The Sacramento Literacy Foundation is offering funding through its Summer Reading Funding Opportunity to support local organizations that provide summer reading programs for children and youth in Sacramento County. This initiative aims to prevent reading skill degradation over the summer and accelerate grade-level reading proficiency among children from birth to age 18. The grant prioritizes programs operating within the Sacramento Promise Zone and those incorporating structured literacy integration.
The foundation seeks to address the literacy crisis in Sacramento, where only 38% of third graders in the 2023-24 school year met grade-level reading standards. By funding summer reading programs, the foundation hopes to counteract summer learning loss and advance literacy skills among underserved students. Additionally, the foundation’s goals include providing culturally relevant, high-quality books to low-income students and advocating for evidence-based reading instruction in K-3 classrooms.
Grants are funded through the Sacramento Literacy Foundation’s Children’s Literacy Endowment and are limited to organizations meeting strict eligibility criteria. Eligible applicants must be either a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, an organization operating under a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, or a public elementary school. Programs must be based in Sacramento County and show measurable outcomes. Funded projects must participate in a site visit by the foundation’s Grants Committee and submit a final report within a year of receiving funds.
The foundation will not fund projects that seek to replace existing state or local funding for staff or school personnel, nor will it fund expenses related to celebration supplies, food, or refreshments. Strong applications will clearly define the target community, demonstrate collaboration with other literacy programs, address core literacy pillars (oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension), and provide a detailed budget and impact projections.
The grant application period opens on February 1, 2025, and closes on April 4, 2025, at 5:00 PM. Award notifications will be sent by May 1, 2025, coinciding with the Big Day of Giving. Site visits will be scheduled in August 2025, and final reports from grantees must be submitted by October 1, 2025.
Applicants must submit completed proposals via email to info@sacramentoliteracy.org. Interested organizations can download the application from the foundation’s website. For further inquiries, applicants can contact the Sacramento Literacy Foundation at info@sacramentoliteracy.org.
