Grant and Funding Resources for Author Visits

Compiled by Maria Wen Adcock  (Click HERE for a printable document)

Author visits are a wonderful way to bring books to life for children. According to a survey conducted by SchoolVisitExperts.com, the top benefits of an author visit include:

1. Motivates students to read more (91%)
2. Inspires creativity and expression (75%)
3. Motivates students to write more (70%)

Check out this other great article by TheBookingBiz.com: The 5 Ways Author Visits Benefit You

Given all of these benefits, an investment in an author visit is a good investment in children’s education.  Need to raise funds for your school, library, or organizations for an author visit? Below is a list of fundraising ideas and grants.

ORGANIZATIONS / CLUBS

• Booster Clubs 
• Local Organizations – Contact local arts and culture organizations. Apply for a community or educational grant (Rotary, Kiwanis, Optimists, etc.)
• PTA / PTA

OTHER FUNDING IDEAS

• Book Fair  – Use earnings from book fairs.
• Coin Box Collection – Place a box in each classroom and ask families to have their students bring spare and loose change to donate.
• Donation Funding Sites – Set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe.com or KickStarter.com. Create wish lists on Changing the Present Wish List, DonorsChoose.org, or AdoptAClassroom.org. 
• Fundraisers – Organize a bake sale, basket raffle, lunch raffle with the author (get approval from the author), or anything else that could raise funds.
• In-School Field Trip – Collect contributions from students to cover the cost of the author’s visit for an in-school field trip (no need to pay for bus transportation!).
• Local Business Sponsorship – Ask a local business to sponsor an author visit in exchange for promoting their business to parents.
• Title I Schools – Schools qualifying for Title 1 status may be eligible to apply some of these funds towards special programs like author visits.
• Virtual Author Visit – Schedule a virtual visit that costs less than an in-person visit and has no student limit.

LOCAL/STATE RESOURCES (NY)

• Aldi Cares Community Grants
• Eastern Suffolk BOCES Arts in Education Program 
• Nassau BOCES Arts in Education Program 
• New York State Arts in Education Network
• New York State Education Department Grants
• Target Community Grants
• Walmart Local Community Grants
• Western Suffolk BOCES Exploratory Enrichment – Search programs under “Diversity” and “Maria Wen Adcock” for the Author’s program.

NATIONAL GRANTS

• AASL (American Association of School Libraries) Innovative Reading Grant
• Association of American Educators Foundation Classroom Grant
• Barnes & Noble Sponsorship & Charitable Donations
• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 
• Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature
• Crayola Champion Creatively Alive Children Grant Program
• Dollar General Literacy Foundation
• Education Enrichment Foundation
• Fund for Teachers
• FundsNet Education and Literacy Grants & Fundraisers
• GetEdFunding.com
• Google Educator Grants
• Grants.gov
• GrantsAlert.com
• GrantWatch.com
• Learning for Justice Educator Fund 
• MDEF (McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation) Academic Enrichment Grants
• National Art Education Foundation 
• National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
• National Book Fund
• National Education Association Foundation 
• National Endowment For the Arts 
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• ProLiteracy Grants and Funding
• SCBWI (Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators) Amber Brown Grant
• Sony Corporation Grant
• Teach.com Grants
• Voya Unsung Heroes Awards Program
• Wells Fargo Grant

ARTICLES ON HOW TO WRITE A GRANT

• 21 Steps to Writing a Perfect Grant Proposal for Education
• Grant Guide for Educational Funding
• Grant Writing 101
• How to Write a Grant Proposal: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Tips and Resources for Successful Grant Writing
• Writing an Effective Educational Grant

BOOK AN AUTHOR VISIT WITH MARIA WEN ADCOCK,

author of “It’s Chinese New Year, Curious George”