Our goal is to help those who supply it and share it with those who crave it. Which is why every action we take, and every book purchase you make helps fund it. Better World Books offers annual grants to fund literacy and educational nonprofits and libraries for specific projects — the front lines of the fight to reduce global poverty through education. Each year, Better World Books Literacy Council reviews the submitted projects and selects library winners. The Literacy Council also selects six nonprofit finalists, which are put to a vote. Public vote determines two of the nonprofit winners, and the Literacy Council selects two more winners from the list of finalists.
This year’s six library winners and four nonprofit winners bring a variety of creative programs to spread literacy and learning in their communities, and Better World Books is excited to see the impact these programs will have. You can view their individual project pages at cares.betterworldbooks.com/grants/literacy-grants-projects/
Winning Library Projects:
Organization: Library Nueva Providencia
Project: Pathways to Literacy
Grant Amount: $11,548.30
Mission: The project develops an interactive learning plan that increases students’ skills and knowledge through literacy activities, focusing on reading, writing, and information search.
Organization: Carnegie-Stout Public Library
Project: Changing Lives Through Literature
Grant Amount: $5,776
Mission: The Changing Lives Through Literature is a grassroots, community-based alternative sentencing program that focuses on individual growth through required reading during the 10-week class.
Organization: Harris County Public Library
Project: The Living Library
Grant Amount: $14,630
Mission: Finnigan Park serves as a safe, after-school space for children from four neighborhood schools. The staff provide assistance with homework, hot meals, and organized sports.
Org
anization: Manitowoc Public Library
Project: Manty Teen Arts Corps
Grant Amount: $3,500
Mission: Manitowoc Public Library (MPL) and Rahr-West Art Museum (RWAM) are on a mission to expand teen arts programming in our community. The next step to realizing the vision of teen-directed community-based arts programming is creating M-TAC: Manty Teen Arts Corps.
Organization: Effingham Public Library
Project: Book Box: A Book Vending Machine
Grant Amount: $2,255
Mission: Part of the Effingham Public Library’s strategic plan is to reach underserved populations within the community, and a repurposed vending machine named the Book Box will be used to distribute books and help facilitate that goal.
Organization: Newport Cultural Center
Project: Cards for Kids
Grant Amount: $4,450
Mission: “Cards for Kids” is a literacy initiative designed to encourage kids to use their local library by providing free library cards to all elementary school students (grades K-4) within Maine Rural School Unit #19, which includes five elementary schools and serves eight towns.
Winning Nonprofit Projects:
Organization: Drumming for Your Life Institute
Project: Reading & Rhythm with At-Risk Youth
Grant Amount: $5,000
Mission: Using the power of rhythm to help children and youth develop the emotional, academic, and social skills needed to succeed in school and in life.
Organization: Zaman International
Project: BOOST Literacy Program
Grant Amount: $5,000
Mission: To facilitate change and advance the lives of marginalized women and children by enabling them to meet essential needs common to all humankind.
Organization: Mariposa DR Foundation
Project: Mariposa DR Foundation English Institute
Grant Amount: $5,000
Mission: Located in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, our mission is to educate and empower girls to create sustainable solutions to end generational poverty.
Organization: Denniston International
Project: Readers as Leaders
Grant Amount: $5,000
Mission: Train low-income students as Roving Readers to improve literacy rates and educational development in their local communities.
