Welcome to NY Writers Coalition’s membership program! We’re excited to offer a new way to support our community that also gives you the chance to engage with NYWC on a deeper level. By becoming a member at any level, you’ll receive complimentary swag, additional opportunities to spend time with us, and our eternal gratitude.
You’ll also note that some of our memberships include discounted or free access to our new for-pay workshops! We hope you’ll jump on the chance to take your writing to new levels while paying it forward so others can write with us all year.
Your monthly membership dues will support four key initiatives: our outreach workshops, theBlack Writers Program, ourvirtual public programs, and in-person workshops and events across New York City.
Why NYWC Is Launching A Membership Program
NYWC has always been a scrappy nonprofit organization doing incredible work to provide *free* creative writing workshops across New York City, in places that are often overlooked. We’re offering this membership program to help ensure the long-term success of our programs and become less reliant on institutional support, which is often inconsistent.
Additionally, since the emergence of the pandemic, we have extended our reach online, which has led to us dramatically growing our community—but also taking on a host of new financial challenges. Your membership will go a long way to stabilizing NYWC, and showing the world there’s a large community that believes in and wants to create a world in which everyone’s voice is heard. There are membership levels for every budget; we hope you’ll join with an amount that feels meaningful to you.
What Your Membership Benefits Include
There are three membership tiers: Supporter, Patron, and Champion. Supporter-level memberships ($5 – $30/month) include perks like access to our new members-only newsletter, monthly prompts from our workshops not shared anywhere else, and more. Patron memberships ($50 – $200) all of that, plus discounts on our newfor-pay workshopsand invites to member-only events. Finally, our Champion memberships include all of that—plus free admission to for-pay workshops, and more.
If you already maintain a monthly pledge to NYWC, your contribution will be grandfathered into our system, and you’ll receive membership benefits matching your current level of support. Please email us atmembers@nywriterscoalition.orgif you’d like to increase your monthly gift to a higher membership tier. If you’re a new member, your dues can be paid monthly or yearly (one time) on our website.
Click on the drop-down menu below for more details.
A $5/month contributioncovers the cost of one 90-minute virtual workshop session (including the leader stipend and Zoom access), such as our Outreach Workshop atCIDNY(Center For Independence of the Disabled, New York) for blind and visually-impaired seniors. The pandemic is not over for many people; your support helps us keep this formerly in-person workshop going strong online.
A $15/month contributioncovers the cost of one Zoom account for a workshop leader, such as our virtual workshop for Essential Workers.
A $30/month contributionpays for supplies for one in-person event (snacks, notebooks, pens, etc.), such asCommunals, our monthly writing and reading event at Pen+Brush gallery in Flatiron.
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Members at this level will receive the following:
Access to a new NYWC Member Newsletter showcasing our gratitude, sneak peeks at writing created in our workshops, and the opportunity to share your writing news with our community
A monthly prompt exclusive to members
Access to material from our new for-pay workshops (prompts, discussion points, readings, and more).
One 60 or 90-minute craft workshop OR one Black Writers Program craft workshop (exclusive to Black-identifying writers)
A $50/month contributionsponsors tuition for one writer to attend one Black Writers Program generative workshop session, such as our Creating Community workshop with Joy Notoma or Write-Ins with Michele Gilliam.
A choice of one or three NY Writers Coalition merchandise items: “This Is What A Writer Looks Like” mug in all white, 2) a Write-A-Thon slogan (“Write Your A** Off!”) tote bag, or 3) a premium unisex tee with text saying “NY Writers Coalition” on the front and “This Is What A Writer Looks Like” on the back
An invite to one member-only event each year
A 30-minute, one-on-one conference with an NYWC community member. (Our community features writers in various disciplines, including poetry, fiction, screenwriting, playwriting, and more).
Additional Patron-level BWP perks will be announced soon!
A $250/month contributionsupports one month of workshops with one of our Outreach Workshop partners, such as our group at the Montefiore Wellness Center in the Bronx for writers battling mental health disorders and addiction issues.
A $500/month contributionsponsors tuition for 10 writers to attend one 90-minute or two-hour session of a Black Writers Program workshop, such asMelanated Tales, a workshop inspired by Black cinema in the 1970s.
A $1,000/month contributionsupports one month ofSunday Rituals, our workshop for queer BIPOC writers in Prospect Park.
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Champions will receive all of the Patron benefits above plus:
An invite to 2 members-only NYWC gatherings each year
