Starbucks Foundation Offers Funding for Youth Literacy Programs

Deadline: September 1 and March 1, annually (Letters of Inquiry)

Through its Giving Voice program, the Starbucks Foundation, a philanthropic vehicle of the Starbucks Coffee Company, will fund programs for youth, ages 6-18, that integrate literacy with personal and civic action in the communities where they live.

The Starbucks Foundation invites Letters of Inquiry from qualifying organizations that work with underserved youth in one of two areas: 1) Arts & Literacy -- programs that innovatively address literacy and learning for the 21st century, provide high standards of excellence in mastering basic skills, and promote youth voices through a variety of venues; and 2) Environmental Literacy -- programs that offer place-based approaches to addressing environmental literacy and empower youth to be heroes for a sustainable environment in their own communities.

The foundation supports registered, nonprofit, tax-exempt501(c)(3) charitable organizations in the United States, as well as Registered Charities in Canada, that deliver services to youth and address at least one of the program's action areas.

Grants range from $5,000 to $20,000.

Visit the Starbucks Foundation Web site for program information, application procedures, and eligibility
questions.

Community Catalyst Grants

Deadline: Ongoing

The Bank of America Foundation has three primary areas of giving: providing educational opportunities, building inclusive communities and promoting cultural outreach. It funds efforts that support issues such as: literacy, school readiness, economic education, teacher preparation, need-based and merit scholarships, work readiness, economic revitalization efforts, environmental awareness and urban planning, disaster relief, diversity and multicultural awareness, and arts education. For more information, visit the website.

Carnegie Corporation of New York Grants

Deadline: Ongoing.

The Carnegie Corporation dedicates itself to the "advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding." They support efforts to improve teaching and learning that have the potential to make a lasting and long-term contribution to the field of education. Their current educational work in education is focused on three major areas: 1) advancing literacy: reading to learn, 2) urban school reform, and 3) teacher education reform. A theme that unites these subprograms is the overall goal of increasing access to quality education and a rich educational experience for all students that will prepare them for success in today's knowledge-based economy. Grants are usually awarded in the range of $750 - $250,000. Visit the website for more information.

ShopKo Foundation Grants

Quarterly Deadlines: the 1st week of Feb., May, Aug. or Nov.

The ShopKo Foundation supports local grants for organizations are working to make their community a better place to live. Grants should focus on education, health and wellness. To apply, your community must have a ShopKo store.

Visit the Foundation website for application details.

Verizon Foundation Grants

Deadline: Continuous from from Jan. 1 - Nov. 30

Verizon Foundation provides support to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations within the US. The foundation supports the following funding priorities: literacy, domestic violence prevention, and technology. Verizon strives to transform the way private, public, and non-profit sectors work together in building collaborative partnerships.

Grant-making is not just in dollar amounts. The Verizon Foundation and partners also offer volunteers, Internet training, and Web developers.

Verizon Foundation only accepts proposals through an electronic Apply Online process. For eligiblity requirements, guidelines and a FAQ, visit the Foundation's website.

Bank of the West Charitable Contributions Program

Deadline: Ongoing
The mission of the Bank's Charitable Contributions Program is to support nonprofit organizations that contribute to educational, civic, cultural, health and human care needs, and is committed to improving the quality of life for low- and moderate-income residents within the communities in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Literacy and library programs for youth and adults are one of their supported Charitable Giving Categories.

See website for specific information and criteria required in a request.

Barnes & Noble

Deadline: Ongoing.

Barnes & Noble considers requests for local and regional support from non-profit organizations in the communities they serve. Funding is focused on support of organizations that focus on literacy, the arts or education (K - 12). Barnes & Noble assess the merit of each request on an individual basis. For more information, visit the website.

Rosie O'Donnell's For All Kids Foundation

Deadline: Ongoing

Rosie O'Donnell established her For All Kids Foundation, Inc. to provide financial support to nonprofit programs serving economically disadvantaged and at-risk children and their families. The foundation helps thousands of children across the country through grant awards to child care, after-school, education and other essential programs. The foundation's main focus is center-based child care, and first priority is given to programs serving low-income, urban areas, where many families struggle to find quality child care and early childhood education programs. Grants are only awarded to organizations with IRS §501(c)(3) classification as described in §509(a). Organizations applying for funds should submit a letter of intent of no more than three typewritten pages. Rosie's For All Kids Foundation encourages organizations to focus on a specific program and/or project when requesting assistance. For more information, visit the website.

