Search Through Reading Grants for Nonprofits in Pennsylvania

American Journalism Project

What we fund

Our primary goal is to increase the resources for local news

We invest in the business capacity of digital newsrooms so they can grow sustainably, and we provide personalized coaching and access to training on best practices.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

We believe that every community deserves access to high-quality local news. We especially encourage inquiries from organizations that are led by and serve traditionally underrepresented communities. We know there are great entrepreneurs and organizations who won’t fit everything described in our grantmaking rubric or who provide important public service to their communities that we have not considered. We welcome a conversation about your organization and how it is serving local information needs.

What to expect

Working with a venture philanthropy can be a new experience for some. Our model is built to provide bespoke support based on grantees’ biggest strategic challenges alongside our investment in organizational revenue and operations capacity. Read more about our support here.

What we look for

In addition to the core criteria listed, which must apply to all our grantees, we consider strength in core organizational areas as outlined in this rubric. We do not expect organizations to be strong across all pillars but we do expect our grantees to have a compelling track record, and demonstrate the commitment and capabilities to strengthen in each area.

About Us

Founded in 2010, Arbor Rising is a NYC-based grantmaking nonprofit and a 501c3 organization. We provide unrestricted multi-year funding and high-dosage capacity-strengthening support to a portfolio of promising nonprofits focused on building pathways out of poverty. 

For Grantseekers

Arbor Rising is always on the lookout for exceptional nonprofit partners.

Partnership structure

Arbor Rising partnerships typically involve a three-year investment which includes both financial contributions and consulting support. During each year of engagement, we invest additional money and time, helping to strengthen grantee capacity in critical areas such as outcomes measurement, financial planning, and performance management.

We provide support tailored to the second stage of nonprofit organizations: flexible, multi-year capital alongside deep, consulting support.

• Financial support
  • The cash portion of the grant is unrestricted and distributed immediately following selection. Though only one year of support is promised at a time, more than 90% of Arbor Rising grantees are funded for three years.
  • Grantees in the Arbor Rising portfolio can expect support in the range of $125,000–$175,000 per year.
• Consulting engagement
  • During each grant year, the Arbor Rising team invests 200–300 hours working closely with each Executive Director to diagnose pressing challenges, co-create robust solutions, and support implementation of deliverables.
  • Grantees, in turn, typically spend 4–6 hours of meeting time plus 4–8 hours of homework time per month on these capacity-strengthening projects.

In each of our grantee projects, we co-develop customized tools, deliverables, and plans—nothing comes off the proverbial shelf. The work is geared toward strengthening grantee capacity in key areas such as:

• ​Strategy Development:
  • theory of change, earned-income strategies, and growth plans
• Financial Management:
  • true cost accounting and projecting multi-year budgets
• Data Analysis:
  • quantifying metrics, developing tracking systems, and program evaluation
• Stakeholder Management:
  • board development, employee performance management, and executive coaching

Book Buddies Program

Children from low-income families often grow up in “word deserts” – having few books in their classrooms and even fewer at home. Without access to words, it becomes very difficult for children and families to navigate the education and health care systems.

Through The Molina Foundation’s signature program, Book Buddies, we distribute new books to community agencies serving children and families in need. We have partnered with organizations to distribute more than 4 million books to help create word-rich and healthy homes.

We know many programs are in desperate need of resources – such as books and other educational and health resources. We work every day to find donations of books and resources to share with your program – and we share these opportunities as fast as we can.

What kinds of books do you have?

The books The Molina Foundation gives away are all brand new, and donated from publishers and other partners. Most of the books we receive are fiction, pleasure-reading titles. The books often feature popular characters, including many from television shows or movies. We also receive workbooks, activity books, coloring books, and other treasures to help children practice important skills at home. Most of the books we receive are for children of all ages (0-18); occasionally we have books for adults. Most of the books are in English, although we sometimes have books available in Spanish and other languages.

How much are the books?

The books are always free. Books may be shipped for a minimal shipping and handling charge.

How many books can a program request? Can we use the books to restock library shelves? Can we request specific titles?

Our goal is to help families start or grow their home libraries. We encourage programs to apply for 1-3 books for each child they serve. In some cases, a few of the books may be used to help enhance learning environments by restocking library shelves. Our team does their best to try to match the inventory we have with the needs of the program. At this time, we are not able to accommodate requests for specific titles.

Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits 

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides a variety of grants related to our art collections for individuals and nonprofits. Through these programs, we seek to heighten public interest and awareness, fuel innovative scholarship, and promote dynamic partnerships in the fields of art and art history.

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations whose innovative projects and original ideas will provide promising insights into the fields of art which we collect: Art of the Spanish Americas, Digital & Media Art, Japanese Bamboo, and Post-War Painting & Sculpture. We also welcome requests pertaining to the arts and culture of the American Southwest.

Grant Categories

The projects we support through our Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits fall within one or more of the following categories:

Exhibitions

As of Spring 2023, we are excited to learn about exhibitions that are slated to open in Spring 2024 through 2026. We welcome the opportunity to become an early funder of landmark exhibitions that relate to our collections, and which significantly raise the public profile of those genres while also advancing art historical scholarship. Historically, we have cultivated strong relationships with medium-size museums across the country that reach a diverse regional audience and value innovative curation. Exhibition funding can include:

• development,
• scholarship,
• construction,
• outreach,
• traveling costs,
• admissions subsidies, and more.

