Activities and Support

This program emphasizes collaboration with community partners to provide family literacy programming, on-site libraries, inspiring storytelling events, and new books for children. At each Community Literacy grant-sponsored event, a CLiF presenter talks with children about the joys of reading and gives a fun and interactive storytelling presentation. After the presentation, each child chooses two brand-new books to keep.

We provide an onsite library to each organization so children have even more access to high-quality books. We also offer a parent/caregiver seminar sharing the importance of reading with children and modeling storytelling strategies to support caregivers who may not have strong literacy skills or may be English language learners.

Our partnering organizations include:

• Shelters and affordable housing sites: These organizations serve children who often lack access to books in their daily lives. We also provide parent/caregiver seminars to describe ways to make reading aloud with children easy and fun, even if the adults aren’t strong readers themselves.
• Out-of-school time programs: Including afterschool programs and other programs serving school-age youth during the out-of-school time hours.
• Childcare centers and preschools: Head Start programs, preschools, and childcare programs who work with our target population are eligible to apply.
• Community centers and service providers: We work with organizations that support low-income families, foster children, teenage parents, refugees, and other under-resourced populations.
• ELL classrooms and refugee programs: Children of refugees who have relocated to New Hampshire and Vermont from Afghanistan, Somalia, Burma, Sudan, Bosnia, Vietnam, and many other countries often face challenges in reading English. Our program in ELL classrooms supports refugees and their parents and increases English-language books in the home.

Eligibility

This grant is offered every fall and spring. An organization, program, or facility must meet these requirements to apply for CLiF’s Community Literacy Grant:

• Be a social service provider, school-based program*, or community organization in Vermont or New Hampshire
• Serve children from birth to age 12 (or within that range)
• At least 35% of the children served must qualify for free or reduced lunch, reduced program tuition, or a scholarship
• Be able to gather at least 30 children for a storytelling event (events may be virtual)

*Examples of eligible school-based programs: ELL classrooms, afterschool programs, extracurricular programs, and Title One literacy/family engagement programs.

This grant provides $500 to support literacy goals. Successful applicants will select from a menu of options and explain in their proposal how they will use grant components to stimulate interest and enthusiasm for literacy activities. 

You must submit your application by the first of the month, and you will be notified of the award decision by the 15th of the same month. Projects and events must completed within three months of the application award date. 

Eligibility:

• Must be based in New Hampshire or Vermont.
• Must be able to demonstrate need of a given community and population.
• At least 35% of the children you serve must come from low-income families.
• Must be able to impact at least 30 children from 0 to age 12 (or sixth grade).
• Projects and events need to be completed within three months of the award date.

The CLiF Literacy Enrichment Grant offers up to $1000 in funding that can be used for project-oriented or experiential learning opportunities that bring literacy to life. The goals of this grant are to create excitement around literacy; encourage an appreciation of alternative learning opportunities; engage with parents/caregivers around literacy; inspire children to try new things; and enrich young people’s lives with literacy. 

An organization, program, school, or library must meet these requirements to apply:

• Community/nonprofit organizations, youth-serving programs, libraries, childcare/early education centers, or schools located in New Hampshire or Vermont.
• Your project must serve a community with at least 35% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. 
• Your application must show how you will partner with CLiF’s target audience of children ages 0-12 in under-resourced or under-represented communities.
• 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.
• The proposed project must connect directly with literacy and build engagement around reading and writing. 
• All grant events, activities, and expenses must be completed by January 31, 2027.
• Grantees must submit a final grant report, photos, and detailed budget reconciliation within 30 days of the project’s end date.

How CLiF Will Select Grant Recipients

Criteria include:

• Demonstrated need and excitement
• Enthusiasm, creativity, and collaboration exhibited by the partner
• Clear demonstration of how this grant will benefit students and their communities
• Past CLiF grant history & geographic location

Questions can be sent to Cassie Willner, Program Manager, cassie@clifonline.org. 

ELIGIBILTY

Family centers, preschools, public libraries, community organizations, and early childhood centers located in VT and NH are eligible to receive funding.

• At least 30 children (ages 0-5) 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.
• Demonstrated ability to explore partnerships that will benefit children and families. 
• Demonstrated need amongst children and families served.

GRANT COMPONENTS

1. New Books = $500

• New library books for the grantee’s collection, including felt storyboards, big books, books in foreign languages, or puppets with accompanying books. 

2. Giveaway Books = $300

• 70 new board books for children to take home and keep.

3. Family Engagement = $500

• Stipend for food, supplies, guest presenter, and/or activities that support onsite family literacy events. 
• Incentives for families to visit the local library or read at home together (i.e. reading challenge with raffle prizes). 

4. Literacy Book Bags = $200

• Themed literacy kits for children to borrow and read at home with their family.  

5. Grantee’s Choice! Pick One = $500

• More books! This can include Yoto players; VOX books; decodable books; felt storyboards; books in different languages; etc.
• Professional development staff training with Anna Adler on music and literacy for children ages 0-5
• Literacy related field trip (i.e. tickets to the ECHO Center to see Eric Carle exhibit)
• Literacy related guest artist, educator, author/illustrator presenter from CLiF’s list, etc.
• Dramatic play area supplies and books that connect with literacy