Literacy Grants for Nonprofits

Our Mission

Established in 1992 by Lisa and Douglas Goldman, the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund is a private foundation committed to providing support for charitable organizations that enhance our society. As natives of San Francisco, the Goldmans place a high priority on projects that have an impact upon the San Francisco community. Within its grantmaking areas, the Fund strives to be responsive and flexible as well as to make informed and responsible grants to support qualified projects. We invite you to review the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund’s newly stated Interests and Priorities.

Interests & Priorities - Education & Literacy and Health & Recreation

Education and Literacy

• Goal: Strengthen public education for grades kindergarten to 12 (Geographic Area: San Francisco).
• Strategies:
• Advance education and literacy projects that support the strategic priorities of the San Francisco Unified School District.
• Support community-wide literacy projects.

Health and Recreation

• Goal: Promote healthy lifestyles and opportunities (Geographic Area: San Francisco).
• Strategy:
• Foster youth engagement in sports and recreation activities.

Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – culture, education, health and social service – and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general support

About the Lisa Libraries

The Lisa Libraries was started by author Ann M. Martin and friends to honor and memorialize children’s book editor Lisa Novak.

Some of the libraries established have been at day-care centers, prison visiting areas for children of incarcerated parents, and after-school programs. The Lisa Libraries supplements under-filled shelves as well as providing books to many children who may never have owned a book before.

Since its founding in 1990, the Lisa Libraries has contributed close to 500,000 books to nonprofit organizations across the country.

Need Books for Your Organization? 

Are you affiliated with an organization in a low-income or underserved area that needs a small library, needs to rebuild or add to a library, or serves children who would benefit by being given new books to take home? Or do you know of such an organization?

Sociological Initiatives Foundation Grant

The Sociological Initiatives Foundation supports social change by linking research to social action. It funds research projects that investigate laws, policies, institutions, regulations, and normative practices that may limit equality in the United States and Puerto Rico. It gives priority to projects that seek to address racism, xenophobia, classism, gender bias, exploitation, or the violation of human rights and freedoms. It also supports research that furthers language learning and behavior and its intersection with social and policy questions.

The Foundation supports research that focuses on improving services and systems and increasing positive social and physical conditions through:

• Policy development
• Placement and shaping of the policy agenda
• Policy adoption or implementation
• Policy blocking
• Increasing advocacy capacity and political influence
• Shaping public sentiment
• Addressing challenges related to language and literacy

Language issues include literacy, language loss and maintenance, language policy, language and national security, bilingualism, language and gender, language and law, language disabilities, language and health, language and education, different language cultures, and second language acquisition.

In the context of social and racial inequality dating back centuries, the Foundation supports projects that address institutional rather than individual or behavioral change. It seeks to fund research and initiatives that provide insight into sociological and linguistic issues that can help specific groups and or communities expand opportunities and challenge injustices.

Grant sizes normally range from $10,000 to $20,000. We look for projects that have an explicit research design and a concrete connection to public or community impact. It is not enough to just write a report or add a focus group to a social change project. The research should build an organization or constituency’s potential to expand public knowledge, impact policy, and create social change.

Short concept proposals are due on August 16th each year (please note that the 2020 application deadline has been extended to October 15th).   A limited number of concept applicants are then invited to submit full proposals in November. Our analysis of past grant recipients has shown that projects typically take two years, so applicants should think in terms of such a timeline.

Some examples of desired applicants are:

• academic-community partnerships
• advocacy or community groups that conduct research that can withstand challenge in academic and policy arenas
• academics that organize or link to a constituency through their research

A Legacy of Literacy

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation was established in 1993 in honor of Dollar General's co-founder, J.L. Turner, who was functionally illiterate with only a third grade education. He was a farmer's son who dropped out of school when his father was killed in an accident. With determination and hard work, he began what has now become a successful company.

We understand that sometimes various life circumstances prevent individuals from learning to read or graduating from high school, but it's never too late to learn. We believe that every individual deserves an equal opportunity to receive a basic education. Through our funding initiatives, we are committed to helping individuals of all ages receive the educational foundation they need to increase their ability to access post-secondary education opportunities and attain increased employability.

Literacy Grant Programs

The need for literacy assistance isn't confined to a single age group or geographic location. That's why the Dollar General Literacy Foundation's grant programs help improve the lives of people of all ages in many different communities.

Summer Reading Grant Program

These grants support the creation or expansion of summer reading programs. Local nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries are eligible to apply if their programs meet the following criteria:

• Target Pre-K – 12th grade students who are new readers
• Target below grade level readers
• Assist readers with learning disabilities

Oregon Natural Resources Education Fund

The Oregon Natural Resources Education Fund invites proposals from high school organizations providing natural resources education. Funding is available for natural resource related tools, equipment, technology and other educational resources. Grant recommendations are made to the OCF board of directors by the Oregon Natural Resources Education Fund Board of Directors, individuals nominated by the ONREF Association, a 501(c)(3). Funding is dependent on market conditions, funds available for distribution and number of requests.

Funding Guidelines

ONREF has one main grant fund and three subfunds that each have specific funding objectives. The Main Fund provides support and resources for forestry education program statewide. In addition to the Main Fund, ONREF was set up to allow any number of subfunds to be established under the charter of the main fund (with a minimum balance of $10,000). This allows the opportunity for a donor to contribute to a particular school or to programs within a particular county or region. The subfunds are also set up to allow local representation on the advisory committee. Current subfunds include:

• Pleasant Hill (Pleasant Hill SD)
• Terry Selby (Benton County)
• Oregon Society of American Foresters (Statewide)