagogyBy centering empathy in memoir writing and teaching writers to craft stories that generate connection with a "Stranger-Reader" from the first scene, the organization fosters healing, deep listening, and behavioral change at individual and communal levels because empathetic narrative engagement transforms both writer and audience.
- Peer-Guided Empathetic Feedback Modelmethodology: peer-guided_feedbackBy using peer feedback rooted in natural listener responses rather than expert critique, the organization sustains an inclusive, trust-based environment where writers feel validated and understood because communal validation enhances emotional safety and narrative development.
- Storytelling for Social Change and Policy Influencemethodology: storytelling_for_social_changeBy transforming lived experiences—especially those of incarcerated individuals and marginalized communities—into powerful written narratives, the organization influences public discourse and carceral justice policy because personal stories connected to systemic issues shift perception and build political will for reform.