The Lisa Libraries Book Donation Program

Deadline: Ongoing

The Lisa Libraries donates new children's books and helps establish small libraries for organizations that work with kids in poor and under-served areas. Founded in 1990, the Lisa Libraries was started by author Ann M. Martin and friends to honor and memorialize children's book editor Lisa Novak. Some of the libraries established have been at day-care centers, prison visiting areas for children of incarcerated parents, and after-school programs. The Lisa Libraries supplements under-filled shelves as well as provides books to many children who may never have owned a book before. In 2004, the Lisa Libraries contributed over 15,000 books to nonprofit organizations across the country. Visit the website for easy application criteria.

International Paper Company Foundation Grants

Deadline: Varies according to location

International Paper Company is the world's largest paper and forest products company. These grants support programs in the areas of education, employee involvement, and community development. The Foundation's primary focus is education - specifically environmental, economic and literacy programs for young children. Education grants focus on career development for minorities, enviromental education, and literacy. Employee-involvement grants support nonprofit organizations at which International Paper Company employees volunteer. Community-development grants provide seed money for new projects that benefit communities where the company has operations. Additional information and the application are available on the foundation's website.

Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation Research Library Program Grants

Deadline: Ongoing

The Research Library Program concentrates primarily in areas of its founders’ interests and the Foundation’s other program areas (humanities scholarship, performing arts, and Venetian history and culture). The objective of the program is to improve the ability of research libraries to serve the needs of humanities scholarship and the performing arts, and to help make their resources more widely accessible to scholars and the public. The foundation is interested in library grants that promote cooperative cataloging projects, with an emphasis on access to archival, manuscript, and other unique sources; some elements of interpretation and exhibition; scholarly library publications; bibliographical and publishing projects of interest to research libraries; and preservation / conservation work and research. A limited number of small grants are available for projects related to the history of the book, book culture, printing history, and related programs. Grants for conferences designed to address these issues in collaborative ways and programs formulated to enhance or leverage similar activity by other institutions, consortia, or funding agencies will also be considered.

Application requires a two page letter of inquiry to the Foundation. For more information, visit the foundation website.

First Book National Book Bank Offers Free Books for Children

Deadline: Ongoing

The First Book National Book Bank (FBNBB) provides new books to children from low-income families across the country using generous donations from children's book publishers, service donors, and volunteers. Eligible organizations include non profit organizations with at least 80% of their children coming from low-income families and Title 1 schools. The books must become the personal property of the children. Receiving books through the First Book National Book Bank (FBNBB) is a two-step process. First, you must register at the FBNBB website. After you register, you will receive notifications via e-mail or fax alerting you when book distribution applications are available. Filling out the application is the second step. Through the FBNBB, your program may receive up to three books per child once a calendar year. View the FBNBB’s Frequently Asked Questions.

Paul Allen Family Foundation Grants

The mission of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation is to transform individual lives and strengthen communities by fostering innovation, creating knowledge, and promoting social progress. The Community Development and Social Change Program has previously funded new library construction and renovation. To be eligible, you must be serving populations of the Pacific Northwest, which includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. More details including how to apply are on the Foundation's website (http://www.pgafoundations.com).

Prudential Foundation Ready to Learn Program

Deadeline: Ongoing

Ready to Learn funds initiatives that strengthen public education at the elementary school level. Emphasis is put on systemic school reform; improving teacher and educational leadership skills; increasing parental involvement; arts education; early childhood care and education; and bolstering literacy in the early years.

The Foundation has geographic priorities, including programs that serve Newark and surrounding New Jersey urban centers, and the cities of Atlanta, Chicago, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Phoenix. Application and more information available on the website.

Laura Bush Foundation Gulf Coast School Library Recovery Initiative

Deadline: Ongoing

The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries recognizes the critical and special needs of many schools in the areas devastated by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma along the Gulf Coast of the US this past year. A special fund has been established to refurbish and re-establish the libraries for schools in the areas of these natural disasters. The goal of the fund is to help school libraries become fully functional and to offer the needed print resources to the students of the schools that were destroyed or severely damaged.

A questionnaire/application for funds is available through www.laurabushfoundation.org. Applicant schools should provide the required information, as outlined in the questionnaire, in a 3-5 page narrative. A first round of two to four grants will be made by late April, and further grants are anticipated to be made as funds become available.

