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MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 135546742 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A033 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M)
revenue
$826K
expenses
$861K
net assets
$1.2M
employees
1
volunteers
26
program ratio
74%
mission · from form 990

MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA ("MWA") IS THE PREMIER ORGANIZATION FOR MYSTERY WRITERS, PROFESSIONALS ALLIED TO THE CRIME WRITING FIELD.

profile · synthesized from sources

Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is a national organization dedicated to supporting mystery writers and professionals in the crime writing field. It provides educational resources, hosts literary events and conferences, and promotes literacy through author engagements in schools and libraries. The organization also administers the Edgar Awards and offers career development services to its members.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $230K
    MWA SYMPOSIUM/WORKSHOPS - WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES RUN FOR MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS FOR PROMOTIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES. PROGRAM ALSO DEVOTED TO THE MYSTERY GENRE; SPONSORS LITERARY EVENTS FEATURING READINGS FROM NOTED CRIME WRITERS. SPONSORS PROGRAMS TO ADVANCE LITERACY USING THE DONATED SERVICES OF WRITERS WHO ACT AS READERS, MENTORS AND SPOKESPEOPLE IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS AROUND THE US.
  2. #2 $53K
    MEMBERSHIPS AND OTHER PROGRAMS THE MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA WEBSITE HAS MANY SERVICES FOR MEMBERS WHICH ARE HELPFUL IN BUILDING AND SUSTAINING THEIR WRITING CAREERS VIA EDUCATION (LIKE MWA UNIVERSITY), NATIONAL CONFERENCES, NEWSLETTERS AND PUBLICITY. THE WEBSITE ALSO IS THE PORTAL FOR EVERYTHING RELATED TO THE EDGAR AWARDS, FROM THE HISTORY TO AWARD SUBMISSIONS TO UPCOMING EVENTS.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Edgar Awards
Manages the annual Edgar Awards, including award submissions, historical archives, and related events honoring excellence in mystery writing.
Literacy Outreach Program
Deploys writer members as readers, mentors, and spokespeople in public libraries and schools across the U.S. to promote literacy using donated services.
MWA Symposiums/Workshops
Hosts workshops, seminars, and conferences for members and non-members focused on the mystery genre; includes literary events featuring readings by notable crime writers and promotes literacy through author appearances in public libraries and schools.
MWA University
Educational initiative providing career-building resources and instruction for mystery writers to sustain and advance their writing careers.
The Third Degree
Monthly national newsletter distributed to members, featuring articles on the business of writing, the mystery genre, and organizational news.
activities · 2 groups

What they do

  • Literary Events & Workshops 2 activities
    • Organizing literary events and educational workshops in the mystery genre
      Organizes workshops, seminars, and conferences for members and non-members focused on the mystery genre; sponsors literary events with readings by crime writers and literacy programs in public libraries and schools, using writers as readers, mentors, and spokespeople.
    • Providing career development resources and support for mystery writers
      Offers educational resources such as MWA University, national conferences, newsletters, and publicity support to help members build and sustain writing careers; maintains the official portal for the Edgar Awards, including submission systems and event information.
  • Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
    • Distributing a monthly newsletter to members
      Distributes a monthly national newsletter, The Third Degree, to members featuring articles on the business of writing, the mystery genre, and organizational updates.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$826K
Contributions & grants$356K43%
Program service revenue$437K53%
Investment income$32K4%
Other revenue$1K
expenses
Total expenses$861K
Program expenses74%
Admin / overhead26%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$194K
Grants paid out$6K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.50M
Cash$752K
Investments$469K
Liabilities$320K
Net assets$1.18M
Liquid reserves17.0 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +11.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MARGERY FLAX Executive Dir. 40 $176K
board members · 24
  • Chris Grabenstein — National Pres.
  • Christina Diaz Gonzalez — At-Large Dir.
  • Claire Johnson — Chapter Pres.
  • David Schlosser — Chapter Pres.
  • David Weiden — At-Large Dir.
  • Donna Andrews — Executive VP
  • Ed Lin — At-Large Dir.
  • Ellen Byron — At-Large Dir.
  • JD Allen — Chapter Pres.
  • James L'Etoile — At-Large Dir.
  • Jessie Chandler — At-Large Dir.
  • John Copenhaver — At-Large Dir.
  • Larry Light — Treasurer
  • Leslie Klinger — Chapter Pres.
  • Lori Lacefield — Chapter Pres.
  • Lynn Chandler Willis — Chapter Pres.
  • Marcia Talley — Chapter Pres.
  • Melissa MacGregor — Chapter Pres.
  • Michael Bracken — At-Large Dir.
  • Michael Thomas Ford — At-Large Dir.
  • Nev March — Chapter Pres.
  • Sarah Stewart Taylor — At-Large Dir.
  • Sharon Short — Chapter Pres.
  • Stephen Rogers — Chapter Pres.
relationships · 1

Who they work with

  • The Third Degree Network — National newsletter distributed to MWA membership covering writing, genre, and organizational news.
strategies · 2

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.