Convenings

To encourage scholarly debate and dialogue, we fund academic conferences and workshops that will significantly advance the fields of art scholarship related to our collections. We urge applicants to familiarize themselves with industry standards for honoraria and per diems in advance of creating a convening budget.

Academic

Research, travel, manuscript development, hiring research assistants, equipment, etc. to support original scholarship related to our collection areas. Academic projects should culminate in a clear final deliverable such as a book manuscript or peer-reviewed article. For potential partners working in university settings, a letter stating our policy on funding indirect costs is available on our Grantee Resources page.

Exhibition Catalog Support

In conjunction with our exhibition support, we are pleased to support development, research, and publication costs associated with museum catalogs relating to artists in our collection.

• As of January 2022, our previous Publication Grant program is currently on hold while we reevaluate our strategic priorities. 

Before submitting your application, please read our Criteria for Collections-Related Nonprofit Grants and FAQ page.

JFNY Education Grant

• Grant Type: Prepaid grant
• Funding opportunity: Institutional funding for U.S.-based institutions/organizations with 501(c)(3) status
• Benefits: up to $5,000

The Education Grant program supports projects from nonprofit organizations that will assist K-12 students, teachers, and the community deepen their understanding about Japan, promote cross-cultural exchange, and nurture global perspectives. Successful projects are awarded up to $5,000.

Project examples include:

• Educational outreach projects, such as lectures about Japanese culture and society or teacher workshops on how to teach Japanese culture and society.
• Cultural events such as performances, exhibitions, festivals, movie screenings, readings, and demonstrations of Japanese arts; must include an educational outreach component (e.g. interactive presentations, lectures, workshops)

The National Home Library Foundation makes grants to nonprofits to assist in the distribution of books and other forms of reading materials to libraries and community groups with limited resources or abilities to otherwise procure these materials.

NHLF grants are made to assist in the support, promotion and development of literacy and reading-related programs with the goal of combating illiteracy and/or encouraging an interest in reading and literacy among all ages.

Objective

• To assist in the distribution of books and other forms of reading materials to libraries and community groups with limited resources or abilities to otherwise procure these materials.
• To assist in the support, promotion and development of programs with the goal of combating illiteracy and/or encouraging an interest in reading and the literary arts for all ages.
• To encourage the development of programs relating primarily to literary or cultural topics that utilize various means of communication.

On My Way to Kindergarten Program

On My Way to Kindergarten is a collection of hands-on resources for children (ages 3-5) and their family/caregivers to help get ready for kindergarten. This suite of resources was developed with input from kindergarten teachers across the country.

On My Way to Kindergarten/En Camino al Kinder includes a 36-page bilingual (Spanish-English) activity book and an online collection of free songs, games, crafts, and stories in both Spanish and English.

On My Way to Kindergarten was made possible through the generous support of The Larry and Helen Hoag Foundation as part of their ongoing work to educate, empower, and create greater opportunity for at-risk children to become independent, productive, and contributing members of society.

People Are Saying On My Way to Kindergarten/En Camino al Kinder is the homes of thousands of families across the United States thanks to preschools, Head Start programs, medical offices, federally qualified health centers, libraries, migrant education programs, housing programs, and other community-based organizations devoted to helping children get ready for kindergarten.

Inside the Kit:

• Ideas for families to extend learning at home
• Easy to read Spanish and English
• Written at a 3rd grade reading level
• Children can engage with all content, regardless of language preference
• Easy activities for children to do alone or with an adult
• Activities to encourage creativity and imagination
• Skills to practice large and fine motor development
• Skills to practice health and safety
• Special pull-out poster with checklist to help track each child’s progress
• Link to songs, stories, crafts and games online

PNC Foundation

Strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in communities where we live and work.

Vision & Mission

For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.

The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.

Foundation Grant

The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.

Education

The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the criteria established through PNC Grow Up Great. Specifically, PNC Grow Up Great grants must:

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (>50%) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and
• Include one or a combination of the following:
  • direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
  • professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
  • family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
  • The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary development, the arts, financial education, or social/emotional development.
  • The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.
  • Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities.

Economic Development

Economic development organizations, including those which enhance the quality of life through neighborhood revitalization, cultural enrichment and human services are given support. Priority is given to community development initiatives that strategically promote the growth of low-and moderate-income communities and/or provide services to these communities.

• Affordable Housing
  • The PNC Foundation understands the critical need for affordable housing for low-and moderate-income individuals.
  • We are committed to providing support to nonprofit organizations that:
    • give counseling and services to help these individuals maintain their housing stock;
    • offer transitional housing units and programs; and/or
    • offer credit counseling assistance to individuals, helping them to prepare for homeownership.
• Community Development
  • Because small businesses are often critical components of community growth and help foster business development, the PNC Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that
    • offer technical assistance to, or loan programs for, small businesses located in low-and moderate-income areas or
    • support small businesses that employ low-and moderate-income individuals.
• Community Services
  • Support is given to social services organizations that benefit the health, education, quality of life or provide essential services for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.
  • The PNC Foundation supports job training programs and organizations that provide essential services for their families.
• Arts & Culture
  • Support is given for cultural enrichment programs benefitting the community.
• Revitalization & Stabilization of Low-and Moderate-Income Areas
  • The PNC Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that serve low-and moderate-income neighborhoods by improving living and working conditions.
  • Support is given to organizations that help stabilize communities, eliminate blight and attract and retain businesses and residents to the community.

