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.

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

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

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

Applicants will need a control and branch number to access the application. Please email Jo Anne Hughes at jhughes@ilsos.net to obtain your agency’s numbers.

The program has now concluded in Illinois and has been an overwhelming success. The State Library awarded $1,012,050 in Opportunity Online Grant funds provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 109 Illinois library agencies representing 120 library buildings successfully completed all of the requirements for the program.

One of the key components of the program required grantees to raise matching funds equal to or exceeding the partial value of the computers donated. The required match was a useful tool in building local partnerships and practicing advocacy.

Libraries successfully raised $583,778 in matching funds:

• $189,577 from public funds
• $45,298 from foundations or corporations
• $348,903 from fundraising activities and general donations

Participating libraries took part in Turning the Page, an advocacy training program provided by the Public Library Association to build confidence and skills for raising the matching funds.

Using a combination of grant dollars and matching funds, 690 new public access computers were purchased and installed for the benefit of library users in communities across Illinois. These computers, with e-mail and Internet access, are vital tools to help people find jobs, further their education, conduct research and share ideas.

In January, the State Library will submit the final report on behalf of all libraries to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Congratulations to all of the participating libraries! Find a list of the libraries that took part at the WebJunction Illinois website.

The two new sites are Four Star Public Library in Mendon, and Mississippi Valley Library District in the Fairmont City Library Center. The returning site is Lincoln Library, the Public Library of Springfield.

Other PNG programs are located in Alton, Beardstown, Bloomington, Carbondale, Centralia, Champaign, Danville, Decatur, Elmwood Park, Freeport, Harrisburg, Joliet, Kankakee, Peoria, Richton Park and Sparta. Learn more about Project Next Generation at the Find-It! Illinois website.

Applicants will need a control number and branch number to access the application. Please email Jo Anne Hughes at jhughes@ilsos.net to obtain your agency’s numbers.

To access the grant application >>
To access the application instructions >>

The Illinois State Library is conducting a statewide videoconference on Thursday, December 15, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon to discuss the two programs and answer questions. Register in L2.

For questions concerning either program, please contact Mark Shaffer at mshaffer@ilsos.net, 217-524-4901 or H. Neil Kelley at nkelley@ilsos.net, 217-782-1891.

An informational Webinar on both library construction grant programs was presented by the Illinois State Library on November 15. To view the archived webinar, click here.

The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries makes grants of up to $6,000 to update, extend, and diversify the book collections of school libraries. All LBF grants are made to individual schools rather than to school districts, county systems, private organizations, foundations, or other entities. Only schools where a minimum of 50% of the student body qualify for the Free or Reduced Lunch (FRL) program are eligible to apply, with selection preference given to schools in which 90% or more of the students receive free or reduced lunches and are likely to have the fewest books and reading materials at home.

Adult literacy providers and public libraries can begin applying for FY12 Penny Severns Summer Family Literacy Grants on December 12. The online grant application and instructions will be available through the Illinois State Library’s website.  Applicants will need a control and branch number to access the application. Please contact Jo Anne Hughes at jhughes@ilsos.net to obtain your agency’s numbers.

Registration is not required for the session. For more information, contact Beth Paoli at bpaoli@ilsos.net or 217-785-6923.

This year’s deadline to submit the grant application and signature page is December 30. For questions concerning the grant, please contact Robert Jones at rjones1@ilsos.net, 217-785-1168 or Becky Hunter at bhunter1@ilsos.net, 217-782-7849.