The Pen/Faulkner Foundation champions the breadth and power of fiction in america.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
52¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 20 volunteers and 7 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $79K a year · 10% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
52%
of spending
Worth a look: 52% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$109K
to officers and key staff · 15% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 15% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
8 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $454K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 7.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
8
named funders · $165K
Looks good: 8 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$130K
14% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 14% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
20
of 20 voting members
Looks good: 20 of 20 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$861K
+26% vs prior year
Spent
$714K
To programs
52%
Net assets
$781K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$861K
FY2025▲ +26%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$719K
FY2021$682K
FY2022$942K
FY2023$662K
FY2024$684K
FY2025$861K
Expenses
$714K
FY2025▲ +7%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$672K
FY2021$609K
FY2022$653K
FY2023$760K
FY2024$667K
FY2025$714K
Net assets
$781K
FY2025▲ +27%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$302K
FY2021$411K
FY2022$651K
FY2023$570K
FY2024$615K
FY2025$781K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 1988.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

52 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 52% · $373K Management & general 17% · $121K Fundraising 31% · $219K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

21 people listed on the 990; $109K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Di
$108,745Pt VII · Sec A
Board Presid
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Gwydion Suilebhan$108,745$104,579$102,119$91,054$90,772$89,375

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Pen Faulkner Foundation executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Promotes fiction's breadth and power across America.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $373K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Writers in schools brings a diverse range of authors, along with free copies of their culturally relevant books, into DC classrooms to serve students in grades 3-12 and inspire the next generation of readers and writers. We conducted 75 author visits, along with 50 writing workshops and three year-long residencies.

$157Kprogram expense
02

The PEN/FAUKNER award honors the best published works of fiction by american permanent residents in a calendar year. Three writers are chosen annually by the board of directors of the PEN/FAULKNER foundation to serve as judges, ensuring that our awards selection process is free of commercial influence.

$117Kprogram expense
03

Our literary programs bring together highly-acclaimed writers todiscuss the urgent issues that surround their work and let fiction serve asa springboard for civil discourse. Over the past 45+ years, they have featured authors reading from their work and engaging inthrilling, thought-provoking conversations.

$100Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 8 funders →
Grants paid · 18 grants · $469K · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$56,930
Unitemized GrantFY2024$15,225
Unitemized GrantFY2024$4,150
Unitemized GrantFY2023$54,832
Unitemized GrantFY2023$16,934
Unitemized GrantFY2023$850
Unitemized GrantFY2022$50,100
Unitemized GrantFY2022$20,200
Unitemized GrantFY2022$17,900
Unitemized GrantFY2021$50,000
Unitemized GrantFY2021$33,825
Unitemized GrantFY2021$5,000
Unitemized GrantFY2020$50,000
Unitemized GrantFY2020$10,749
Unitemized GrantFY2020$5,000
Unitemized GrantFY2019$50,000
Unitemized GrantFY2019$22,606
Unitemized GrantFY2019$5,000

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$861K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$691K
Other incomeLn 4–11$146K
Investment incomeLn 3$24K
Money outPt IX
$714K
Ln 25
Programscol B$373K
Managementcol C$121K
Fundraisingcol D$219K
Owns and owesPt X
$781K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$449K
Total assetsLn 16$911K
LiabilitiesLn 26$130K
PeoplePt VI, VII
21
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a20
IndependentVI 1b20
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$691K
Government grantsLn 1e$163K
Investment incomeLn 3$24K
Other incomeLn 4–11$146K
Gains on assetsLn 7$7K
Total revenueLn 12$861K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$449K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$449K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$454K
Total assetsLn 16$911K
LiabilitiesLn 26$130K
Net assetsLn 32$781K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 57
VolunteersI 620
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$465K$449K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$344K$454K
Total assetsLn 16$834K$911K
LiabilitiesLn 26$219K$130K
Net assetsLn 32$615K$781K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$76K$76K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$372K$201K$47K$124K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$40K$19K$10K$11K
Payroll taxesLn 10$30K$17K$3K$10K
Legal feesLn 11b$10$10
Accounting feesLn 11c$34K$34K
Investment management feesLn 11f$350$350
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$20K$18K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$22K$6K$11K$5K
OccupancyLn 16$15K$8K$3K$5K
TravelLn 17$9K$7K$362$1K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$68K$5K$63K
InsuranceLn 23$11K$11K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$17K$17K$19$231
Total functional expensesLn 25$714K$373K$121K$219K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $861K$714K$147K$781K 990 PDF
FY2024 $684K$667K$17K$615K 990 PDF
FY2023 $662K$760K−$98K$570K 990 PDF
FY2022 $942K$653K$289K$651K 990 PDF
FY2021 $682K$609K$74K$411K 990 PDF
FY2020 $719K$672K$46K$302K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $861,252 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $544,881$690,986
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $9,238$24,233
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $129,612$146,033
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $683,731$861,252
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $72,616$76,305
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $403,013$441,843
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $190,888$195,668
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $666,517$713,816
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $17,214$147,436
Part VI · Governance 20 of 20 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body20
VI-1b Independent voting members20
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $861,252 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$162,522
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$528,464
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$690,986
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $17,654$17,654
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $6,579$6,579
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$99,183
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $46,850$46,850
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $71,083$861,252
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $713,816 across 14 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $76,305$76,305
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $201,327 · Management $46,853 · Fundraising $123,811$371,991
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $18,673 · Management $9,651 · Fundraising $11,456$39,780
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $16,551 · Management $3,364 · Fundraising $10,157$30,072
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $10$10
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $33,900$33,900
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $350$350
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $18,218 · Management $1,761$19,979
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $6,062 · Management $10,753 · Fundraising $4,868$21,683
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $7,511 · Management $2,923 · Fundraising $4,900$15,334
IX-17 TravelPrograms $6,867 · Management $362 · Fundraising $1,395$8,624
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $5,398 · Fundraising $62,664$68,062
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $10,961$10,961
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $16,515 · Management $19 · Fundraising $231$16,765
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $373,427 · Management $120,907 · Fundraising $219,482$713,816
Part X · Balance sheet $911,260 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $464,611$448,621
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $19,054$2,500
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $5,737$6,461
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $344,427$453,678
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $833,829$911,260
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expenses$12,792
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $190,000$82,500
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $29,029$35,101
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $219,029$130,393
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $614,800$780,867
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $614,800$780,867
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $833,829$911,260
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $780,867 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$861,252
XI-2 Total expenses$713,816
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$147,436
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$614,800
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$25,162
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$6,531
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$780,867

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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