named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
No Name Comedy/Variety Show
Monthly event providing a platform for authors and storytellers to test new material in a supportive environment.
Recirculation
Project focused on clothing repair and textile reuse, hosting mending circles and collage nights using repurposed materials.
Uptown Kid Lit
Annual book festival for children featuring readings, activities, and community celebration at Inwood Hill Park.
Uptown Out
Monthly improvised music series featuring local musicians from Washington Heights and the Bronx.
Word Up Community Bookshop
Community-run bilingual bookstore offering culturally relevant books and hosting literary events, author readings, and storytelling nights.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Literary Events & Workshops 4 activities
- Host literary events and author programsHosts in-person and virtual literary events featuring authors such as Julia Alvarez, Elizabeth Acevedo, Renée Watson, and Naima Coster, often in partnership with cultural institutions; events are typically capped at 100 attendees with a suggested donation.
- Host youth-focused book clubsHosts Lo'Mas Lit Book Club for teens ages 13–20, connecting youth from Uptown Manhattan and beyond through shared reading and discussion.
- Organize annual Uptown Kid Lit children's book festivalOrganizes an annual children's book festival at Inwood Hill Park in New York City, first held in 2019 with 27 authors, over 1,000 attendees, and participation from a dozen community groups; includes free book and school supply distribution; shifted to virtual format in 2020 and resumed in-person in 2022.
- Support community-wide reading initiativesSupports Uptown Reads, a neighborhood-based reading initiative in Uptown Manhattan that includes reading circles, public talks, potlucks, storytelling sessions, and walking tours to foster community engagement through literature.
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
- Co-organize The People's Fridge community food access programCo-organizes The People's Fridge, a 24/7 accessible community fridge located outside the Word Up Community Bookshop, providing open access to food resources for the local community.
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Children's Book Distribution Programs 1 activity
- Distribute books at reduced cost to underserved communitiesDistributes books at greatly reduced prices to communities facing socioeconomic, geographic, and linguistic barriers to access.
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Recurring Craft and Fiber Arts Groups 1 activity
- Facilitate community arts and repair gatheringsHosts monthly collage nights using repurposed book and journal pages, a clothing repair circle for mending and reusing textiles, and drop-in art activities for families and children at community spaces like Lily Brown Playground.
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Used Book and Media Sales for Fundraising 1 activity
- Operate a permanent community bookshop and pop-up spacesOperates the Word Up Community Bookshop in Washington Heights, established in response to community demand; launched a pop-up bookshop called Recirculation in 2021 to honor a collective member lost to COVID-19.
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Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
- Operate youth literacy and creative learning programsRuns after-school and ongoing literacy programs for youth ages 5–25 that integrate reading, creative writing, art activities, and collaborative community engagement; includes weekly dry media art workshops facilitated by artist Reynaldo García Pantaleón.
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Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
- Train community members as volunteersHas trained approximately 1,000 community members as volunteers since the organization's founding in 2011.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$587K
Contributions & grants$218K37%
Program service revenue$367K63%
Investment income$2K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$597K
Program expenses69%
Admin / overhead22%
Fundraising10%
Salaries & benefits$208K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineOther
balance sheet
Total assets$458K
Cash$40K
Investments$82K
Liabilities$69K
Net assets$389K
Liquid reserves2.5 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +16.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| VERONICA LIU | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $53K |
board members · 5
- ANGIE CRUZ — TRUSTEE
- D'LONRA ELLIS — VICE PRESIDENT
- DANIELLA GITLIN — PRESIDENT
- MYONG JIN — TRUSTEE
- SITA FREDERICK — SECRETARY
relationships · 30
Who they work with
- Center for Book Arts Partner — Professional affiliation and scholarship support for board member
- Councilmembers Shawn Abreu's teams Partner — Collaborates on community litter pick-up and family activities at Fort Washington Park
- Dominican Writers Association Partner — Co-hosted an event with Word Up Community Bookshop featuring author Naima Coster
- El Museo del Barrio Partner — Co-hosts a literary event celebrating Julia Alvarez and Krystal Quiles.
- El Museo del Barrio Partner — Copresented an event featuring Julia Alvarez and Krystal Quiles discussing the graphic novel adaptation of "In the Time of the Butterflies."
- Eric Vetter Partner — Producer of the No Name Comedy/Variety Show, bringing authors and storytellers to Word Up
- Harlem School of the Arts Partner — Co-presented a book launch event for Renée Watson's Everything New Again.
- Harlem School of the Arts Partner — Co-presents an author event with Renée Watson.
- Manhattan Graphics Center Partner — Professional affiliation for board member in printmaking and book arts
- Medical Center Neighborhood Fund Funder — Supporter of Word Up's 2025 programs
- NYU’s Hemispheric Institute Partner — Graduate assistantship affiliation for board member
- National Endowment of the Arts Network — Models Uptown Reads program after the NEA's Big Read initiative.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Provides grant funding for the Uptown Kid Lit festival in partnership with the City Council.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Public funder supporting Word Up Community Bookshop's programs.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Public funder supporting programs in 2025 in partnership with the City Council
- New York City Department of Youth and Community Development Government — Public funder supporting 2025 programs in partnership with City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Provides funding for Word Up Community Bookshop’s programs with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Public funder supporting programs in 2025 with support from the Office of the Governor and New York State Legislature
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — State funder supporting Word Up Community Bookshop's programs.
- New York University (NYU) Partner — Academic affiliation through staff pursuing doctoral studies and holding graduate assistantships
- NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Funder — Provides financial support for the Uptown Kid Lit festival.
- NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Funder — Supporter of Word Up's 2025 programs
- Northern Manhattan Parks Partner — Collaborates on community litter pick-up and family activities at Fort Washington Park
- Penland School of Craft Partner — Scholarship support for board member in arts and bookmaking
- People's Theatre Project Partner — Shared staff collaboration in communications and community programming
- Seven Stories Press Partner — Collaborative relationship through shared leadership and publishing activities
- Severus Foundation Funder — Supporter of Word Up's 2025 programs
- UMEZ Arts Engagement Government — Regrant program supported by Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone and administered by LMCC, supporting 2025 programs
- Word Up Community Bookshop Partner — Collaborating on the production of an event featuring Elizabeth Acevedo
- Word Up Community Bookshop Partner — Hosts literary events in partnership with authors and artists.
strategies · 4
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-Engaged Literary Programmingmethodology: community-engaged literary programmingBy hosting place-based literary events and author programs centered on themes like memory, migration, identity, and urban life, the organization connects literature to lived experience, fostering deeper community engagement and making reading a relevant, shared social practice.
- Horizontal Leadership Modelmethodology: horizontal_leadershipBy using a consensus-based, collective decision-making structure that prioritizes input from those implementing the work, the organization fosters equity and inclusion in governance, which increases ownership, engagement, and responsiveness to community needs.
- Subsidized Book Access for Civic Participationmethodology: subsidized_distributionBy distributing books at greatly reduced prices or directly to underserved communities, the organization enables access to essential information and participation in civic discourse, because material access is a prerequisite to equitable engagement in literacy and democracy.
- Youth Engagement Through Teaching Artistsmethodology: teaching_artist_modelBy employing teaching artists from the Word Up collective, the organization helps youth connect literature to real-world contexts, increasing relevance, joy, and sustained engagement in reading through creative, experiential learning.