Legal Services Program

The BFF Legal Services Program originated from a query about the role of and definition of “safety net” organizations. Following the financial crisis of 2007-2008, the founders of BFF began to explore the various different types of non-profits that were called to action to help those most impacted by the Great Recession. Alongside medical clinics, food banks and shelters, legal services representatives worked tirelessly to help their clients.  

From this origin, BFF began to explore the role of legal services both as a “safety net provider” and as a poverty alleviation tool. Based on a metric created by the Robin Hood Foundation and on impact report submitted by over a dozen different types of organizations, it became apparent to us that legal aid is, dollar for dollar, more effective than all other anti-poverty interventions. Time and time again when we read the Social Return on Investment reports (SROIs) from our grantees, we are both amazed and impressed with their outcomes.

I & R Grants

Our I & R Grants target projects and programs that are both innovative and replicable. We support these grants to allow legal services leaders to test new models that have the potential to help their individual organizations and when replicated, to help their peer organizations. 

This includes, but is not limited to, new strategy-focused projects designed to enhance the effectiveness of an organization to answer questions posed by either the organization or by the legal services sector.

Sector Supporting Grants

"": Organizations that do not generally provide direct legal services programs, but provide technical assistance and substantive back-up to the direct services programs. They provide support service to legal services offices in the following areas: training, technical assistance, research and advocacy. Examples include: 

• Support Centers
• Think Tanks
• Design Labs 
• Impact Litigation

: In an effort to support the legal services sector and ensure a strong and consistent pipeline of new legal services staff, we support grants that focus on recruitment & retention of legal services professionals. Examples of such grants include:

• Public Services Loan Forgiveness Programs
• Loan Assistance Repayment Programs
• Fellowships
• Staff Well-Being

: We fund advocacy work that supports to the legal service sector. 

The purpose of the fund is to support Berks County residents who are pursuing post-secondary education to pursue careers in the building trades and/or construction design technology. Such careers include, but are not limited to, architecture, drafting or engineering related to the construction industry, or Trade Prep Certificate Programs, or Apprenticeship Programs related to the construction industry including, but not limited to, HVAC, carpentry, plumbing or electrical.

Students are eligible to receive up to $1,000 a year for expenses such as: tuition, books, application fees, tools, equipment, or clothing required for the program. Students may reapply in a subsequent year.

About NEA Big Read

An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of ourselves and our neighbors through the power of a shared reading experience.

The goals of the NEA Big Read are to:

• Inspire meaningful conversations and cross-cultural understanding and empathy;
• Celebrate local creativity and creative practices;
• Elevate a wide variety of voices and perspectives;
• Encourage cross-sector collaboration between the arts and other disciplines and industries to strengthen a community’s civic infrastructure; and
• Build social cohesion and civic engagement through stronger connections in each community as a means toward improving health and well-being and reducing isolation and loneliness.

The NEA Big Read annually presents a selection of novels, poetry collections, short story collections, memoirs, and/or books of essays that inspire conversation and creative responses. Funding is then provided to nonprofit organizations around the country to host dynamic community-wide reading programs designed around one of these books and in collaboration with local partners to develop and conduct engaging events and activities. Organizations apply for funding through a grants program managed by Arts Midwest. Each community program that receives an NEA Big Read grant – which ranges between $5,000 and $20,000 – is also provided with resources to help them succeed. These include outreach materials and tools to help grantees develop public relations strategies, work with local partners, and lead meaningful book discussions.

NEA Big Read programs can be as short as a week or as long as several months. Grantees facilitate book discussions, writing workshops, and creative programming inspired by the book that may include panel discussions, lectures, film screenings, art exhibitions, theatrical and musical performances, poetry slams, writing contests, and community storytelling events. Activities seek to include local artists and welcome participation from a wide range of audiences. 

Who We Are

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation helps individuals of all ages pursue their educational goals and achieve their dreams by investing in literacy programs that help students learn to read, prepare for the high school equivalency or learn English.

Our Grant Programs

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation provides grant funding to support literacy and education initiatives serving individuals of all ages. The Foundation funds nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries within a 15 mile radius of Dollar General stores in the states in which they operate.

Family Literacy Grants

Nonprofit organizations who support the whole family in literacy and are seeking funding are encouraged to apply if they provide the following:

• Adult Education Instruction
• Children’s Education
• Parent and Child Together Time (PACT)

Community General Hospital Healthcare Fund

Grants support a nonprofit hospital in Reading; educational activities related to rendering care to the sick and injured or to the promotion of health; scientific research related to the care of the sick in conjunction with a hospital operating in the City of Reading; and the general health of the Berks County community.

