ProLiteracy's National Book Fund Awards $104,639 to Fund Literacy Programs

Syracuse, NY

ProLiteracy is excited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Book Fund and has awarded literacy programs nationwide with $104,639 in grants this year. The National Book Fund boldly aims to put one book each in the hands of 125,000 adult learners nationwide by providing adult education and literacy programs with grant awards to help purchase high-quality educational materials and resources.

The National Book Fund awards organizations that are providing service in the following areas: basic literacy, adult basic education, English as a second language, and family literacy. New Readers Press, the publishing division of ProLiteracy, provides the books and materials for the grant program. These books are high-quality instructional materials specially written to meet the needs of adult literacy students, instructors, and trainers.

To date, ProLiteracy has distributed more than 1,500 grant awards worth more than $2.9 million of materials to organizations in 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 305,000 adults, youth, and children improved their reading skills as a result of this initiative, and more than 33,000 tutors and literacy volunteers have received the resources they need to provide direct literacy instruction to students.

National Book Fund's grant acceptance rate this year was 80 percent, the highest ProLiteracy has been able to award to date. Grants typically average $500-$2,000, but can vary depending on the needs of the applicant organization.

Kevin Morgan, president and CEO of ProLiteracy said, "When local nonprofits are forced to reduce budgets, the materials budget is often the first to be cut. The National Book Fund is ProLiteracy's answer to this problem that adult literacy programs face each year. There are 36 million adults in the United States that lack basic education and literacy skills. ProLiteracy is proud of the legacy of the National Book Fund and grant awards that are so critical for struggling nonprofit adult literacy programs. Every year, we receive a number of compelling, high-quality applicants and we are pleased to be able to offer grants to these deserving programs. "

Morgan said, "We greatly appreciate our donors that join us in raising awareness and in helping to improve so many lives through literacy. We are pleased to partner with esteemed and impactful organizations such as the Donchian Foundation and Tucker Andersen, who have continuously supported the National Book Fund since its inception in 1995. Their generous support has made it possible for it to continue another 20 years. To build on what these generous donors have started, the Nora Roberts Foundation has offered ProLiteracy a unique matching opportunity of up to $100,000, allowing ProLiteracy to serve twice the number of students."

Kathryn B. Thompson, executive director of Tarrant Literacy Council in Fort Worth, Texas, said, "We operate our program on a very tight budget, and we are always looking for more funding for books. The grant we received from the National Book Fund helped us get our program on the right track, and made it possible for us to create a program that is a model for others in our community."

For a list of grant recipients and additional information on how to invest in the future of adult literacy visit http://www.proliteracy.org/our-solutions/nbf.

About ProLiteracy
ProLiteracy believes every adult has the right to literacy. ProLiteracy, the largest adult literacy and basic education membership organization in the nation, is committed to creating a world in which all adults are literate. ProLiteracy has 1,000 member programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and works with 52 nongovernmental organizations in 34 developing countries. For more information about ProLiteracy, please visit http://www.proliteracy.org

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