Quill.org
501(c)(3) non-profit
Formation2012 (age 14)
PurposeEducation
HeadquartersNew York City, United States
FounderPeter Gault
Websitequill.org

Quill.org is an American nonprofit educational technology organization.

History

The organization was cofounded by Peter Gault in 2012.[1] Its approach was inspired by "The Writing Revolution", published in The Atlantic by Peg Tyre, which outlined a writing methodology based on sentence-level writing.[2] It first received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2013.[3] Under the name Empirical Resolution Inc., Quill.org received tax-exempt status in 2014.[4] It was part of the 2015 cohort of tech nonprofits in Fast Forward,[1] and also participated in accelerator programs with LearnLaunch and the Edwin Gould Foundation.[5]

In 2018, Quill.org developed writing and assessment tools using artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the Google AI For Social Good Impact Challenge.[1] It initially used predictive artificial intelligence, but later switched to generative artificial intelligence.[6] In 2023, Quill.org and CommonLit launched AIWritingCheck.org, a tool for detecting AI-generated text in student essays.[7][8]

Products

Quill.org's aim is to support reading, writing, and critical thinking development in grades 3–12.[6] Quill.org has a library of free online activities. Teachers, schools, or school districts must pay for advanced features like detailed student diagnostic reports.[9][10] Its activities are aligned with the Common Core English standards[11] and intended to supplement regular classroom instruction.[6] Its learning tools incorporate AI-based coaching for students.[12][13]

Operations

Quill.org is designated a 501(c)(3).[4] As of 2024, it had received grants of $2.2 million from the Overdeck Family Foundation, nearly $2 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, $1.3 million from Google.org, and $750,000 from the Patrick McGovern Foundation.[1] Quill.org reported revenues of $6.96 million and expenses of $5.2 million in 2024.[4]

The executive director is co-founder Peter Gault.[4] It is headquartered in New York City.[4] Quill.org's Generative AI Playbook outlines its use of AI. Components include a Teacher Advisory Council, which reviews writing prompts, and a group of curriculum developers who evaluate student responses.[6][14]

Usage

Quill.org saw a significant surge in usage with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns in the United States, with over a million signups in six weeks.[15] As of 2023, it was "one of the top four nonprofit literacy tools in the U.S", having served over 8 million students.[16] A 2025 report by Project Evident stated that Quill serves 10% of schools in the US, including around 3 million students per year, and "providing 40 million hours of free tutoring to date."[6]

Research

In 2023, a randomized controlled trial conducted by the College Board concluded that secondary students using Quill Connect had improved scores on sentence combination compared to a control group.[17] A 2025 study by Leanlab Education of more than 100,000 students found "meaningful improvements in sentence-level writing skills."[18]

Awards

References

  1. ^ Sara Herschander (2024). "The nonprofits leading the A.I. revolution". Chronicle of Philanthropy. Vol. 36, no. 7. pp. 6–13.
  2. ^ "How Quill.org is working with educators to leverage AI to improve student writing in the classroom". Siegel Family Endowment. May 9, 2024.
  3. ^ "Quill raises $200K to fund web-based writing activities". EdSurge. May 16, 2014.
  4. ^ "Empirical Resolution Inc". Nonprofit Explorer. ProPublica. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  5. ^ Tim Newcomb (November 28, 2017). "Quill: How One Online Program Is Using Machine Learning to Help Students Become Better Writers — and Learn From Their Mistakes". The74
  6. ^ Stephen Rockwell; Sarah Kelley; Sarah Di Troia (September 2025). "Staying ahead of the technology curve: AI technology evolution at Quill.org". Project Evident.
  7. ^ Brandon Paykamian (February 8, 2023). "Market grows for ed-tech tools that detect AI-generated text". Government Technology. – via ProQuest.
  8. ^ Kristal Kuykendall (January 31, 2023). "New free tool for teachers can detect ChatGPT-generated student work, nonprofit creators say". Technological Horizons in Education
  9. ^ Ben Schiller (September 7, 2017). "This machine learning-powered software teaches kids to be better writers". Fast Company
  10. ^ Luke Edwards (July 27, 2023). "What is Quill and how can it be used for teaching? Tips and tricks". Tech & Learning
  11. ^ Melody Arabo; Jonathan S. Budd; Shannon Garrison; Tabitha Pacheco (March 2017). "The right tool for the job: improving reading and writing in the classroom". Victoria McDougald (ed.). Thomas B. Fordham Institute
  12. ^ Kelly Fitzsimmons (March 12, 2024). "Advancing equitable AI in the US social sector". Stanford Social Innovation Review
  13. ^ "How AI is helping students improve in reading and writing". Today. June 13, 2024.
  14. ^ Brandi Vesco (December 6, 2024). "Nonprofit shares pointers for training AI for classroom use". Government Technology
  15. ^ Phil Wainewright (November 6, 2020). "How observability helps Quill in its mission to help kids write better". Diginomica
  16. ^ "How AI is helping students improve reading and writing". Google Public Policy. October 20, 2023.
  17. ^ Briana Chang & Rory Lazowski (2023). "Effects of a Quill.org intervention on paragraph revision". College Board.
  18. ^ Rachel Phillips; Rory Lazowski; Akila Raoul (2025). "Quill.org's impact on student writing skills". Leanlab Education.
  19. ^ "The world's most innovative companies 2018 honorees by sector". Fast Company. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  20. ^ "Comcast NBCU Foundation Announces 2019 Project Innovation Winners". NBCUniversal. May 10, 2019.