The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA)
To foster among the widest number of readers the study, appreciation, and understanding of Jane Austen’s works, her life, and her genius.
About The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA)
The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 and dedicated to the enjoyment, study, and appreciation of Jane Austen and her writing. JASNA maintains a national network of regional groups, publishes the scholarly journal Persuasions and the member newsletter JASNA News, and provides extensive online resources and programming for members and the public. JASNA runs several signature programs aimed at new generations of readers and scholars: an annual four-day Annual General Meeting (AGM) that typically draws roughly 700–800 attendees, an international student Essay Contest (recent years: 509 submissions in 2024 and about 560 in 2025 with growing international participation), the Young Filmmakers Contest, and the Jane Austen Book Box Program for K–12. The organization reports thousands of members (over 5,000) and operates with annual revenues in the hundreds of thousands and net assets in the low millions in its most recent filings (EIN 52-1150918).
Notable achievements
Large annual scholarly conference (AGM)
Hosts a multi-day Annual General Meeting each autumn that brings together scholars, members, and Austen enthusiasts—typically 700–800 attendees—for lectures, panels, tours, and social events.
International student Essay Contest
Runs an annual essay competition for high-school, undergraduate, and graduate students that awards scholarship prizes (first place $1,000) and publishes winning essays; recent contests saw strong participation (509 submissions in 2024; ~560 in 2025) from dozens of countries.
Sustained publications and youth programs
Publishes the peer-reviewed Persuasions and the member newsletter JASNA News, and operates outreach initiatives such as the Young Filmmakers Contest and the Jane Austen Book Box Program to engage students and young readers.
At a glance
- Total assets
- $3.0M
- Annual revenue
- $1.1M
- Tax status
- 501(c)(3)Public charity
- EIN
- 52-1150918
- Location
- New York, NY
- Website
- jasna.org
- On Mahalo since
- May 2026
Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.
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