Poetry Therapy - Foundation

NAPT Foundation

Update from NAPT FOUNDATION President
Mission and Purpose of NAPT Foundation
Poetry Alive Funds Now Available
2003 Poetry Alive Grants Funded
Scholarships, Gifts and Endowments
Responsible Stewardship: Projects and People Supported
The Judith K. Mahrer Scholarship Fund
How to Contribute

Update from NAPT Foundation President Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg

Dear Friends,

The NAPT Foundation is thriving and growing, thanks to the support of many of you who believe in our mission and our work. Highlights of the past year include:

The Poetry Alive campaign at the NAPT Annual Conference in Costa Mesa, CA., April 14-18, which, thanks to a general matching fund grant from the Taub Foundation, brought us over $17,000 to fund conference scholarships, Poetry Alive projects, Seeds of Joy and special gifts.
We funded nine Poetry Alive grants supporting projects from Oregon to Massachusetts, and from California to Baltimore. Projects include workshops, publications and events for youth, women in recovery from addiction, people living with cancer and their families, caregivers and professionals at clinics and hospitals, the homeless, people recovering from childhood abuse or spousal abuse, and many other populations.
Thanks to the Seeds of Joy gift from Joy Shieman, and a grant from the Red Empress Foundation, we were able to support the travel of seven people from around the world to the annual NAPT conference, and awarded Jurate Sucylaite from Lithuania the first Seeds of Joy international recognition.
Private gifts and contributions to the Judith K. Mahrer Fund allowed us to make full and partial scholarships available to two dozen people from around the U.S. to attend the 2004 NAPT conference.

Furthermore, we are thrilled to announce our current board, including several new members, which now includes Steve Rojcewicz, treasurer; Gayle Nosal, president-elect; Kathleen Nesbitt; Cynthia Turner-Graham; Daryl Johnson; Dottie Joslyn, Foundation bookkeeper; Marisis Nelson; Perie Longo, ex-officio representation from NAPT, and myself.

We thank you for your interest and support. And we’re always appreciative of contributions – please send a check, or ask us to bill you, or charge your debit or credit card (and many of you already know how well it works to contribute a small amount each month). You may designate your gift for any of our funds, and you can also give your contribution in memory or honor of a loved one.

With poetry and justice for all,
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Ph.D., CPT
NAPT Foundation President

Mission and Purpose of NAPT Foundation

The National Association for Poetry Therapy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation chartered in 1993. Its purpose is to support the field of poetry therapy through specific projects, and to receive tax-deductible donations, endowments and grants from individuals and organizations to further the goals and purposes of NAPT and the field of poetry therapy.

Although the Foundation is young, it has already established both long-term and immediate giving programs to support research, education, projects, training and clinical practice in poetry therapy.

All donations to NAPTF are fully tax-deductible under IRS regulations. Your donation in any amount may be designated for a specific purpose or may be left undesignated, to be applied where it will best serve NAPT. You may make your donation on-line by charging it to your MasterCard or Visa account. A receipt for your tax records will be mailed.

Poetry Alive Funds Now Available

The NAPT Foundation is pleased to announce the second year of its Poetry Alive Project, a project that nourishes poetry therapy around the world. Moreover, in this second year of Poetry Alive there are more funds available than last year (thanks to the generous support of our NAPT community!!), a new and improved application process and, a list of grant-writing mentors you can work with if you need help with the application.

Applications for Poetry Alive Project grants are available two ways. The deadline for this 2004 -2005 year is September 1, 2004, and any application that is postmarked later than September 1, 2004 will be considered for the next (2005-2006) funding cycle. Please click one of the links below to download the application information and form. Funds will only be granted through our grant application process and awarded to projects that will be initiated during the 2005 year. Members of the NAPT Foundation board as well as two outside readers will review the applications. Grant awards will be announced in November, 2004.

If you need assistance in preparing your grant application, please contact Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg before August 1, 2004 for mentorship help.

NOTE: All past recipients of Poetry Alive grants should have turned in their grant assessment form (download form here) before applying.

If you have further questions, contact Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg at 785-843-0253 or carynken@mindspring.com.

Download Poetry Alive application (Microsoft Word)
Download Poetry Alive application (Adobe PDF)

Grant Mentorship:
Many NAPT members are new to the grant-writing process, and we at the Foundation want to do all we can to help you not only apply for this grant but to learn more about grant-writing and the whole fundraising process. Several members of our board have ample experience writing grants and would be willing to provide mentorship for those of you who have questions or could use some guidance about the grant application, including creating the budget, which is sometimes a challenge. Please feel free to contact us BEFORE AUGUST 1 for help by emailing Caryn at carynken@mindspring.com. She will then direct your email to someone on our board with appropriate expertise.