About Berks County Community Foundation

Berks County Community Foundation was founded in 1994 to help individuals, families, organizations and businesses achieve their charitable objectives and improve the quality of life for the residents of Berks County. Since that time, the Community Foundation has grown to manage hundreds of charitable funds. Each year, those funds distribute scholarships and grants to support local students and assist a variety of nonprofit organizations and causes.

The Community Foundation manages more than 300 charitable funds. The funds were created by local individuals, families and businesses to support causes and organizations they cared about.

Russell L. Hiller Charitable Trust

The Russell L. Hiller Charitable Trust Fund of Berks County Community Foundation was established in December 2003. Judge Russell L. Hiller, a 60-year resident of Shillington, PA, passed away in May 2003 at the age of 97. Judge Hiller spent 26 years as a federal bankruptcy judge in Reading. Throughout his years in Shillington, he spent much of his time taking walks through the Shillington Borough park and relaxing on a bench that overlooked the Governor Mifflin schools. The pursuit of education was Hiller’s lifelong love. In his will, he established a scholarship fund to benefit Governor Mifflin High School students.

The fund will award five scholarships, each in the amount of $5,000, to graduating seniors of Governor Mifflin High School who have achieved high scholastic and personal development, and who have plans to continue their education at the college level, and who are in need of financial assistance beyond that which their parents can afford.

Additionally, the fund supports a grant opportunity for programs benefitting the residents of the Governor Mifflin School District.

Background

The Petroleum Research Fund is an endowed fund, managed by the American Chemical Society that supports fundamental research directly related to petroleum or fossil fuels at nonprofit institutions (generally colleges and universities) in the United States and other countries.

ACS Petroleum Research Fund (ACS PRF) grants are intended as seed money, to enable an investigator to initiate a new research direction. The investigator should not have published or received financial support from another funding agency for the proposed research. Also, proposals that the ACS PRF Committee feels are a logical extension of an investigator’s previous research may be denied as “not a new direction.”

Since the first ACS PRF grants were approved in 1953, several grant programs have evolved to serve segments of the scientific community, including “new investigator” grants and grants to support researchers in departments that do not award doctoral degrees.

Scope of the Fund

Proposals must be for fundamental research in “the petroleum field,” which is defined in our founding document as “petroleum, natural gas, coal, shale, tar sands and like materials.” Fundamental research encompasses the properties of these materials, whereas the petroleum industry undertakes “applied research,” which is outside the scope of ACS PRF. However, please note that while the PRF Trust imposes certain restrictions, PRF currently funds many topics of current interest in sustainability and green chemistry. These include, for example, new catalysts and upgrading/utilization of methane and carbon dioxide. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact a PRF program officer or prfinfo@acs.org for more information regarding areas.

Undergraduate New Investigator Grants

Undergraduate New Investigator (UNI) grants provide funds for scientists and engineers who are beginning their independent careers in academia and have limited or no preliminary results for a research project they wish to pursue. The UNI grants are to be used to illustrate proof of principle, i.e., feasibility, and accordingly, are to be viewed as seed money for generating preliminary results that can be used to apply for continuation funding from other agencies.

Award information

Amount: $55,000 over 2 years

Estimated number of awards: ~ 25 each year

Nature and Scope of Research

ACS PRF research grants are made to non-profit institutions for regularly appointed scientists whose research may be sponsored in accordance with the ACS PRF Transfer Agreement:

“The recipient (ACS) shall use all funds exclusively for advanced scientific education and fundamental research in the ‘petroleum field,’ which may include any field of pure science which in the judgment of (ACS) may afford a basis for subsequent research directly connected with the petroleum field.”

Note that fundamental research is required as opposed to applied research or methods development. When submitting an application, you will be asked to select a scientific discipline that PRF supports.

The UNI grant program is designed as a source of funds for faculty members at the inception of their careers. The principal investigator must demonstrate to the PRF Program Managers, PRF Committee members, and to the scientific or engineering community of reviewers that their research projects will generate preliminary data that can be used by the PI to seek continuation funding from other agencies. Poorly crafted proposals that are deemed to be “noncompetitive” will be denied without external review.

The Petco Foundation

Since 1999, we’ve invested millions in adoption and medical care programs, spay and neuter services, pet cancer research and numerous other lifesaving initiatives—always investing wisely in organizations with the most lifesaving impact. In partnership with animal welfare organizations and 1,500 Petco stores across the country, we help bring pets together with loving families every day.

About our investments

As one of the nation's largest funders of animal welfare causes, we hold a responsibility and obligation to invest funds wisely in organizations that achieve their mission and vision. Therefore, success, accountability, and prudent use of funds are important to our grant analysis and follow-up process. We have an expectation that animal welfare organizations continually endeavor to achieve a high standard of doing more, and are determined to save as many lives as possible with our investment.

