Education and Literacy Grants Program

Overview
Grant applications are typically accepted once each year according to the Marilyn J. Klenck Fund for Education and Literacy grant cycle. Application requirements may change from year to year; therefore, grantseekers are advised to revisit this page prior to beginning the grant application process. 

Grant Cycle

We consider funding requests for grants on a yearly cycle. The requirements and instructions provided here are to be considered current and accurate only for the duration of the Fund's grant cycle.  This year's grant cycle will run from January 2012 through April 2012. Applications will be accepted from the January announcement date through the submission deadline of February 27, 2012.  

2012 Funding Priorities 

Applications will be accepted from nonprofit, charitable organizations for programs that encourage and develop early literacy skills of children ages 0-5 and/or programs that provide literacy intervention for struggling readers in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Programs should include strategies that promote:

•Alphabet recognition and sound/symbol relationships

•Phonological awareness (rhyming, blending, segmenting)

•Reading fluency

•Reading comprehension

•Parental/family involvement 

Eligibility

The Fund welcomes applications from nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and from governmental agencies serving one or more of the nine Indiana counties served by the Alliance: Daviess, Gibson, Knox, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick. Applications from nonprofit organizations that have not obtained 501(c)(3) and 509(a) designations from the Internal Revenue Service may be accepted provided that a fiscal sponsor is secured in order to oversee the project and accept grant monies if awarded.

Fiscal Sponsors
Applications submitted by an entity under the auspices of another agency must include a written statement signed by the agency’s board president on behalf of the board of directors agreeing to act as the entity’s fiscal sponsor, to receive grant monies if awarded, and to oversee the proposed project.

Deliberation
The Fund's grants committee will make its recommendations on funding to the Alliance Board of Directors. No lobbying or soliciting of Alliance representatives will be permitted.

Award Announcement
All organizations that have submitted grant applications will be notified of the outcome of the grants committee's deliberation in writing by the end of April 2012.

Reporting Procedures
A six-month progress report and a final report at project completion are required by organizations whose applications are approved for funding. Instructions and appropriate forms will be provided at the time the grant is awarded.  

Grant Application Form
The Grant Application Form is designed to be completed on-screen and then submitted online.  The form cannot be saved for retrieval at a later time, so you should not begin entering data until you can devote sufficient time to completing the entire form in one sitting.  The form is provided below:

Grant Application Form

Deadline and Submission Instructions
The grant application must be electronically submitted to the Community Foundation Alliance no later than 5pm on February 27, 2012.  Upon submission, you will receive an email confirming receipt of your funding request.  Included in this confirmation email will be a recap of the information you provided in your grant application form.  Please retain a copy of the email for your records.