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2003 Poetry Alive Grants Funded:

1. Perie Longo, PhD, MFT, RPT. "Poetry for Healing" provides poetry therapy for and publication of anthology of writings by people being treated for cancer or other life-threatening illnesses, and family members who have lost loved ones. This project seeks to inspire hope in participants and provide them with a safe space and basic tools to write about their lives as well as to acquaint the community with the hopes and dreams of those recovering from life threatening illnesses or great losses. The project is sponsored by Hospice of Santa Barbara and The Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, CA.

2. Kathleen Cecilia Nesbitt, MA-TLA, MFA, CPT Trainee. "Untitled: Women Reclaiming Their Lives," provides poetry therapy workshops for women from diverse racial and economic backgrounds with a history of incarceration, mental illness or addiction to develop self-expression, increase their sense of connection to themselves and the world, enhance communication skills, build self-esteem, and bring voices of this population into the community. The project is sponsored by Weston Rehabilitation Center for Women, Holyoke, MA.

3. Julie Schwietert, RPT, MSW. "Shout Out: Life Stories from Students," brings poetry therapy through spoken word, rap, art and writing for children and teens ages 10-18 who are referred by New York city schools to project to improve socialization skills, creative and expressive abilities, and self-esteem. The project is sponsored by LifeSpace, a counseling and wellness center in Queens, NY.

4. Brian W.S. Moore, MA-TLA, CPT Trainee. "Poems of the Heart: An Experience in Poetry and Healing," provide workshops in poetry therapy for nurses, doctors, support staff and care providers at Sacred Heart Medical Center, Eugene, OR. Participants will reflect on the role as care provider, consider their relationship with the natural world and seek the poetic in their lives.

5. Karen vanMeenen, MA-TLA, RPT. "Life Stories: A Writing Group for Teens" brings poetry therapy for at-risk teens in residence at Hillside Children's Center (residential facility for children and teens who have been removed from their homes), to allow them to explore their complicated histories through the powerful medium of writing, and to produce an anthology of their work. The project takes place in Rochester, NY.

6. Nicholas Mazza, Ph.D., RPT. "Voices from the Heart: Poetry and Narratives from the Homeless," is sponsored by Homeless Expression and Art, a student organization at Florida State University, and the Florida State University of Social Work. The project provides writing workshops at local homeless shelters and then produces a book-length manuscript to communicate challenges and creative strengths of the homeless in Tallahassee, FL.

7. Lisa Conger, MA, CPT Trainee, and Bill Greene, MD. "Write from the Heart" brings poetry therapy, through a series of workshops, to professional caregivers (physicians, nurses, chaplains, nurses, etc.) to encourage personal growth and insight, healing, and positive and creative responses to pressures of being professional caregivers. The project is sponsored by The Providence Center for Faith and Healing, Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane, WA.

8. Vanita Leatherwood, CPT Trainee. "Foundations" creates poetry therapy workshops for at-risk mothers who are survivors of childhood abuse or neglect. In turn, the workshops, writing and discussions evoked help at-risk mothers develop stronger life management skills, enhance empathy and cultivate resiliency to improve their parenting. The project is sponsored by the Metropolitan Center for Assault Prevention, Wheaton, MD.

9. Normandi Ellis, CPT Trainee. "The Write to Heal" is a series of writing workshops
for women in recovery from domestic violence in addition to a public reading for Domestic Violence Awareness month and publication of women's stories and poems at www.thecenteronline.org. The project is sponsored by The Center for Women and Families and Rape Relief Center, Lousville, KY.

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Scholarships, Gifts and Endowments
The Judith K. Mahrer Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to develop or enhance skills in poetry therapy, journal therapy or bibliotherapy.

The Gene Weisberger Fund and Lori Karen Fund make annual gifts of up to $200 to a poetry therapist working with patients with long-term or life-threatening illness; and/or patients with chronic mental illness. Application is made in writing to the Chair of the Gene Weisberger and Lori Karen Funds.

The Matilda Lerner Scholarship Fund was created by Dr. Art Lerner in memory of his wife and is marked for long-term appreciation and growth.

The Bell Fund was created by Dr. George Bell, a lifetime NAPT member, specifically for research in poetry therapy. It is marked for long-term appreciation and growth.

The Foundation also receives endowments and designated gifts to support specific projects or clinical practices in poetry therapy, journal therapy and bibliotherapy.

