New Literary Project
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The New Literary Project invests in students and teachers, readers and authors, and inspires and equips writers across the generations to write their hearts out.
- Income
- $441,383
- Spending
- $411,489
- Spent on programs
- 68%
- Reserves
- 7.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 13
- Highest pay
- $142,000, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 88 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 9% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1568% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 14 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $178,040 spent. The Joyce Carol Oates Prize - The Joyce Carol Oates Prize, which is named in honor of the iconic author who was the Writer-in-Residence at the Project, recognizes annually a mid-career fiction writer who has earned a distinguished reputation and the approbation and gratitude of readers. By naming the prize in honor of Joyce Carol Oates, the Project gratefully acknowledges her inspiring lifelong impact as a teacher and writer without peer. While there are numerous prizes for emerging writers, this prize is for an already emerged author of national consequence - short-stories and/or novels - at the relatively middle stage of a burgeoning career. By mid-career we mean an author who has published at least two notable books of fiction, and who has yet to receive capstone recognition such as a Pulitzer or a MacArthur. Otherwise, there are no age, geographical, or stylistic restrictions. The winner receives a $50,000 award to encourage and support forthcoming work.
- Creative Writing Workshops for High School Students - The New Literary Project leads creative writing workshops, free of charge, at high schools and after-school programs throughout the Bay Area. Ninety percent of students come from underserved communities and are the first in their families to go on to attend college. These workshops are taught by Simpson Fellows, who are creative writing teachers from The UC Berkeley, English Department, 50% of whom are people of color. In 2024, we conducted five workshops at Girls, Inc. of Alameda County, Contra Costa Juvenile Hall, CalPrep Charter School in Richmond, and at Northgate High School. A number of these young authors appear as Simpsonistas, our annual anthology.
- $100,000 spent. Jack Hazard Fellowship - The Jack Hazard Fellowship is a groundbreaking initiative that awards $5,000 of support during the summer to work on writing projects for select high school teachers from around the United States. Jack Hazard Fellows are fiction, creative nonfiction, and memoir writers who teach full-time in an accredited high school in the United States, and they represent New Lit's commitment to support writers across generations, communities, and divides. The award's intention is to free teachers up to write freely during their summers.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2020.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.