National Home Library Foundation
OVERVIEW: NHLF supports projects that distribute books and other forms of reading materials to libraries, schools and community groups with limited resources.
IP TAKE: This funder’s grantmaking has very clear objectives: to supply books to those in need and to encourage an appreciation of reading and the literary arts. Grantseekers outside this purview should look elsewhere. This is a responsive funder that considers applications by snail mail and email.
PROFILE: Created in 1932, the National Home Library Foundation (NHLF) was founded by Sherman Mittell, an editor of books on John Keats and Thomas Paine. It seeks to “promote and inculcate in more people the desire to read good literature; to make home libraries more easily available to great numbers of our population; to urge the reading of good literature through printed announcements, radio broadcasts and newspapers; and to these ends to provide for the delivery and holding of lectures, exhibits, public meetings, classes and conferences, calculated to advance the cause of education and promote the general culture of the nation.”
Grants for K-12 Education and Literacy
NHLF’s grantmaking program has three main priorities. First, its grants help to distribute books and other types of reading materials to libraries, schools and community groups with limited resources. It funds literacy programs and initiatives that encourage “interest in reading and the literary arts for all ages.” It also supports “relating primarily to literary or cultural topics that utilize various means of communication.” Grantees include Urban Roots, the College Guild, For Love of Children, Reading Partners, Rinkers Readers and the Reading Connection.
Important Grant Details:
The average grant amount is $2,000 but grants can go up to $5,000. While the foundation makes grants across the United States, it prioritizes applications from the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. Grantseekers may review the foundation’s past grantees here.
NHLF accepts applications in writing through email or traditional mail. Grantseekers must include their legal name along with a full description of the organization they represent, including a complete list of relevant staff. Applicants need to indicate who will manage the grant. Also, include a proposal explaining the program, expected results, and a detailed budget. Finally, provide evidence of tax-exempt status and a financial statement for the previous year.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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