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Responsible Stewardship: Projects and People Recently Supported
The NAPT Foundation Board is deeply committed to treating your gift with the utmost respect and responsibility. Your gifts are tax-deductible, and all gifts over the amount of $25 receive an acknowledgment card for your records. We also place your gift in whatever fund for which you designate your contribution, or in undesignated funds if that's what you choose. Thanks to our professional bookkeeper, conscientious and experienced treasurer, and to our active board, we do all we can to be responsible stewards of the funds we receive.

The Judith K. Mahrer Scholarship Fund
The Judith K. Mahrer Scholarship Fund is a donation-based memorial fund designed to support financial assistance to those in demonstrated financial need who seek education and training primarily by attending the annual NAPT conference. NAPT also has an additional fund for NAPT conference scholarships. Each year, the Foundation helps support a substantial number of people from across the country to attend the annual conference; in 2004, the Foundation provided approximately two dozen full or half scholarships to the NAPT conference thanks to the Judith K. Mahrer and other scholarship funds.

Judith K. Mahrer died of cancer in 1996. A certified instructor of journal writing, a poet and a lifelong student of the literary arts, Judith was devoted to her studies, and also to the teaching of writing as a tool for personal growth, emotional health and creative life management. In her final days, Judith was told that a scholarship fund would be created in her honor. She died knowing that her name would stand for continuing education in the field she loved.

Applications for scholarships to the annual NAPT conference may be made by completing the application form (download the forms below). E-mail submissions are preferred. Scholarships typically only cover some or all of the registration cost for the conference (excluding pre-conference and post-conference workshops), and applicants must find other means to cover their transportation, lodging and other expenses. Payment is made directly to NAPT to cover scholarships awarded. SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED IF RECEIVED BETWEEN DEC. 1, 2004 AND MARCH 1, 2005.

Download Scholarship application (Microsoft Word)
Download Scholarship application (Adobe PDF)

Seeds of Joy Scholarship Fund:

The Seeds of Joy fund, initiated by Joy Shieman, provides financial support for international practitioners and/or students of poetry therapy to attend the annual NAPT conference. It also, when funding is available, awards an international practitioner for his or her contribution to poetry therapy in the world. The first recipient of the Seeds of Joy award, presented at the 2004 NAPT conference, is Jurate Sucylaite from Lithuania. Thanks to Seeds of Joy scholarship funds, and also to a generous grant from the Red Empress Foundation, the Foundation was able to assist seven international practitioners of poetry in attending the 2004 NAPT conference.

If you are an international student or practitioner of poetry therapy, and wish to apply for scholarship support to attend the 2005 NAPT conference in St. Louis, Missouri, please click here.

If you wish to nominate someone for the 2005 Seeds of Joy Award, honoring an international practitioner of poetry therapy, please send a letter of recommendation to Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg at carynken@mindspring.com no later than Feb. 1, 2005. The Foundation board will review all nominations and award one individual for his or her significant contribution to the field of poetry therapy.

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How to Contribute

CELEBRATE YOUR LOVED ONES WITH A GIFT OF POETRY!
Trying to find the right gift for a birthday, graduation, Bar or Bat Mitzvah, retirement or other celebration? Giving the NAPT Foundation a contribution in honor of the person you're celebrating is a fabulous way to honor the recipient and poetry in the world today. Say Happy
Birthday, Mazel Tov, Congratulations or even I'm Thinking of You with a gift of poetry.

REMEMBER YOUR LOVED ONE WITH A CONTRIBUTION TO
THE NAPT FOUNDATION.
One way to honor a loved one who had a special connection with poetry and healing, and do something meaningful in his/her memory, is to contribute to the NAPT Foundation. Such a gift adds to your loved one's legacy, supporting the power of poetry to bring many healing, growth and transformation. You may even name a fund for your loved one, for whatever purpose you choose within the spectrum of foundation projects.

ALL GIFTS CAN BE DESIGNATED FOR WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE
You can deem your gift undesignated or designate your gift for whatever you wish -- poetry therapy projects for a specific population, upcoming publications (or reprints, such as of our integrated medicine packet, or Giving Sorrow Words), scholarships for poetry therapy training or NAPT conferences, or anything else that the foundation supports. Please contact us at 1-866-844-NAPT to discuss the possibilities!

It's easy! Just specify your giving level, and we'll mail you a written thank you note and acknowledgment for your tax records. You may designate your gift to scholarship or special projects if you prefer, or you may allow us to use our discretion to place it where it will do the most good.

Your tax-deductible donation in any amount can be made by check or major credit card, using our secure server and shopping cart. Simply choose the level below that you are comfortable with, and click.