Grants For Sheltering and Adoption Organizations

Organization Type: Our applications are categorized by organization type instead of by type of project or program. It is important that you read the organization type definitions carefully prior to filling out an application and that you apply using the correct application for your organization. The three organization types below are eligible to apply during the Animal Welfare Organizations grant cycle:

Please read the descriptions below and select the most appropriate category for your organization:

• Non-profit organization that is primarily a foster-based rescue.
  • 501c3 nonprofit organizations performing adoptions of companion animals; and
  • A primary service of your organization is temporarily caring for animals in need for the purpose of finding them new homes.
• Nonprofit or municipal agency that is responsible for animal control sheltering (legally or contractually obligated to accept stray dogs or cats).
  • Municipal or other governmental agency, department or division providing animal control sheltering per local ordinance as well as other services, including adoptions; OR
  • 501c3 nonprofit organizations legally or contractually obligated to accept stray dogs or cats from 1 or more municipalities in addition performing adoptions and other services.
• Nonprofit, SPCA, or Humane Society that operates a shelter and performs adoptions.
  • o501c3 nonprofit organizations performing sheltering and adoptions of companion animals; and
  • A primary service of your organization is temporarily caring for animals in need for the purpose of finding them new homes; and
  • You operate out of a sheltering facility.
  • Organizations applying under this application may also perform significant other functions like spay/neuter surgeries and veterinary clinic services in addition to the primary service of placing animals up for adoption.
  • IMPORTANT: If your organization is legally or contractually obligated to accept stray dogs or cats from 1 or more municipalities in addition performing adoptions and other services, please select the organization type: Nonprofit or municipal agency that is responsible for animal control sheltering (legally or contractually obligated to accept stray dogs or cats)

For the organization types listed above:

• There is one grant cycle available during each year.
• Applicants may submit one proposal per grant cycle.
• For organizations receiving multi-year funding, all installment payments must have been completed before submitting a new application.
• For organizations that have received funding in the past, all outstanding grant reports must be completed before submitting a new application.
• ALL organizations must also submit their Annual Partnership Report* with their animal data for the previous year along with their most recent financial information. *Grant applications received from organizations who have not also submitted their Annual Partnership Report will be automatically declined.
• The person submitting the application must be an authorized representative of such organization. If you are a
• “Friends of” organization, we recommend you work with the primary animal intake organization and assist them in completing the application. 

Lifesaving Impact Award/Plan

If your organization serves a significant number of animals (at least 2,500 annual intake), you may apply for a lifesaving impact award. Lifesaving impact awards are grants of $100,000 or more and/or multi-year awards. Lifesaving impact awards are very limited and the process to request such award is more extensive. The amount of such award that your organization is seeking should be directly related to the number of animals that your organization serves, the percentage impact that our investment will make on your lifesaving efforts and many other factors.

Finalists for lifesaving impact awards may be required to submit additional information to the Foundation or participate in interviews prior to a decision being rendered. Lifesaving impact awards may be submitted for any purpose provided that your lifesaving impact award is expected to result in an increase in your lifesaving percentage or other significant positive impact for the animals of your community.

Lifesaving impact awards requests may be submitted for any lifesaving purpose. With a request for a lifesaving impact award you are required to submit a detailed plan to increase the lifesaving rate in your community, and describe how our investment will assist in such efforts. 

A literacy legacy

J.L. Turner was functionally illiterate with only a third-grade education. His father died in an accident, and J.L. quit school so he could work on the family farm and help provide for his family. With hard work and determination, J.L. Turner went on to co-found Dollar General.

In 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation was established in his honor. We understand that life can present many obstacles, but we also know it’s never too late to learn! Like J.L., so many others desire to better their lives and the lives of their families and it’s in this spirit that the foundation has flourished.

How we help

Our grant programs are available to qualifying organizations in the 44 states where Dollar General stores are located.

We’ve awarded more than $159 million in grants to literacy organizations that have helped more than 10 million individuals learn to read, prepare for the high school equivalency, or learn English. We believe that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to receive a basic education. It’s never too late to learn

DGLF Youth Literacy Grants

Schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations that help students who are below grade level or having trouble reading are eligible to apply. 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

Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award

The Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming recognizes excellence in humanities programming in libraries that serve children in grades K-8.

The $5,000 award, presented annually by the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, is sponsored by the American Library Association’s Cultural Communities Fund in cooperation with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

What counts as a humanities program?

The humanities program can be focused in many subject areas, including, but not limited to, social studies, poetry, drama, art, music, language arts, foreign language, and culture. Programs should focus on broadening perspectives and helping students understand the wider world and their place in it. The humanities program should be initiated and coordinated by the school librarian and exemplify the role of the library program in advancing the overall educational goals of the school.

What types of libraries and programs are eligible?

U.S. school libraries, public or private, that serve children in any combination of grades K-8 are eligible, provided the library is staffed by a state-certified librarian. Libraries are encouraged to self-nominate.

Nominated programs must have taken place during the current school year. Programs that are still in progress as of the award deadline are eligible.

Who was Sara Jaffarian?

Sara Jaffarian was a dedicated school librarian and longtime ALA member. She began her career as a librarian in the public school system of Quincy, Massachusetts. She later served as the director of libraries for the Greensboro Public Schools in North Carolina and the Supervisor of Libraries for the Seattle Public Schools in Washington. Read more about Mrs. Jaffarian.

What is the award?

The Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award is an annual award to a school library that has conducted an exemplary program or program series in the humanities during the current school year. It consists of 

• a $5,000 cash award;
• a crystal award; and 
• the promotion of the winner as a model program for other school libraries.