W. K. Kellogg Foundation Grants

Deadline: Ongoing

Grants are made in the four areas of: Health, Food Systems and Rural Development, Youth and Education, and Philanthropy and Volunteerism. Online applications are encouraged. Most Kellogg Foundation grants are awarded in: the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and seven southern African countries – Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. Guidelines, programming interests and more details are available on the Kellogg Foundation website.

Brinker International Foundation Grants

Deadline: Ongoing

Brinker International (includes Chili’s Grill & Bar, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, and Maggiano’s Little Italy) gives to the communities where its restaurants are located. If there is a Brinker International restaurant in your community, you may be eligible to apply for funding. The company's Web site states that they give over $3 million a year to a diverse variety of local fund-raising activities. The objective of the Brinker International Foundation is to support programs and projects that are affiliated with Children/Family, Arts, Civic, and University related educational programs.

The exact amount requested and the specific purpose for the donation should be briefly summarized on 1-2 typewritten pages. Visit Brinker International's Web site for more information about proposal guidelines and funding restrictions.

The Dreyer's Foundation Small Grants and Product Donations

Deadline: Ongoing

The Dreyer's Foundation makes small grants ($3,000 or less) and donates ice cream products and gift certificates/auction items to nonprofit organizations for events. Proposals are reviewed on a monthly basis. A one-page letter with brief information is all that is required. To view specifics and contact information, visit the Dreyer's Foundation website at http://www.dreyersinc.com/dreyersfoundation/small_grants.asp.
Source: grantsTX mailing list

American Legion Child Welfare Foundation

Deadline: July 15 (every year)

Applications must be requested from April 1 through July 1. Proposals are accepted from nonprofit organizations with projects that support the foundation’s purpose of contributing to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare of children through the dissemination of knowledge about a) new and innovative organizations and their programs designed to benefit youth or b) by well-established organizations, to the end that such information can be more adequately used by society. Grants range from $1,500 to $70,000, with an average grant amount of $32,000. Grants must have the potential of helping American children in a large geographic area. More information, including contact address for proposal is included on the The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation website.

The Reviews are In!

Stephanie and Pam's book, Grants for Libraries: A How-To-Do-It Manual, was published in 2006. Order it from the Neal-Schuman website or order from Amazon.com.

Library Journal, Starred Review:
“Grants for Libraries is like the Boy Scouts’ field manual when it comes to grant-writing and development: it is an essential, authoritative, step-by-step guidebook to securing the funding your library needs….this essential “how-to” manual makes a complex topic comprehensible. Grab it and go “granting”!”

Booklist:
"This book should be at the side of every grant-writing librarian."

American Libraries:
"Although having a genie to grant all your funding requests might be handy, a better bet is to follow the advice of Stephanie K Gerding and Pamela H MacKellar."

Midwest Book Review:
"A "must-have" resource especially for library professionals."

Teacher Librarian:
"This book is an appropriate purchase not just for the individual teacher-librarian who needs a short course in grant writing but also for a district director who intends to provide professional development on this topic. This book can also be used as a text in a library school seminar or in a continuing education workshop. It is certainly a text worth considering. Bottom line: Recommended."

RGK Foundation Grant Program

Deadline: Ongoing

RGK Foundation awards grants in the broad areas of Education, Community, and Medicine/Health.
The Foundation's primary interests within Education include formal K-12 education (particularly mathematics, science and reading), literacy, and higher education. Human service programs of particular interest to the Foundation include children and family services, early childhood development, and parenting education. The Foundation's interests within Health/Medicine are programs that promote the health and well-being of children and families, programs that promote access to health services, and, on a more limited basis, medical research programs. Youth development programs supported by the Foundation typically include after-school educational enrichment programs that supplement and enhance formal education systems to increase the chances for successful outcomes in school and life.

All applicants must complete an electronic Letter of Inquiry from the Web site as the first step.

Captain Planet Foundation Grants

Deadlines: March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31

Want to teach youth about the environment? Start a library garden project, recyling program, or other hands-on environmental education programming. The Captain Planet Foundation awards grants in the amount of $250 - $2,500. The Foundation's objective is to encourage innovative programs that empower children and youth to work individually and collectively to solve environmental problems in their neighborhoods and communities. The application process (a short online form) and more details are on the website.

