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.