Recent Jaffarian Award-winners have included:

• Empathizing with Teens in Trauma: An Exploration of the Terezin Ghetto/Camp, a program where students researched the artwork, poetry and music created by teenagers in the Theresienstadt/Terezín Nazi concentration camp during World War II.
• Teaching the Tulsa Race Massacre with Guided Inquiry Design, a program that taught students about how assumptions create conflict in society using the Tulsa Race Massacre as an example. Students then completed research projects on assumptions causing conflict in the world today or in their own experience. Students chose a topic to research further.
• Junior Ambassadors, a program that brings a global perspective to students through a book club focused on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
• Poverty and Philanthropy, a program where students researched famous philanthropists including how much money they donate, which nonprofit they support, and why.

Named after the late Sara Jaffarian, a school librarian and longtime ALA member, ALA’s Jaffarian Award was established in 2006 to recognize and promote excellence in humanities programming in elementary and middle-school libraries. It is presented annually by the ALA Public Programs Office in cooperation with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). The award is selected by a committee comprising members of the ALA Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee (PCPAC), AASL and the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC). 

SFARI Mission

The mission of the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) is to improve the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by funding innovative research of the highest quality and relevance.

To this end, we solicit applications for SFARI Pilot Awards from individuals who will conduct bold, imaginative, rigorous and relevant research.

Summer Pilot Award

Objective

The goal of the Pilot Award is to provide early support for exploratory ideas, particularly those with novel hypotheses. Appropriate projects for this mechanism include those considered higher risk but with the potential for transformative results. Projects that represent continuations of ongoing work (whether funded by SFARI or other funders) are not appropriate for this mechanism.

This funding mechanism is particularly suitable for investigators who are new to the autism field, though we encourage those new to the field to consult with experts in autism research to ensure their projects are relevant to the human condition.

In particular, we encourage applications that propose research to link genetic or other ASD risk factors to molecular, cellular, circuit or behavioral mechanisms and set the stage for development of novel interventions. Projects proposing work solely in human subjects are out of scope for the Pilot RFA. These projects are considered in the Human Cognitive and Behavioral Science RFA. Please read more about SFARI’s scientific perspectives. We also strongly advise applicants to familiarize themselves with the currently funded projects and resources that SFARI supports and to think about how their proposals might complement existing efforts.

Level and Duration of Funding

The total budget of a Pilot Award is $300,000 or less, including 20 percent indirect costs, over a period of up to two (2) years. Allowable Indirect costs to the primary institution for subcontracts are not included in the $300,000 total budget threshold (see grant policies). We encourage investigators to take advantage of the flexibility in budget and duration, tailoring the scope of the award as appropriate for their specific aims. Funds are expected to be expended as requested during each annual budget period. When provided with a compelling justification, we are willing to consider larger budgets for the Pilot Award. We strongly encourage investigators considering budgets that exceed our guidelines to consult SFARI before submission.

Through our Henry Arnhold Fellowship we find leaders with promising conservation and climate solutions and help them to design and deliver them at scale.

We’re impact and scale-obsessed. Each year we select 8-10 leaders and help them (1) design high-impact scalable solutions and strategies for better, faster, bigger outcomes; (2) build the organizations to deliver them at scale; and (3) become part of a growing community of innovators in conservation and climate.

The one-year fellowship is bookended with a design retreat, comes with $100,000 in funding, and ongoing support from our team and network.

Here are the components of the fellowship in more detail:

Design and Strategy

‍The fellowship is bookended by an intensive week-long workshop to dive in on design for impact and strategy for scale. It’s a rare opportunity to focus completely on new ideas and a systematic way to apply them.

Community and Connections

We bring together a cohort of leaders committed to social justice and ending extreme poverty, alongside some great experts, consultants, and our team. Fellows join a growing community of fellows at the forefront of climate and conservation work.

Resources and Support

The fellowship comes with $100K. Learning resources are regularly shared to keep everyone informed on the latest thinking and doing. We also hold open office hours year round.

What We Look For

We look for innovative leaders with a conservation or climate solution that works and has potential to go big. We look for impact-obsessed people pioneering effective ways to:

• protect nature and ecosystems (forests, rivers, oceans, mountains, grasslands)
• slow down climate change (drop emissions, use energy efficiently, capture carbon) or adapt to the new climate reality.

Their solutions focus on everything from tropical forests in the Amazon Basin to methane emissions in the Arctic, from grasslands in Africa to fisheries in the Indian Ocean and from sustainable finance in Australia to dam removal in Africa.

Design For Impact

Our Approach to Design

All our fellows have great ideas. And want to create big change for the better. Our design tools take them all the way from a great idea to impact at scale. Scale for us doesn’t simply mean growth, nor is it just a big number. And it isn’t about an organization “scaling;” it’s about scaling the impact you want to see in the world.

We’ve found that for an organization to get to “scale” and make a big dent in a big problem it has to go through some stages 1) smart R&D to arrive at a scalable model, 2) replication by your own organization to prove scalability, and finally 3) scale via replication by others that creates the exponential growth of impact. The first part of the fellowship focuses on how to turn an idea into a systematic and replicable model. It takes them through a series of steps to get to a detailed impact model, and then serves as the vehicle of an ongoing process of iterative redesign. And then we dig into how to shepherd it through the stages to scale. It’s a systematic approach to go all the way. You can take a look at some of the design content here.