ALL PROJECTS MUST:
Promote understanding of environmental issues
Focus on hands-on involvement
Involve children and young adults ages 6-18
Promote interaction and cooperation within the group
Help young people develop planning and problem solving skills
Include adult supervision
Commit to follow-up communication with the Foundation

Usborne Literacy for a Lifetime Matching Grants

Deadline: Ongoing

This is a matching grant program for schools and organizations that support literacy, including churches, to buy Usborne books. If your school or organization receives a grant or donation and uses it to purchase Usborne Books, EDC (Educational Development Corporation) will match it by 50% in additional books.

For example, a $1,000 grant is matched with an additional $500 and the organization receives $1,500 in educational Usborne Books for their use. Literacy for a Lifetime can be used as often as grants or donations become available, and there is no cap on the amount matched. The receiving school or organization can select the books, from over 1,400 titles. The books are shipped free (within the US).

For more information, visit www.literacyforalifetime.com. To view titles, visit www.readingstars.us.

If you would like a free informational packet, e-mail Krissi Newtown krissi @ readingstars.us, Certified Educational Consultant.

Pathways Within: Roads to Reading Initiative

Pathways Within: Roads to Reading Initiative
Deadlines: March 15th & October 15th

Pathways Within, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 organization that was established in 1993 to assist communities that are underserved. The Road to Reading Initiative's mission is to provide quality reading and educational materials to underserved small and rural communities (with a population of fewer than 50,000) in the United States.

Eligible programs for book donations include: after-school or community literacy programs, day-care centers programs, library reading programs, storytime programs, and reading centers. They will make donations to library collections available for students and for direct use. Most titles are in English with a limited number of books in Spanish (titles are listed on the website). On average 100 to 200 books are awarded per grantee.

Visit the website for application information or email Pathways Within, Inc. at biannual@pwirtr.org.

Pay It Forward Foundation Mini-Grants

Deadlines: January 15, April 15 and October 15 of each year

The Pay It Forward Foundation Mini-Grant program was established to inspire students to realize that they can change the world. Grants fund service-oriented projects that are identified by youth as activities they would like to perform to benefit their school, neighborhood, or greater community.

Projects must contain a “pay it forward” focus – that is, they must be based on the concept of one person doing a favor for others, who in turn do favors for others, with the results growing exponentially – to be considered in the grant making process.

Schools, churches, and community youth groups may apply for mini-grants of up to $500. Because funding is limited, projects requesting smaller amounts will be given priority. Additional information and the application are available on the foundation website.

NLM Individual Fellowship for Informationist Training

Deadline: Multiple Receipt Dates

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) awards informationist fellowships to those wish to become informationists. Informationists are information specialists who work in domain settings of healthcare, public health and biomedical research as peers, in teams with scientists and health professionals. These fellowships are intended for health sciences librarians, scientists, health professionals and others who wish to broaden their existing scientific background by acquiring the additional disciplinary knowledge and experience to function as an informationist. Priority fields include but are not limited to library and information sciences, health professions, biomedical and behavioral sciences, public health, engineering and computer science.

For additional information visit the link to the full announcement.

Jenny Jones Community Grant Program

Deadline: Ongoing
Talk show host and philanthropist Jenny Jones has announced that she will donate an additional $1 million to continue her Jenny's Heroes ( http://www.jennysheroes.com/ ) community grantprogram. The Jenny's Heroes program awards grants to individuals who submit the best ideas for tangible, lasting community projects. Jenny's Heroes provides grants of up to $25,000 each to fund projects that promise long-term community benefits. Through the fifty grant recipients so far, funds have been used to provide items and services such as library books, school computers, and coats for children in domestic violence shelters. The program's focus is primarily on smaller communities where fundraising can be difficult. For more information on Jenny's Heroes and grant guidelines, visit the program's Web site. RFP Link: http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15016232/jennysheroes

Seeds for Education Grant

Deadline: Nov. 15

Are you planning a library garden? Wild Ones is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the use of natural landscaping with native plant species as an ecologically better alternative to traditional landscaping practices. Eligible applicants include schools, nature centers and other non-profit and not-for-profit places of learning including houses of worship. Project goals should focus on the enhancement and development of an appreciation for nature using native plants. Projects must emphasize involvement of students and volunteers and increase the educational value of the site. Creativity in design is encouraged, but must show complete and thoughtful planning. The use of and teaching about native plants and the native plant community is mandatory, and they must be appropriate to the local ecoregion and the site conditions (soil, water, sunlight).
Examples of appropriate projects are:

