irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $6.03MCONVENTION, MEMBERSHIP, AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:SEE SCHEDULE O.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
MLA Advocacy
Engages in policy advocacy on issues affecting higher education, including academic freedom, federal funding for the humanities, and equitable teaching conditions
MLA Convention
Annual gathering featuring scholarly presentations, professional development sessions, and networking opportunities for language and literature scholars
Pathways Step Grants
Supports early-career scholars and community college faculty in developing professional skills and scholarly networks
Professional Development Grants
Provides financial support to members for career advancement, including travel to the convention and participation in leadership events
Public Humanities Incubator
Fosters public-facing humanities projects through workshops, mentorship, and grant support
activities · 12 groups
What they do
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Endowment and Gift Fund Management 1 activity
- Administers awards and prizes for scholarly publicationsManages 30 prizes for outstanding work in language and literature through selection committees of over 80 members.
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Faculty & Academic Labor Union Representation 1 activity
- Advocates for improved working conditions in the humanitiesWorks to strengthen the status and inclusion of tenure-track, non-tenure-track, contingent, and precarious faculty and graduate students within the profession and the association.
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Specialized Research Library Access 1 activity
- Develops and maintains the MLA International BibliographyA comprehensive research database in modern languages and literature, containing over 2.7 million records, used by scholars and institutions worldwide.
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Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
- Distributes communications and event updates to membersProduces and distributes a monthly news digest and email updates on MLA publications, programs, advocacy, calls for papers, and developments in higher education and language studies.
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Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Funds grants for scholarly and professional development activitiesProvides humanities innovation grants, emergency grants (including during the COVID-19 pandemic), and funding for graduate student travel, advocacy, support for scholars in developing nations, and resources for non-tenure-track and unemployed faculty.
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Member-Focused Advertising Services 1 activity
- Offers advertising and mailing list rental servicesGenerates revenue by offering advertising space in PMLA and renting member mailing lists to publishers, scholarly associations, conference organizers, and software manufacturers.
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Professional Conference & Symposium Organization 1 activity
- Organizes annual convention for language and literature scholarsHosts an annual convention featuring over 3,000 member presentations, meetings on diverse topics, regional seminars, and online events to support professional exchange and scholarship.
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Nonprofit Sector Research & Data Analysis 1 activity
- Produces reports on language and literature education trendsConducts and publishes data-driven reports including the MLA Job List Report on employment trends and a report on language enrollments in U.S. higher education institutions.
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Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
- Strengthens teaching and study of languages and literaturesWorks to improve curriculum development, data use for advocacy, and interdepartmental collaboration in humanities departments through workshops, resources, and initiatives like MAPS that support program leadership and career readiness.
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Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
- Supports scholarly communication and digital collaborationOperates MLA Commons, an open-access platform for scholarly communication, publishing, and digital pedagogy, serving the literary studies community.
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Organizational Governance & Leadership Development 1 activity
- Sustains member-led governance and professional forumsMaintains 158 forums representing member interests and supports more than 50 committees overseeing publications, conventions, prize selection, and professional issues, with executive and standing committees managing association operations.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Publishes scholarly works and periodicalsOperates a publishing program that includes four periodicals (PMLA, ADE Bulletin, ALD Bulletin, Profession), a backlist of over 300 scholarly books, and new academic titles in language and literary studies.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$16.90M
Contributions & grants$512K3%
Program service revenue$14.56M86%
Investment income$716K4%
Other revenue$1.11M
expenses
Total expenses$17.26M
Program expenses82%
Admin / overhead18%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$11.59M
Grants paid out$650K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$41.13M
Cash$2.47M
Investments$23.79M
Liabilities$14.95M
Net assets$26.18M
Liquid reserves18.3 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +5.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 8
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAULA M KREBS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 35 | $374K |
| TERRENCE CALLAGHAN | DIR. OF ADMIN. AND FIN. | 35 | $271K |
| ANGELA GIBSON | DIR. SCHOLARY COMM. | 35 | $255K |
| JASON RHODY | DIR. MAPS | 35 | $248K |
| THANH TRINH | DIR. INFO SYSTEMS & CIO | 35 | $212K |
| MICHAEL LIVOLSI | HEAD OF DATA DESIGN | 35 | $199K |
| ANNA S A CHANG | DIR. OF OUTREACH | 35 | $179K |
| JUDITH ALTREUTER | HEAD OF PRODUCTION (TO MAY 2025) | 35 | $171K |
board members · 17
- ALAIN-PHILIPPE DURAND — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
- AMA BEMMA ADWETEWA-BADU — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
- BRENDA BRUEGGEMANN — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
- DANA A WILLIAMS — PAST RESIDENT (TO 02/25)
- DAVID DAMROSCH — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
- DEBORAH MALDONADO-DEOLIVEIRA — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
- ERIN D GRAFF ZIVIN — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER (TO 01/25)
- ESTHER ALLEN — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER (TO 12/24)
- HERMAN BEAVERS — FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT
- IFEOMA C KIDDOE NWANKWO — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
- LEAH S MARCUS — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
- LUANA REIS — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
- MAGANA KABUGI — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
- MARISA GALVEZ — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
- MIRIAM WALLACE — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
- REBECCA COLESWORTHY — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER (TO 12/24)
- RITA BERNICE DANDRIDGE — EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER
relationships · 15
Who they work with
- Association of Departments of English Network — Allied organization linked through the MLA's network
- Association of Departments of English Partner — Collaborates through MAPS to provide benefits and services for English department leaders
- Association of Language Departments Network — Allied organization linked through the MLA's network
- Association of Language Departments Partner — Collaborates through MAPS to provide benefits and services for language department leaders
- Cave Canem Partner — Recognized Cave Canem with the Franklin Award for its contributions to poetry and literary community building.
- Committee on Information Technology Network — Committee within the MLA focused on exploring technological improvements to language study and association functions.
- Committee on the Status of Women in the Profession Network — Committee within the MLA addressing gender equity and professional status of women in the field.
- DSG Global Partner — Engaged to assist with the executive director search
- Labor advocacy groups Partner — Partnerships established and extended with labor advocacy groups to support improved working conditions in humanities fields.
- MLA Commons Partner — Collaborative scholarly network for MLA members to share teaching materials and research.
- MLA International Bibliography Network — Core bibliographic resource managed by the Modern Language Association of America.
- PMLA Partner — Flagship journal of the MLA in which advertising opportunities are offered.
- Regional Modern Language Associations Network — Network of regional associations affiliated with the MLA
- State of Maryland Government — Organization is incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland.
- membership@mla.org Government — Contact email for membership inquiries and email preference management
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.
- Inclusive Professional Community Buildingmethodology: inclusive_membership_expansionBy creating pathways for non-members to participate and identify with the organization, the MLA expands and strengthens the professional community because inclusive membership models increase field-wide cohesion, diversity of thought, and long-term sustainability of the discipline.
- Member-Driven Knowledge Exchangemethodology: member_driven_knowledge_exchangeBy creating platforms for members to share teaching practices and scholarly findings, the MLA strengthens the study and teaching of languages and literatures because peer-generated knowledge fosters innovation, professional growth, and collective advancement in the field.
- Public Humanities Advocacy through Engagementmethodology: public_engagement_for_humanities_advocacyBy expanding public engagement resources, the MLA demonstrates the value of humanities education in fostering critical thinking and equity-minded communities, because broader public understanding strengthens support for the field and reinforces its societal relevance.