Reading Everywhere Action Grants

See the School Year Action Grants for 2024 – 2025

Spring is here, which means that summer is around the corner, and that means we’re starting up our next cycle of Reading Everywhere Action Grants! The Oakland Literacy Coalition’s (OLC) Action Grants support literacy and reading projects outside of school time for Oakland youth ages 0-18. If you’re planning a program or event that incorporates reading, we can support it with books, funding, and literacy resources. We welcome applications from individual literacy champions, community organizations, faith-based groups, and cultural collectives who weave reading into your work with children throughout Oakland.

Download Action Grant Guidelines

What Are Action Grants?

The OLC promotes the joy of reading by providing grant funds and books to those working with Oakland youth outside of school time. Action Grants are part of our Reading Everywhere program, because we share the value of children reading not only at school, but all through their day – on the bus, at their after school program, at the park, at mosque, temple or church, and at home. Community programs play a critical role in fostering a culture of reading and providing access to books. Action Grants support community members and organizations to do creative and engaging literacy activities, ensuring that Oakland’s children have access to books and the chance to fall in love with reading during the summer months. We provide new, high-interest books for your students, and grantees can receive funds up to $250 to cover project expenses, including food, author visits, and supplies.

Examples of Past Projects:

• Ta’alam Family Literacy Nights: A youth support organization brought families together for an evening of food, storytelling, read alouds, and music, to promote family engagement in literacy.
• Comic Book Clubs: An affordable housing complex held a weekly summer comic book club where students created their own comic books and received comic books or graphic novels to take home.
• Let’s Read Together: a family resource center held two weeks of play and learn activities for caregivers and their young children, and incorporated time for older siblings to read with their younger siblings.

These projects are just examples of the diverse and creative ways that Oaklanders incorporate literacy into their community activities. We welcome your creative ideas!

Who Should Apply?

• Oakland-based community organizations and faith-based groups that work with children from preschool through high school (0-18 years old) are encouraged to apply. We also welcome applications from informal neighborhood or cultural groups, childcare providers and individual literacy champions.
• Remember, your organization does not need a literacy or education component to be eligible. We believe literacy happens everywhere and want to collaborate with various groups to reach kids where they are.
• We welcome projects that promote literacy in languages other than English.
• Projects must serve Oakland students.

Please note that schools and school-based programs are not eligible for Action Grants.

Important Details and Dates

• Applications for the Summer 2025 grant cycle will be released on April 15, 2025 and can be submitted anytime until May 9 by 11:59 pm.
• Each participating student must receive at least one new book to keep. Grantees will need to come to the OLC office (2744 E 11th Street) to pick up books between June 9-27. We will work with you to coordinate a time for pickup.
• Projects must be completed by August 22, 2025.
• Grantees will be asked to submit a short report by September 12, 2025
• Orientation: All grantees are required to attend an online orientation the week of June 2-6.
• Family Engagement: Projects should directly engage students’ families or provide information on supporting reading at home. The OLC will supply a toolkit of resources.
• Application Priority: Priority will be given to new and expanded projects serving students who aren’t served by another program, projects that incorporate reading and literacy, and those that involve families.
• Grant amounts will be awarded based on the estimated number of students served and the project’s scope. Funds can be used for various project activities, including food and supplies. 

Application Opens on April 15

Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to bring the joy of reading to your community. Apply for an OLC Action Grant and help bring the power of a great book to your community. Application will open on April 15.

Together, let’s ignite a love for reading all over The Town!

For any questions or additional information, feel free to reach out to us at julia@oaklandliteracycoalition.org.