named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
14 St Y Workshop
Long-running workshop for seniors that began at the 14Y in the East Village and continues virtually, welcoming participants from around the world including France.
Generative Virtual Workshops
Online writing workshops that use prompts from poetry, art, or personal healing journeys to inspire writing in a safe, co-created space; led by facilitators such as Takiyah Jackson and Marcie Wolfe.
SAGE Workshop
Writing workshop for adults over 65, using a modified NYWC model where participants write during the first part of the session and share afterward.
Taller de Escritura Creativa: Palabras en Movimiento
Creative writing workshop in Spanish for Spanish speakers, using sensory prompts like smells, sounds, and memories to bring stories to life.
Write-In Workshops
In-person and virtual sessions open to all genres, led by writers like Alison Lowenstein and Tasha Paley, fostering creative exploration and personal development through writing.
activities · 1 group
What they do
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Literary Events & Workshops 3 activities
- Annual Write-A-Thon and special writing eventsHosts an annual Write-A-Thon event featuring workshops and community engagement, along with additional special writing opportunities and themed events during key milestones such as organizational anniversaries.
- Free and low-cost creative writing workshops for marginalized communitiesOffers free and low-cost generative creative writing workshops in New York City for historically underserved populations, including youth, seniors, women, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, currently or formerly incarcerated individuals, and Spanish speakers. Workshops are conducted in-person and virtually, using the Amherst Writers Method and guided prompts to support writing across genres.
- Large-scale community writing program with citywide reachOperates one of the largest community-based creative writing programs in the nation, having served over 12,000 participants since 2002 through more than 20,000 workshop sessions across hundreds of locations in New York City, including public parks, libraries, social service agencies, and correctional facilities like Rikers Island.
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financials · form 990 · fy2020
revenue
Total revenue$560K
Contributions & grants$547K98%
Program service revenue$13K2%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$403K
Program expenses82%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$301K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$383K
Cash$148K
Investments$0
Liabilities$8K
Net assets$375K
Liquid reserves4.4 mo
1 years on record · 2020–2020
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2020
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AARON ZIMMERMAN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $84K |
board members · 11
- ALEXIS NIXON — DIRECTOR
- ATIBA EDWARDS — TREASURER
- BROOKE MACKENZIE — CHAIR
- JARVON CARSON — DIRECTOR
- KAITLYN GREENIDGE — DIRECTOR
- LAURA COCOCCIA — DIRECTOR
- LAUREN SANDERS — DIRECTOR
- LINDSEY ELIAS — DIRECTOR
- LOUISE CRAWFORD — SECRETARY
- SOPHIE MCMANUS — DIRECTOR
- SUSAN KARWOSKA — DIRECTOR
relationships · 41
Who they work with
- 14Y Partner — NYWC previously hosted a senior writing workshop at 14Y in the East Village before transitioning to virtual sessions.
- 14th St Y Partner — Hosts two virtual writing workshops for older adults in Manhattan
- Amherst Writers and Artists Network — NY Writers Coalition is part of the network inspired by and connected to the Amherst Writers and Artists movement founded by Pat Schneider.
- Amherst Writers and Artists Partner — NY Writers Coalition bases its workshop methodology on the Amherst Writers and Artists method.
- Amherst Writers and Artists Partner — NYWC follows the Amherst Writers and Artists writing workshop method in its programming.
- Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library Partner — Hosts a writing workshop primarily for visually impaired individuals in Manhattan
- Benjamin Banneker Academy Partner — Hosts NY Writers Coalition writing workshops for youth participants.
- Brooklyn Community Foundation Funder — Foundation supporter of NY Writers Coalition Inc
- Brooklyn East Collegiate (BEAST) Partner — Hosts a writing workshop at a middle-grade charter school in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
- Brooklyn Public Library Partner — Provides space for two ongoing creative writing workshops at its Central and Saratoga branches.
- CIDNY Partner — Hosts a virtual writing workshop for people with physical and mental disabilities in Manhattan
- Con Edison Partner — Corporate supporter of NY Writers Coalition Inc
- Cowan Slavin Funder — Foundation supporter of NY Writers Coalition Inc
- Creative Center Partner — Hosts an in-person writing workshop for people living with cancer in Manhattan
- Fort Greene Park Partner — Hosts summer-long outdoor writing workshops and a literary festival for youth in Fort Greene, Brooklyn
- Fort Greene Summer Literary Festival Partner — Collaborative program where NY Writers Coalition offers youth writing workshops.
- Hawthornden Foundation Funder — Foundation supporter of NY Writers Coalition Inc
- Isabella Geriatric Center Partner — Site for NY Writers Coalition workshops led by volunteer workshop leaders.
- JUF Day Hab Partner — Hosts a writing workshop for adults with physical and mental disabilities in Brooklyn
- LitNYS Funder — Foundation supporter of NY Writers Coalition Inc
- Montefiore Wellness Center Partner — NYWC conducts a poetry and creative writing workshop at Montefiore Wellness Center in the Bronx for patients, integrated with clinical care.
- NY Presbyterian Psychiatric Unit Partner — Hosts two writing workshops for inpatients in acute psychiatric care in Manhattan
- National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Government — Government supporter of NY Writers Coalition Inc
- New York City Council Government — Government supporter of NY Writers Coalition Inc
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Government — Government supporter of NY Writers Coalition Inc
- New York Community Trust (NYCT) Government — Government supporter of NY Writers Coalition Inc
- New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Government — Government supporter of NY Writers Coalition Inc
- North Star Academy Partner — Hosts an after-school writing workshop at a middle-grade charter school in Brooklyn
- Pen + Brush Partner — Hosts the RESPITE creative writing workshop at its gallery space using its artwork as writing prompts.
- Port Morris Wellness Center Partner — Hosts an in-person writing workshop for patients undergoing treatment for opiate dependence in the South Bronx
+ 11 more
strategies · 5
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.
- Amherst Writers and Artists Method as Empowerment Frameworkmethodology: amherst_writers_and_artists_methodBy using the Amherst Writers and Artists (AWA) method—emphasizing safety, non-judgment, peer support, and the suspension of critique—the organization fosters creative empowerment and sustained participation, because participants are more likely to take creative risks and develop their voice when writing is decoupled from evaluation.
- Art- and Sensory-Based Prompts to Unlock Storytellingmethodology: sensory_prompt_methodBy using visual art, sensory experiences, and memory-based prompts in workshops, the organization stimulates personal storytelling, because these multimodal triggers help bypass cognitive blocks and support deeper narrative access, especially in high-stress or underserved populations.
- Community-Co-Curated Rituals for Collective Storytellingmethodology: community-co_curated_ritualsBy structuring workshops as community-co-created rituals rooted in revolutionary storytelling, the organization deepens engagement and belonging, because shared authorship and ceremonial practice reinforce collective identity and sustained creative participation.
- Leader-as-Participant Model to Build Trustmethodology: leader_as_participant_modelBy training workshop leaders to write alongside participants, the organization models vulnerability and co-creates a democratic writing space, because shared risk-taking reduces power differentials and fosters trust, increasing engagement and authenticity in expression.
- Writing as Healing and Emotional Distance Through Fictionmethodology: healing-centered_writingBy treating all written work as fiction and creating emotionally safe environments, the organization enables healing-centered expression, because this boundary allows participants to explore personal and traumatic material with reduced vulnerability, supporting both psychological safety and creative freedom.