Literacy Grants for Nonprofits

 Literacy rates in the United States are alarming for a developed country. 21% of American adults are functionally illiterate, with 54% having a literacy rate below that of a sixth grade level. In many cases, this lack of literacy is due to being born outside the country and struggling to find the resources to quickly acquire English literacy. However, many native American citizens have also let their literacy levels slip. This could be for a variety of reasons, including an increasingly digital landscape that rewards short form, low attention-span content.

Low literacy rates can affect an individual's ability to secure stable employment, manage their finances, and involve themselves in civic life. It also makes an individual much more vulnerable to an increasingly complex online world filled with scams and misinformation.

There are many nonprofits that seek to tackle illiteracy, which they can only do through the support from literacy grants. These literacy grants can be used to fund a variety of useful programs that seek to promote greater literacy. Nonprofits can use these grants to fund adult tutoring programs, build libraries or establish digital literacy courses.

These literacy grants come from a wide range of sources. Often, state organizations or local school districts will distribute these grants to help tackle illiteracy in local communities. There are many private foundations that distribute literacy grants as well, such as the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, and the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries.

When preparing a proposal for a literacy grant, leaning into the data regarding literacy rates in the community you want to serve is an excellent start. You can use federal sources of data such as the NAEP as a place to start, or local education department reports. Data you may want to bring up could include reading proficiency rates, test scores, or literacy rates for adults.

If you need further guidance on preparing excellent grant proposals that will get noticed, make sure to read our complete overview on the subject. You can also start browsing literacy grants above, all ready for applications.