named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
2024 RWW Writers’ Retreat for Storytellers of Color
Annual literary retreat offering mentorship, community, and creative development for emerging and established writers of color across genres including speculative fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and young adult fiction.
Writing Wellness Fellowship
Program supporting healing-centered writing practices for non-binary, queer, and first-generation writers of color, emphasizing trauma-informed and interdisciplinary approaches to storytelling.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 3 activities
- Annual writers' retreats for storytellers of colorHosts annual in-person and online writers' retreats for BIPOC storytellers, featuring expert-led sessions in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, speculative fiction, young adult literature, and wellness practices. Retreats include craft talks, healing praxis programming (such as breathwork, yoga, meditation, herbalism, and postcolonial astrology), and opportunities for professional development through connections with literary agents and editors.
- Fellowship programs for BIPOC writersOffers fellowship opportunities for storytellers of color, including the RWW Writers’ Retreat fellowships and the Words of Resistance & Restoration Fellowship, which support writers engaged in creative, healing, and resistance work.
- Writers-in-residence programProvides writers-in-residence opportunities for emerging BIPOC writers to support their artistic growth and literary development.
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Arts Professional Advocacy & Equity Initiatives 1 activity
- COUNTERpult storyteller showcase seriesOperates COUNTERpult, a recurring performance series that provides a platform for emerging and established BIPOC storytellers with intersectional identities to present their work publicly.
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Literary Events & Workshops 1 activity
- Literary arts workshops for BIPOC storytellersOffers ongoing literary arts workshops in genres including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, and speculative fiction for BIPOC storytellers of all experience levels, with specific workshops focusing on forms such as flash nonfiction, romance storytelling, ekphrasis, and the fragmented essay. Workshops incorporate craft analysis, writing exercises, and somatic or spiritual practices to support creative and personal development.
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Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
- Publication of literary anthologies by BIPOC storytellersProduces and publishes professional anthologies featuring literary works—such as narrative nonfiction, poetry, hybrid works, and creative nonfiction—by BIPOC storytellers, including alumni of RWW programs. Specific published titles include "Search & Find," "Radical," "Remembering Water," and "Fractured Encounters."
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$140K
Contributions & grants$140K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$128K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$29K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$45K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$45K
4 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue -27.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| NICOLE JUNIOR | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 25 | $29K |
board members · 4
- ALEXIS SMITHERS — BOARD MEMBER
- CHANEL GLOVER — BOARD CHAIRPERSON
- MARY FULLER — BOARD TREASURER
- WENDY ANGULO — BOARD SECRETARY
relationships · 45
Who they work with
- Amber Flame Partner — Collaborated with Amber Flame to lead a workshop on romance storytelling.
- Ambreia Meadows-Fernandez Partner — Partnered with Ambreia Meadows-Fernandez to lead a workshop examining maternal narratives in writing.
- Anaphora Arts Partner — Shares fellows with Anaphora Arts, indicating a partnership or aligned programming.
- Angelique Stevens Partner — Worked with Angelique Stevens to deliver a workshop on flash nonfiction craft and writing.
- Ayesha Pande Literary Partner — Literary agency represented by agents Serene Hakim and Kayla Lightner at the 2024 Writers’ Retreat.
- Bread Loaf Environmental Writers Conference Partner — Collaborates with or supports writers also affiliated with Bread Loaf Environmental Writers Conference
- Bronx Council on the Arts Partner — Collaborated with Charlie Vázquez on arts and wellness initiatives.
- FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction Partner — Literary magazine represented by Poetry Editor B. Sharise Moore at the 2024 Writers’ Retreat.
- FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction Partner — Partners with B. Sharise Moore, Poetry Editor for FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, as part of the 2022 Writers’ Retreat faculty.
- Foglifter Journal Partner — Partners with Damitri Martinez, managing editor for prose fiction at Foglifter Journal, as part of the 2022 Writers’ Retreat faculty.
- Foglifter Press Partner — Collaborates with Foglifter Press, a literary magazine centering LGBTQ+ voices
- Foglifter Press Partner — Literary journal represented by Editor-in-Chief Michal ‘MJ’ Jones at the 2024 Writers’ Retreat.
- Formation Healing Arts Partner — Anna Meyer, Founder of Formation Healing Arts, served as Breathwork/Meditation Faculty at the 2024 Writers’ Retreat.
- Gardarev Center Partner — Collaborates with or supports writers also affiliated with Gardarev Center
- Griot & Grey Owl Partner — Co-hosted a poetry collaboration event titled "The South Got Sumthin To Say" in 2024.
- Hurston/Wright Foundation Partner — Collaborates with Hurston/Wright Foundation as evidenced by fellows affiliated with both organizations.
- Kenyon Review Partner — Supports writer development through shared workshop affiliations with Kenyon Review
- Key West Literary Seminar Partner — Collaborates with or supports writers also affiliated with Key West Literary Seminar
- Kimbilio Partner — Partners with Kimbilio through shared fellowship opportunities for writers of color
- Kimbilio Fiction Partner — Multiple faculty members are Kimbilio Fiction fellows, indicating a collaborative relationship in supporting Black fiction writers.
- Kundiman Partner — Partners with Kundiman, a literary nonprofit supporting Asian American writers
- Langston Kahn Partner — Partnered with Langston Kahn to offer a writing wellness workshop integrating somatic and animist practices.
- Macondo Partner — Partners with Macondo through shared workshop opportunities for socially engaged writers
- New Leaf Literary & Media Partner — Literary agent Joanna Volpe, president of New Leaf Literary & Media, is listed as visiting faculty, indicating a professional partnership in supporting diverse voices in publishing.
- New York City Department of Health Partner — Collaborated with Charlie Vázquez on arts and wellness programs for underserved communities.
- New York Public Library Partner — Partnered with Charlie Vázquez to design and facilitate arts and wellness programs.
- One Story Partner — Connects writers through shared workshop affiliations with One Story
- PEN America Partner — Partnered with Charlie Vázquez to facilitate arts and wellness programs for underserved communities.
- RAWI Partner — Partners with RAWI, a network for writers of Arab heritage
- Raina J. León Partner — Collaborated with Raina J. León to facilitate a workshop on ekphrasis and ecological struggle in art and writing.
+ 15 more
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.
- BIPOC-Led Creative Pedagogy with Interdisciplinary Frameworksmethodology: culturally_rooted_pedagogyBy delivering literary instruction through BIPOC-led teaching grounded in Black Feminism, Afrofuturism, postcolonial astrology, and animist practices, the organization fosters representation, skill development, and decolonial reconnection, because culturally-rooted mentorship enables transformative learning and creative sovereignty.
- Healing-Centered Storytelling for BIPOC Communitiesmethodology: healing_justiceBy integrating literary arts with healing practices, the organization supports emotional healing, cultural reclamation, and personal resilience among BIPOC individuals, because storytelling serves as a form of truth-telling, ancestral connection, and liberation from systemic oppression.