The Workshop

The main event is usually a week-long workshop on the coast of California where fellows have the opportunity to think deeply about their path to create meaningful impact at scale. We bring together founders, experts, experienced doers, and our team. It's fast-paced, interactive, and fun.

The engagement also helps Fellows work through the organizational and financial models – how to deliver the impact model and how to pay for it. Fellows work directly with our team to incorporate new information, lessons, and ideas into their model.

Fellows get to listen, learn and support each other through:

• Design & scale sessions that build on pre-work
• Iteration on design for impact and strategy for scale
• Honed communications
• Small group topical conversations
• A series of curated one-on-one conversations

They emerge with more clarity on the dream and a roadmap to help get them there.

From Dale Jr.

My career as a race car driver has been well-documented. From winning NASCAR XFINITY Series championships in 1998 and 1999 to securing the coveted Daytona 500 trophy in 2004 and again in 2014, there have been many rewarding experiences that will last a lifetime. But once my career is over and I look back at the achievements that made it special, The Dale Jr. Foundation could very well be one I’m most proud of.

What we’ve accomplished since starting The Dale Jr. Foundation in 2007 has been far beyond my expectations. Thanks to the generosity of many people, we’ve raised more than $8 million to benefit charities that directly impact our communities, schools and fellow citizens. To me nothing is more rewarding than to see people’s lives take a turn for the better and know you might have had something to do with it. I’ve said for many years the best part of my race weekend is meeting kids through Make-A-Wish, which we started doing long before the start of The Dale Jr. Foundation. In fact, these kids were part of the inspiration that led us to start the foundation. Wish kids are the most genuine, respectful and courageous people I meet. They take nothing for granted.

Make-A-Wish is just one of the many organizations The Dale Jr. Foundation supports. Each charitable organization focuses on areas that are important to me, like kids, schools and the underprivileged. I started The Dale Jr. Foundation as a way to help the underdogs, those who haven’t caught the breaks that I was lucky enough to catch.

I hope you will take time to learn more about the Dale Jr. Foundation—specifically what we do, who we help, and how you can be a part of it. We have many types of fundraising efforts such as various online eBay auctions, and special event fundraisers like Dale Jr.’s Driven To Give. Large or small, there are ways to get involved and help. 

Five Areas of Giving

Empowerment

The Dale Jr. Foundation supports many organizations that provide safe homes for children who come from traumatic pasts to help them with their hurt and give them a new start. These children have been abused or neglected by no fault of their own and need the resources to overcome their adversities and regain their sense of self confidence.

Education

Research has shown that children who grow up with strong, positive values are happier and do better in school. This is why we feel that providing grants for technology, reading incentives and helping teachers with out-of-pocket expenses is vital to the success of our community.

Wellness

Children need to be healthy in order to reach their full potential which is why we support organizations that provide child-friendly services. These organizations go beyond providing medical services and extending to all forms of holistic care.

Hunger

Food is an essential building block to a child’s physical, social and educational development. Unfortunately over 20+ million children face food insecurities each week. We partner with many different organizations that provide healthy food to children who might otherwise go hungry. 

Hope

We feel that creating a connection with a child, no matter how small it may be, is the greatest way to provide them with the sense of normalcy. This connection can be the positive experience that they need to overcome their obstacles.

What is the mission of The Dale Jr. Foundation?

The Dale Jr. Foundation is a charity dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals, with a focus on youth, the resources to improve confidence, education, and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals.

What kind of requests does The Dale Jr. Foundation fulfill?

The Dale Jr. Foundation will only consider requests that fit within our mission statement.

The Dale Jr. Foundation believes that it is important to give back to the community and we support the work of numerous nonprofit organizations across the country. The foundation is thrilled to hear of all the good work being done across the country and would be happy to consider your request for a contribution.

Who We Are

We Need Diverse Books is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that takes a holistic approach in improving literacy and building compassion by affecting change across the entire reading pipeline — turning diverse manuscripts into published books and then donating diverse titles to readers nationwide.

Walter Dean Myers Grant Program

The Walter Dean Myers Grant program was established to provide grants of $2,000 each to promising diverse writers and illustrators who are currently unpublished. The grants may be applied in a variety of ways, as long as it supports the recipient’s development of their craft and their pursuit of traditional publication.

Since 2015, we have awarded over 70 grants, and our grant recipients have now published nearly 60 books and have won major literary awards.

About Us

The Puffin Foundation, Ltd. seeks to open the doors of artistic expression by providing grants to artists and art organizations who are often excluded from mainstream opportunities due to their identities or social philosophies.

Why the Puffin?

The Puffin, once endangered in the northeastern United States, was returned to its native habitats through the efforts of a concerned citizenry. Our name is a metaphor for how we perceive our mission in the arts: to join with other concerned groups and individuals to ensure that the arts not merely survive, but flourish at all levels of our society.

Annual Artist Grant Program

Funding Focus

This year,  we will be funding proposals in the genres of:

• video/film
• theater

Theater includes any type of live dramatic performance, including plays, performance art, storytelling, poetry slams, and staged readings. Film and video includes traditional media meant for a theater or television broadcast as well as radio shows, podcasts, on demand and streaming productions. 