• The design, establishment and maintenance of a native plant community such as prairie, woodland, wetland etc. in an educational setting such as an outdoor classroom.
• Developing and maintaining an interpretive trail landscaped with native plant communities.
• Developing a wetland area to study the effect of native vegetation on water quality improvement.
• Group student-teacher research projects aimed at documenting the presence, behaviors, needs and contributions of various forms of wildlife and the impact of native plant species.

Cash awards range from $100 to $500 for the purchase of native plants and seed. More information and the application are available on the Seeds for Education Web Site.

A discount code for our blog readers!

As part of an online class we are giving next week, our publisher is giving a 10% discount to attendees on our book, Grants for Libraries: A How-To-Do-It Manual and CD for Librarians. They've also extended this to you, our grant blog readers! The code is GLIB10, and can be used on the Neal-Schuman web site during check-out.

Stephanie and Pam's online webinar, "Winning Grants for Libraries 101", is part of an online conference next Thursday. Hope to "see" you there!

The Art of Grant Writing and Fundraising
When: November 19, 2009

In these tough economic times, libraries are relying more and more on fundraising and grant writing. Alliance Library System and Learning Times are co-sponsoring “The Art of Grant Writing and Fundraising” as an online conference to help libraries meet the challenge of finding funding in these tough times. This exciting program will offer a number of programs for beginners through intermediate and advanced levels of all aspects of grant writing and fundraising.

The cost of the one day online event is $69.00. For a group, the price is $99.00. If this registration fee is a hardship, please email Alliance Library System Director of Innovation Lori Bell, lbell @ alliancelibrarysystem, for a discount coupon of $20 off registration price.

Library students can attend for free.

More information, including registration, is available at: http://www.learningtimes.net/fundraisingconference.

USDA Funding for Rural Libraries

United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Program - Designated Funding for Public Libraries

This American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding for Rural Libraries is a grant and/or loan opportunity for libraries serving communities of 20,000 and less. The Secretary of Agriculture has designated $100 million of USDA’s Community Facilities funds for public libraries. The stimulus funding will help give rural communities the opportunity to improve their library facilities, enhance educational opportunities, and improve economic conditions in America’s rural communities.

Loans and grants are available to public entities such as municipalities, counties, and special-purpose districts, as well as non-profit corporations and tribal governments. Applicants must have the legal authority necessary for construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed facility. They must also be financially sound and able to organize and manage the facility effectively.

Funds may be used to construct, enlarge, or improve public libraries. This can include costs to acquire land needed for a facility, pay necessary professional fees, and purchase equipment required for a facility’s operation. Funds can be used to purchase shelving, furniture, computers, audio-visual equipment, distance learning equipment, and bookmobiles. A loan may be made in combination with other Community Facilities financial assistance such as a grant, applicant contributions, or loans and grants from other sources.

Applications are handled by USDA Rural Development field offices. Rural Development staff will be glad to discuss a community’s needs and the services available from USDA. Field staff can provide application materials and current program information, and assist in the preparation of an application. You may also visit their website at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs.

Interested applicants and lenders may also contact the Housing and Community Programs National Office staff at the following address:
USDA Rural Development, Community Programs Division, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-0700 Phone: (202) 720-1490; Fax: (202) 690-0471

There is also a fact sheet available at: http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/USDA.pdf

Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Minigrant Program

Deadline: September 15, ongoing

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation offers minigrants of $500 to Public School and Public Libraries for programs that encourage literacy and creativity in children. Programs relating to the work of Ezra Jack Keats (writer and illustrator) are welcome, but not required. An application form is available on the website.

Creative programs funded in the past have included:

• Ongoing pen-pal projects bringing disparate communities together,
• Multi-cultural portrait projects,
• Art projects culminating in art shows, murals, or quilts,
• Bookmaking,
• Creation and performance of puppet shows,
• Inter-generational journals.

