Pine Manor College (Pine Manor)

Family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, writers, and readers, 2020 has in many ways been a year the likes of which many of us have never seen before. We started the year with the threat of war, progressed to a pandemic and lockdown measures, have continued to endure racial injustice, weathered two hurricanes at once, and so much more. Yet in the face of ubiquitous adversity, one constant has presented a source of hope: writers helping writers.

Writers have joined protests to assert Black Lives Matter and uplifted the voices and work of their Black colleagues. Writers have created and donated to fundraisers that help writers who are unemployed because of the pandemic. Writers have promoted debut books from peers that otherwise may have fallen short due to the lockdowns. Writers have hosted and supported more virtual readings, panels, and talks than we can count. Writers have been there, checking in on each other, doing everything they can to help usher us all through a tough year.

It is in this spirit that we continue our work to create need-based scholarships for writers who want to pursue graduate-level coursework with the Solstice MFA Program. As in previous years, we aim to meet and then exceed our $5,000 goal for the 2020 Writers Helping Writers scholarship fundraising campaign. The writing community’s support allows Solstice to offer ten $500 scholarships to students entering the program in spring and fall 2021, and every donation counts.

Here's what one recipient had to say about receiving a scholarship:

"When I first dreamed of pursuing an MFA, though I had a great passion for writing, I wasn't optimistic about my chances of attaining this dream due to my tight economical position. However, the Writers Helping Writers scholarship I received was one huge piece in the puzzle that made this dream a reality. Sometimes, I still feel like I'm dreaming because the Solstice community and program seem too good to be true! I am immeasurably grateful for this gift."

–Hannah Woodcock, Fiction ‘22


Where do the donations go?
All tax-deductible donations raised during the campaign directly contribute to the scholarships. Donate $10, $25, $50, or more to help us achieve our goal.


How else can you help?
The writing community is composed of not only writers, but also the friends who cheer us on at readings, the spouses who give us some quiet space to write, the readers who enjoy our work, and others. When you donate to the Writers Helping Writers campaign, you support working writers as they sustain their careers and the creative cultures in their home communities.

In addition to donations, you can contribute by sharing our campaign on social media, spreading the word to friends and family, and notifying members in your local writing community who might be interested in supporting our initiative.

Solstice is an institution that believes in the power of writing and writers to build a better world through our words and social action. This change starts when we help each other.

The writing community spans countries, genres, ages, and more. What binds us all are the connections we form as we grow through our dedication to writing craft. Along the way, we acquire many tools to evolve our writing, and this knowledge thrives because of the company in which we learn them, as well as how we support each other in our shared dreams. As part of its commitment to nurturing all of the voices of America toward such aspirations, the Solstice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program—working in tandem with the Solstice Alumni Association—offers Writers Helping Writers scholarships to qualified students. 

We aim to create space for writers of all backgrounds and ages to participate in the writing community. To facilitate our goal, we seek to raise $5,000 for the Writers Helping Writers scholarships. These funds support students entering the MFA Program in spring and fall 2020, with ten $500 scholarships awarded. Every donation counts! 

Samantha Cooke, a scholarship recipient and writing for young people student, had this to say about it: 

Receiving the Writers Helping Writers scholarship with The Solstice MFA Program was one of the driving forces that helped me commit to Solstice! While the award itself was nice, receiving the award was more about the community that Solstice helps writers foster and how important a strong and supportive community is, especially when entering what can be a stressful time in any writer and student's life. 

Where do the donations go? 
All tax-deductible donations raised during the campaign directly contribute to the scholarships. Donate $10, $25, $50, or more to help us achieve our goal. 

In exchange for your donation, you receive one raffle ticket for every $10 contributed to the fundraiser. Prizes include signed books, gift cards, and more. We will announce winners at the end of the campaign (Nov. 29, 2019). 

How else can I help? 
The writing community isn’t composed of just writers. It encompasses the family, friends, and readers who support the arts. When you donate to the Writers Helping Writers campaign, your contribution helps grant working artists the tools they need to sustain the creative cultures in their home communities. 

In addition to donations, you can contribute by sharing our campaign on social media, spreading the word to friends and family, and notifying members in your local writing community who might be interested in supporting our initiative.

So many talented writers dream of taking their craft to the next level. The reality is that many require financial support to do so. As part of its ongoing commitment to serving students of diverse backgrounds, the Solstice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program offers Writers Helping Writers scholarships to qualified students.

Our goal is to ensure that writers of all ages and backgrounds continue to take part in this inspiring, supportive community of artists. Writers Helping Writers aims to raise $5,000 for students entering the MFA Program in spring 2019 and fall 2019: that’s ten $500 scholarships for fellow poetry, prose, and comics writers. Every donation counts!

In the words of one recent graduate: “Receiving scholarship funds legitimized for me that my creative pursuits were worth something, were worthwhile endeavors. Solstice was willing to invest in me, and that was the first of many layers of much-needed confidence that I was to gain going through the program.”

You don’t have to be a writer to donate! Supporting the arts is vitally important. When you donate to the Writers Helping Writers campaign, your contribution provides working artists with the tools they need to sustain the creative cultures in their home communities.

Where does the money go?
Whether you bid on and buy a piece of art or you donate cash or through this website, all of the money raised by Writers Helping Writers will go directly to students!

The Impact
As members of the Solstice community, we are proud that our peers have already made a significant contribution to the literary arts, and will continue to do so. Make a tax-deductible donation to Writers Helping Writers, and you will support fellow artists at a crucial point in their careers.

Here is what another recent graduate had to say: “Receiving a scholarship from the Solstice MFA Program gave me the message that I was worth investing in, and that the Solstice program saw something in me that would benefit the literary and academic community.”