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Phonetic Spit

Phoenix, AZ · EIN 814285307 · Form 990EZ · FY2022 · NTEE A25 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · www.phoneticspit.com
revenue
$100K
expenses
$114K
net assets
$29K
employees
mission · from form 990

See Schedule O

profile · synthesized from sources

Phonetic Spit delivers creative literacy programs that build confidence, self-expression, and academic engagement among youth in Arizona. Through in-school residencies, trauma-informed programming for system-involved youth, and community open mics, the organization uses spoken word, writing, and performance to strengthen voice and belonging. Programs are aligned with literacy standards and social-emotional learning goals, serving students in schools, foster care, detention, and community settings.

named programs · 3 · from sources

what they call their work

Community Workshops, Open Mics & Poetry Slams
Public workshops and performance events that provide low-barrier entry points for youth to build confidence and connection through creative expression; emphasize courage over competition
School Specific Creative Literacy Programs
Week-long in-school residencies using creative writing, spoken word, and performance to build literacy, confidence, and classroom engagement; includes brave space agreements, personal writing prompts, and a culminating showcase
System-Involved Youth Creative Literacy Programs
Six- to eight-week trauma-informed creative writing and spoken word residencies for youth in foster care, juvenile detention, group homes, and shelters; focuses on emotional expression, consistency, and voice
activities · 3 groups

what they do

  • Youth & Community Poetry and Storytelling Events 5 activities
    • Community-Based Spoken Word Events
      Organizes public-facing workshops, open mics, and poetry slams to provide low-barrier entry points into spoken word for youth, hosting up to 6 such events annually.
    • Host public creative writing and spoken word events
      Organizes public-facing workshops, open mics, and poetry slams to provide low-barrier entry points into spoken word for youth, creating spaces for them to explore creative writing and public speaking. The organization hosts up to 6 such events annually.
    • Host public-facing spoken word events for youth
      Organizes public-facing workshops, open mics, and poetry slams to provide low-barrier entry points into spoken word for youth, creating public spaces for creative writing and public speaking. The organization hosts up to 6 such events annually.
    • Host public-facing spoken word events for youth
      Organizes public-facing workshops, open mics, and poetry slams to provide low-barrier entry points into spoken word for youth, creating spaces for them to explore creative writing and public speaking. The organization hosts up to 6 such events annually.
    • Public youth arts events and open mics
      Organizes public-facing workshops, open mics, poetry slams, and culminating events to create low-barrier entry points for youth to engage in spoken word and creative writing. Hosts up to 6 public events annually and creates spaces for youth to share original work publicly.
  • Community Book Clubs & Literary Engagement 4 activities
    • Annual Youth Voice Celebration Luncheon
      Hosts an annual luncheon to celebrate youth voice and creative literacy, which also serves as a fundraising event for youth literacy programs in Arizona.
    • Host an annual luncheon to celebrate youth voice
      Hosts an annual luncheon to celebrate youth voice and creative literacy, which also serves as a fundraising event for youth literacy programs in Arizona.
    • Host an annual luncheon to support youth literacy
      Hosts an annual luncheon to celebrate youth voice and creative literacy, which also serves as a fundraising event for youth literacy programs in Arizona.
    • Youth literacy fundraising and awareness events
      Hosts annual events such as a luncheon and the Catalyst Awards to raise funds and celebrate youth voice and creative literacy in Arizona.
  • Uncategorized 10 activities
    • Creative Literacy Programming for System-Impacted Youth
      Provides sustained, trauma-informed creative writing and spoken-word programming for young people in foster care, juvenile detention, group homes, and shelter environments, with professional teaching artists visiting facilities once or twice per week over six- to eight-week periods.
    • Creative writing and spoken word programs for system-impacted youth
      Provides sustained, trauma-informed creative writing and spoken word programming for youth in foster care, juvenile detention centers, group homes, and shelters. Programming includes regular workshops led by professional teaching artists and concludes with opportunities for public performance.
    • In-School Creative Literacy Programming
      Offers sustained creative literacy programming for youth in school settings, including presentations, writing workshops, and in-school culminating events, delivering up to 25 classroom workshops over a single school week or week-long residency programs.
    • Offer in-school creative literacy programming
      Provides sustained creative literacy programming for youth in school settings, including presentations, writing workshops, and in-school culminating events, serving thousands of students each year. This includes week-long residencies to build trust, activate student voice, and re-engage learners through creative literacy, often concluding with classroom showcases where students read their original work aloud.
    • Offer in-school creative literacy programming
      Provides sustained creative literacy programming for thousands of students in school settings, including presentations, writing workshops, and in-school culminating events. This includes week-long residencies with professional teaching artists, delivering up to 25 classroom workshops over a single school week.
    • Provide creative literacy programming for system-impacted youth
      Delivers sustained, trauma-informed creative writing and spoken-word programming to youth in foster care, juvenile detention centers, group homes, and shelters. These programs are offered at no cost to participants and include residencies over six- to eight-week periods with professional teaching artists.
    • Provide creative literacy programming for system-impacted youth
      Delivers sustained, trauma-informed creative writing and spoken-word programming for young people in foster care, juvenile detention, group homes, and shelter environments, with professional teaching artists conducting residencies over six- to eight-week periods.
    • Provide creative literacy programming for system-impacted youth
      Delivers sustained, trauma-informed creative writing and spoken-word programming to youth in foster care, juvenile detention centers, group homes, and shelters. These programs often involve residencies over six- to eight-week periods with professional teaching artists.
    • Provide in-school creative literacy programming
      Offers sustained creative literacy programming for thousands of students in school settings, including presentations, writing workshops, and culminating events. This includes week-long residencies and up to 25 classroom workshops over a single school week, focusing on creative writing, spoken-word poetry, and public speaking.
    • Youth creative literacy programming in schools
      Delivers in-school creative writing, spoken word, and public speaking workshops through short-term residencies (e.g., week-long programs) and sustained engagements, concluding with classroom showcases where students read original work. Offers up to 25 workshops in a single school week and conducts six- to eight-week residencies with teaching artists visiting once or twice weekly.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2022
revenue
Total revenue$100K
Contributions & grants$49K48%
Program service revenue$52K52%
Investment income$800%
Other revenue
expenses
Total expenses$114K
Program expenses
Admin / overhead
Fundraising
Salaries & benefits$75K
Grants paid out
balance sheet
Total assets$29K
Cash
Investments
Liabilities
Net assets$29K
2 years on record · 2021–2022 · YoY revenue +1.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2022

who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MYRLIN HEPWORTH Executive Director 40 $69K
board members · 5
  • BARBARA DILLS — Director
  • CYNTHIA WHEELER — DirectorSecretary
  • LUIS ROBLES — DirectorTreasurer
  • MATT FORGE — Director
  • TRICIA ARRINGTON — Director
relationships · 6

who they work with

  • Alhambra High School Partner — Implemented a week-long, in-school residency to address challenges with student engagement and literacy.
  • Arizona Department of Revenue Government — Certifies Phonetic Spit as a Qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organization (QFCO)
  • Arizona Humanities Partner — Dr. Brenda Thomson, Executive Director of Arizona Humanities, was a 2025 Catalyst Award recipient.
  • Arizona State University Partner — Dr. James Blasingame, a President's Professor of English at ASU, was a 2025 Catalyst Award recipient.
  • BRDG Funder — Sponsor of the 2025 Catalyst Awards.
  • Marketing Fems Funder — Sponsor of the 2025 Catalyst Awards.