Community Building Grants

Please note: Applications for Spring 2017 are now closed.

Click here to read about Spring 2017 Community Building grants!

At a time when our country feels tense and divided, CLiF has decided to offer a new grant that can help build bridges and strengthen relationships between different groups and communities. To that end, CLiF has selected three programs that we believe can achieve this goal:

There is an opportunity to design your own program based on CLiF’s program ideas, found here. We want to support the need in your community through connecting kids and adults with fun literacy-building activities.

Goals of these Community Building Grants

  • Build empathy for others by connecting with new groups
  • Create excitement around sharing books
  • Inspire students to read and write for pleasure
  • Encourage an appreciation similarities and differences
  • Support all kinds of young readers and writers
  • Ensure all children have high-quality books of their own at home
  • Engage parents and encourage reading at home

What Grant Partners Will Receive

  • A small on-site library (worth $500) that CLiF will select from our extensive book list based on the theme of your program
  • A training session (worth $300) with CLiF-trained professional that gives tips for sharing books
  • A book giveaway where all program participants select two new books to keep
  • Additional funding (up to $250) to cover staff time, transportation, or other expenses is available

 

Who Is Eligible to Apply?

  • Community organization located in New Hampshire or Vermont.
  • Your project must serve a community with at least 30% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. Your application must show how you will partner with CLiF’s target audience of low-income, at-risk, and rural children.
  • At least 30 kids must participate in the program.
  • Organizations with an enthusiastic and organized coordinator willing to collaborate with CLiF on planning, organizing, and communicating about your project.
  • Partners who can complete the initial stages of the grant and feedback by June 30, 2017.
  • Programs needed to be completed by July 2017.

 

How CLiF Will Select Grant Recipients

Criteria include:

  • Demonstrated need and excitement
  • Enthusiasm, creativity, and collaboration exhibited by the partners
  • Clear demonstration of how this grant will benefit students and their communities

Take Action