This year, the Whiting Foundation is introducing several significant changes to its Literary Magazine Prizes, which were launched in 2018.
For the last several years, prizes have gone to 15 magazines every three years, with five selected each year. Starting in 2023, prizes will be awarded every three years to eight magazines. The new three-year model will help establish a cohort of winners, who are then "in the program" for the next three years, said director of literary programs Courtney Hodell. Prize money will now be awarded as an outright grant in the first year and as a matching grant of the same amount in the second and third years.
Grant amounts and eligibility are also becoming more flexible. While initial grant amounts have previously been fixed based on the winning magazine's category, the 2023 cycle will allow applicants to choose to apply for an initial amount of $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 depending on their individual plans. Whiting will also expand eligibility to nonprofits with larger budgets; previously, the cut-off was $500,000. According to Hodell, Whiting does not anticipate a significant change in the program's budget compared to previous years.
In addition, all nonprofit magazines, regardless of budget level, will now be eligible for the grants. The Whitings will also expand learning and development opportunities for its grantees, adding consultations with marketing and fundraising experts and peer working groups.
The call for applications for the 2023 Whiting Literary Magazine Prizes will be open from September 13 through December 1.