Funding Resources for Libraries Handout

Today, Pam and Stephanie are presenting an online webinar, "Winning Grants for Libraries 101", as part of the Alliance Library System and Learning Times “The Art of Grant Writing and Fundraising” conference. We have a handout to share that lists resources for finding funding. It is available online:
http://www.pamelamackellar.com/Resources.doc

Our publisher is giving a 10% discount on our book, Grants for Libraries: A How-To-Do-It Manual and CD for Librarians. They've also extended this to you, our grant blog readers! The code is GLIB10, and can be used on the Neal-Schuman website during check-out.
For more information about the conference, visit: http://www.learningtimes.net/fundraisingconference.

NEA Grants to Educators: Learning & Leadership Grants and Student Achievement Grants

Deadlines: June 1, October 15, and February 1.

The National Endowment for the Arts Foundation has two primary grant categories open to public education professionals: Student Achievement Grants and Learning & Leadership Grants. Applications for both can be completed online.

Learning & Leadership grants provide opportunities for teachers, education support professionals, library media specialists, and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high-quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study.

Student Achievement grants provide $5,000 to improve the academic achievement of students by engaging in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve students' habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection.

Pepsi Refresh Grant Project 2012-2013

Deadline: New Grant Cycle Every Month


In an effort to support those who generate innovative, optimistic ideas, the Pepsi Refresh Project (www.refresheverything.com), will award more than $20 million in 2010 to move communities forward. The program launched on January 13 and exceeded expectations by receiving the monthly limit of 1,000 submissions in less than seven days with at least one from each state in the U.S. So submit your grant project as close to the first of the month as possible.

Individuals and organizations can apply for grants to benefit a variety of projects and site visitors vote for the best ideas for funding. Pepsi will fund projects that make a difference in six categories: Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighborhoods and Education. Simply submit an idea and get your supporters to vote and vote and vote — the projects with the highest number of votes each month win the grant. Grants are accepted for $5,000, $25,000, $50,000 or $250,000.

Libri Foundation Grants for Children's Books

Deadlines: Annually, January 23rd and April 15th. (Note new dates for 2011)

The Libri Foundation is a nationwide non-profit organization which donates new, quality, hardcover children's books to small, rural public libraries in the United States through its BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program. The Foundation awards grants twice a year.

Libraries are qualified on an individual basis. In general, county libraries should serve a population under 16,000 and town libraries should serve a population under 10,000 (usually under 5,000). Libraries should be in a rural area, have a limited operating budget, and an active children's department. Applications are accepted from independent libraries as well as libraries which are part of a county, regional, or cooperative library system. A library system may also apply if all the libraries in the system meet these requirements.

The librarian of each library participating in the BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program selects the books her library will receive from a booklist provided by the Foundation. The 700-plus fiction and nonfiction titles on the booklist have been judged as outstanding or highly recommended by recognized authorities in the library and education fields and have been published in the last 3 years. The application guidelines and forms contain details on eligibility for grants and the procedures.The Foundation will match any amount of money raised by your local sponsors from $50 to $350 on a 2-to-1 ratio. Thus, your library could receive up to $1,050 worth of new children's books (about 70 books). Local sponsors have five months (or longer, if necessary) after their library has been selected as a participant in the BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program to raise the matching funds.

The Wish You Well Foundation Literacy Grants

Deadline: Ongoing

Established in 2002, the Wish You Well Foundation has the mission of "supporting family literacy in the United States by fostering and promoting the development and expansion of new and existing literacy and educational programs." Visit the foundation website for a link to the short proposal and a list of past funded programs, including public and school libraries. The Wish You Well Foundation reviews donation requests with a wide array of funding needs. Most requests range from $200 to $10,000. Organizations are reminded to base their requested amount on the program's unique needs for funding.

Winning Grants Is Published!

WINNING GRANTS: A HOW-TO-DO-IT MANUAL FOR LIBRARIANS WITH MULTIMEDIA TUTORIALS AND GRANT DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

By Pamela H. MacKellar and Stephanie K. Gerding

The step-by-step tutorial you need to win grants for your library! Written by two experts who have won millions in grants from an astonishing variety of funding sources, Winning Grants is a combination workbook, how-to-manual, and multimedia workshop. Now presented in Neal-Schuman’s newly-revised How-To-Do-It series layout, Winning Grants gives you MacKellar and Gerding’s combined decades of successful grant-getting techniques in an accessible design so you can master these complex processes more easily.