Applications in other disciplines will not be considered. Please note that the primary focus of your proposal must be one of these genres. For example, please do not apply for a video/film grant if you are composing a musical score for a film, or for a theater grant if you are creating the set for a theater production.

Our genres rotate in 2 year cycles, meaning that each genre is open for project proposals every other year.

Funding

The maximum grant size is $3,500. While some projects will receive full funding, a typical grant is about half that amount.

Program Purpose

Federal WIOA Title II

The purpose of this funding is to create a partnership among the federal government, states, and localities to provide, on a voluntary basis, adult education and literacy activities, in order to:

• Assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency;
• Assist adults who are parents or family members to obtain the education and skills that
  • are necessary to becoming full partners in the educational development of their children; and
  • lead to sustainable improvements in the economic opportunities for their family;
• Assist adults in attaining a secondary school diploma and in the transition to postsecondary education and training, including through career pathways; and
• Assist immigrants and other individuals who are English language learners in
  • improving their
    • reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension skills in English; and
    • mathematics skills; and
  • acquiring an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom, and the responsibilities of citizenship.

State Act 143

Act 143 aims to provide coordination and broaden the scope of educational activities to uneducated and undereducated adults in the commonwealth and their families, including those who speak other languages, and to provide programs to those individuals who have previously been unserved.

The goals of the Act include:

• Increased and improved services to adult learners and their families through the coordination of funding streams and programs across state agencies; and
• Increased and expanded adult and family literacy education programs so that adults and their families will function more effectively in their personal lives and as citizens and be better prepared for workforce training and employment that they may become more responsible and productive members of society.

Adult Basic Education Direct Service Grant

PDE requires successful applicants for Adult Basic Education Direct Service 064 grant funds to provide a full range of services throughout the course of a program year. PDE requires programs to provide the following to be considered full service:

• Adult education and literacy activities as defined in WIOA, including instruction for adult basic education students at all educational functioning levels Adult Basic Education (ABE) levels 1-6, including high school equivalency test preparation as needed.
• English language acquisition activities as defined in WIOA, including instruction for English- as-a-Second Language (ESL) students based on area needs. Such instruction must include supporting ESL students to transition successfully to ABE instruction within the programing funded by the grant and to earn a high school equivalency credential, if needed. PDE has identified 19 counties in which successful applicants must provide these services. See Appendix C.
• Year-round, real-time instruction (in person, remote, or a combination of in person and remote), including during the summer. Programs may have a reduced schedule over the summer but must provide real-time instruction that meets community needs.
• Supplemental distance learning opportunities to students participating in real-time instruction.
• Year-round student support services to help students address barriers to participation.
• Year-round student support services to help students identify education and career goals, develop employability skills, and successfully transition to postsecondary education/training and/or employment, as appropriate.
• Integration of workforce preparation activities and activities to promote digital literacy and digital resiliency into instruction and support services.
• A cadre of volunteer classroom aides to provide additional instructional support to students participating in classroom instruction. (All grant recipients must use at least 10 percent of the state grant funds to recruit, train, and support volunteer classroom aides, except those that are not eligible providers under state law.)
• A program administrator who is a full-time employee of the grantee agency. If the program administrator is not working 100 percent on division-funded activities, the agency must provide evidence that this individual has sufficient time allocated to these activities to meet all of the requirements of the program administrator position. (Note: The program administrator does not have to be paid from grant funds; however, the person must have sufficient time allocated to activities supported by the grant.)

PDE also requires all successful applicants under this RGA to be partners in the local PA CareerLink© site and delegates all the roles and responsibilities of a one-stop partner to the grantees.

Additional Allowable Activities

In addition to the required services listed above, applicants may propose to provide one or more of the following activities:

• Corrections education (to ensure that Pennsylvania does not exceed the federal and state ceilings for corrections education, applicants may not budget or expend more than 20 percent of the grant amounts for corrections education).
• Integrated English literacy and civics education activities (not the Section 243 program).
• Integrated education and training activities (federal funds only).
• Workplace literacy activities.

Applicants should refer to the Adult Education and Family Literacy Guidelines for more information on these activities to ensure that proposed activities are compliant.

Multi-Year Contracts

Successful grant applications will be approved for a five-year grant cycle. Grant funds will be awarded through annual one-year notifications of funding contingent on the availability of funds.

Program Funding Requests

Applicants may apply for up to the maximum allocated for the areas in which they propose to provide services. Applicants should apply for those funds necessary to meet the grant requirements, provide the proposed services to the number of students they can serve based on need and interest in the service area, and meet the state imposed performance targets. PDE requires programs to provide a 25 percent match on the federal portion of the funds, and applicants should consider that requirement when determining funding requests. PDE reserves the right to adjust the actual grant award amount and contracted enrollment of successful applicants during the grant contract approval process.

Applicants may apply for funding up to a maximum of $2,250.00 per contracted student, with the total requested not to exceed the amount allocated to the proposed service area. PDE strongly encourages applicants requesting the maximum allowable cost per student to prioritize the use of funds for full-time direct service staff positions with benefits.