Literacy Champion Grant Cycle – NOW CLOSED!

The Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County, with support from the Central New York Community Foundation, issues this Request for Proposals (RFP) for family literacy projects that further leverage the impact of and promotes the use of Imagination Library books with children and parents, and participate in the on-going research that will improve our work.

What should a grant request contain?
A grant request should include the following materials:

  • Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County Grant Application- Click HERE TO DOWNLOAD
  • Single-page proposal that includes:
    • The amount requested
    • The program to be funded that uses Imagination Library books with families
    • Indicate if your organization is a HUB or a Circuit Rider
    • Your request must include the census track(s) that your program will target
    • A clear, concise listing of the program objectives, anticipated outcomes and target population
    • As we continue to move towards planning and programming methods based on evidence and data, your organization must either already have, or put data collection procedures in place in order to capture attendance for each child and their accompanying family members to each literacy event
    • Briefly describe how you will transition to digital attendance records
  • Requests may also include supplemental information for consideration– limit of 3 pages.

Who can seek a grant?

Priority will be given to previous grant recipients and those organizations working collaboratively within identified census tracks.

When seeking a grant, please consider the following:

  • Requests should be clear and concise
  • Requests should align with the Literacy Coalition’s mission and Literacy Indicators (1) Increased number of incoming Kindergartners prepared for school and (5) Increased number of children who read or are read to daily.
  • Requests should align with the Imagination Library program in the City of Syracuse.
  • Requests must come from an IRS recognized 501 © (3) nonprofit organization.

When will awards be made?

The deadline for grant application submission is XXX. The Literacy Coalition’s Managing Partners will make final decisions on projects for funding.  Announcements are expected in XXX.

What will be the average grant amount given by the Coalition?

Most awards will range from $5,000 to $10,000. Organizations may submit more than one proposal and are reminded to base their requested amount on the program specific need to fund an Imagination Library based family literacy program.

Where application should be submitted?

 The original and 4 copies should be submitted to: Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County, 104 Marcellus Street, Syracuse, NY 13204.

Are there any restrictions?

In general, the Literacy Coalition does not fund requests for:

  • Grants to individuals or for candidates for political office
  • Grants for building or construction projects or for debt reduction or capital campaigns 

Is there any follow-up required?

The Literacy Coalition requests organizations receiving awards to submit a final report to the Coalition no later than XXX. Reports should include general project outcomes, results, as well as the impact of your program on participants. In addition, all project attendees/ participants must be entered into the online database. More guidance will be given at a mandatory meeting for all the grant awardees. Reports should be submitted to the Literacy Coalition at the above address.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 428-8129, info@onliteracy.org or www.onliteracy.org