Winning Grants: A How-To-Do-It Manual For Librarians With Multimedia Tutorials And Grant Development Tools will help you stay on track, keep you organized, and take you through the grant process cycle, starting with your library goals and finishing with a successful grant proposal.

For more information visit the Winning Grants website, or order now from Neal-Schuman Publishers.

ISBN 978-1-55570-700-2. 2010. 8.5 x 11. 275 pp. Book and Multimedia DVD: $99.95.

DonorsChoose.org

While not officially a grant, I couldn't resist posting this wonderful website for public school teachers AND public school librarians. You can post your project and list resources requested and then individual donors view proposals and make donations. 63% of projects get fully funded, and $86 million dollars has been donated to over 210,000 projects. Each proposal gets its own page with a written description from the teacher and detailed information on the classroom, project, school and funding needed. Since many individuals prefer to give locally, make sure your school library has a proposal available on DonorsChoose.org for funding!

Beyond Words: the Dollar General School Library Relief Fund

Deadline: Ongoing, applications reviewed monthly,

Dollar General, in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA), the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the National Education Association (NEA), is sponsoring a school library disaster relief fund for public school libraries in the states served by Dollar General.

Grants will be awarded to public school libraries that have incurred substantial damage or hardship due to a natural disaster (tornado, earthquake, hurricane, flood, avalanche, mudslide), fire or an act recognized by the federal government as terrorism. Grants for $5,000 to $15,000 are to replace or supplement books, media and/or library equipment in the school library setting. The impact can be through direct loss or through an increase in enrollment due to displaced/evacuated students. More information and the grant application are available through the AASL website.

ALTAFF Major Benefactor Citation

Deadline: Ongoing

While this is not a grant, it could be a nice way to recognize your library's major contributors and grant funders. The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), awards the Major Benefactor Citation to recognize individuals, families, or corporations that have given them major tangible gifts. The citation comes with a plaque for the library, a plaque for the donor, a library celebration, and a library press release to let the community know that gifts to the library are truly appreciated and make a real difference.

Libraries may apply for the Major Benefactor Citation at any time by visiting the website. Requirements include benefits to the library in the form of money, real or personal property, negotiable paper or other tangible contributions, endorsement by the Board of Trustees of the library involved and a fee of $400 ($300 for ALTAFF members) to cover all administrative costs and materials.

Become a Foundation Center Cooperating Collection

The Foundation Center is looking for host organizations to join their network of more than 450 Cooperating Collections across the country and in several locations around the world. These funding information centers are available to grantseekers at no cost and and provide access to Foundation Directory Online grantseeking database, Foundation Grants to Individuals Online, Philanthropy In/Sight, an interactive mapping tool that reveals patterns of giving and funding relationships, a core collection of Foundation Center directories and publications, and a selection of supplementary materials and services in areas useful to grantseekers. The CCs offer educational sessions for the public, including classes on the basics of grantseeking and dialogues with local donors. And they serve as hosts for free Center webinars and the Center's fee-based, full-day grantseeker training courses.

The Foundation Center is expanding the CC network to ensure that grantseekers across the nation, and selectively in other locations around the globe, have access to high-quality resources and expertise, enabling them to attract and sustain support for their organizations. Qualified institutions include (but are not limited to):

• Public, academic, or special libraries
• Nonprofit resource centers
• Community or other foundations
• State associations
• United Way agencies
• Non-governmental organizations in locations outside the U.S.

Host institutions must:

• Be open to the public, without restriction, at least 25 hours per week
• Be located in an area serving at least 100 nonprofit organizations
• Provide access to a computer(s) connected to the Internet for public use
• Have staff available to develop expertise in foundation funding resources and to assist the public in their use
• Be prepared to offer public training on the basics of grantseeking
• Send a representative to regional and/or national meetings of Cooperating Collection supervisors held at various locations and/or participate in virtual conferences held by the Center
• Pay an annual membership fee of $995 (billed on a calendar year basis)

More details are available on the Foundation Center website.

NEA The Big Read Grants

Deadline: February 1, 2012

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. Seventy-five organizations will receive grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 to participate in The Big Read from September 2012 through June 2013.

Applicants for The Big Read must be a tax-exempt public library, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; or a division of state, local, or tribal government, including such organizations as literary centers, libraries, museums, colleges and universities, art centers, historical societies, arts councils, tribal governments, humanities councils, literary festivals, and arts organizations. Community organizations participating in The Big Read develop and produce a well-planned, well-attended, community-wide read with innovative, diverse programming, and widespread community involvement and participation. Activities last approximately one month and focus on one book or poet from The Big Read Library.

The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 31 selections from U.S. and world literature. This program supports innovative reading programs in selected communities, providing engaging educational resources for discussing outstanding literature and conducting expansive outreach and publicity campaigns, and a website offering comprehensive information about the authors and their works. Each community’s Big Read includes a kick-off event to launch the program; activities devoted specifically to its Big Read selection (e.g., panel discussions, lectures, public readings); events using the book as a point of departure (e.g., film screenings, theatrical readings, exhibits); and book discussions in diverse locations aimed at a wide range of audiences.

You can access the full guidelines and application on The Big Read website.

NEA Challenge America Fast-Track Grants

Deadline: May 24, 2012

The Challenge America Fast-Track category of Grants for Art Projects from the National Endowment for the Arts offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations - those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Grants are available for professional arts programming and for projects that emphasize the potential of the arts in community development. For more information and application guidelines, visit the NEA website.

National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award

Deadline: January 31, 2012

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, is pleased to invite applications for the 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards.

The twelve award-winning programs this year will receive $10,000 and an invitation to accept their award from the President’s Committee’s Honorary Chairman, First Lady Michelle Obama at a ceremony at the White House. In addition, winners will receive an award plaque, the opportunity to attend the Annual Awardee Conference in Washington, DC in the summer of 2012, and will be featured on the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award website.

After-school and out-of-school time arts and humanities programs sponsored by museums, libraries, performing arts organizations; educational institutions (e.g., preschools; elementary, middle, and high schools; universities; and colleges), arts centers, community service organizations, businesses, and eligible government entities are encouraged to consider submitting an application. Programs applying for the award must meet all of the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award’s Eligibility Criteria.

Completed applications will only be accepted via the online process. Additional information and a link to the online National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards Application is available on the website.

America's Historical and Cultural Organizations Grants

Deadlines: January 11, 2012, and August 15, 2012.

The Division of Public Programs at the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities funds humanities projects that are intended for broad public audiences at museums, libraries, historic sites and other historical and cultural organizations.

New application guidelines are now posted on the NEH Web site for the America's Historical and Cultural Organizations grant competition.

Grants support interpretive exhibitions, reading or film discussion series, historic site interpretation, lecture series and symposia, and digital projects. NEH especially encourages projects that offer multiple formats and make creative use of new technology to deliver humanities content.

America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations awards typically do not exceed $400,000, projects of a smaller scope are also considered. Example grant projects include:

• traveling exhibitions that are presented at multiple venues;
• long-term exhibitions at one institution;
• interpretive websites or other digital formats;
• interpretation of historic places or areas;
• reading and discussion programs;
• panel exhibitions that travel widely, reach a broad audience, and take advantage of complementary programming formats (e.g., reading and discussion series, radio, or other media) to enhance the visitor experience; and
• other project formats that creatively engage audiences in humanities ideas.

Dollar General Summer Reading Grants

Deadline: February 28, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Summer Reading Grants provide funding to local nonprofit organizations and libraries to help with the implementation or expansion of summer reading programs. Programs must target Pre-K through 12th grade students who are new readers, below grade level readers or readers with learning disabilities.

For more information and to apply online visit the Dollar General website.

Dollar General Family Literacy Grants

Deadline: February 28, 2012

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation Family Literacy Grants provide funding to family literacy service providers. The Foundation uses the federal government's definition of family literacy when reviewing grant applications. Organizations applying for funding must have the following four components:

• Adult Education Instruction
• Children's Education
• Parent and Child Together Time (PACT)
• Parenting Classes

For more information and to apply online visit the Dollar General website.

Dollar General Adult Literacy Grants

Deadline: February 28, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Adult Literacy Grants award funding to nonprofit organizations that provide direct service to adults in need of literacy assistance. Organizations must provide help in one of the following instructional areas:

• Adult Basic Education
• General Education Diploma Preparation
• English Language Acquisition

For more information and to apply online visit the Dollar General website.

Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants

Deadline: May 16, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Youth Literacy Grants provide funding to schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Grant funding is provided to assist in the following areas:

• Implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs
• Purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives
• Purchasing books, materials or software for literacy programs

For more information and to apply online visit the Dollar General website.