How much funding does Adult Literacy XPRIZE Communities Competition provide?

Adult Literacy XPRIZE Communities Competition provides $1,000,000 in funding.

When is the deadline for Adult Literacy XPRIZE Communities Competition?

This grant has a rolling deadline or the deadline has not been announced.

Adult Literacy XPRIZE Communities Competition

The Barbara Bush Foundation

Foundation One-time Literacy Grants Community Services Grants

Funding Amount

$1,000,000

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

Adult Literacy XPRIZE Communities Competition

Status: Launched June 2018; milestone award winners announced April 2019; competition concluded August 2019

Geographic Scope: United States (focus on rural and metropolitan communities)

Focus Areas:

Distributing and promoting winning literacy apps to adult learners

Recruiting low-literacy adults to download and use proven mobile learning applications

Expanding access to adult literacy technology solutions

Reaching 1,000,000 adult learners

Serving adults in diverse communities (rural to metropolitan)

Background:
Second phase of the $7M Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPRIZE. This competition incentivizes organizations, communities, and individuals to recruit adult learners to download and use apps developed by finalist teams in the main Adult Literacy XPRIZE. Addresses the fact that 36 million U.S. adults lack basic English literacy, with only 5% having access to educational services.

Prize Structure:

Total Prize Pool: $1,000,000

Milestone Awards: $500,000 split among 24 finalist teams for most innovative, feasible, and scalable plans

Implementation Prize Pool: $500,000 for teams recruiting most adult learners to download and use apps

Milestone Award Winners (24 teams receiving $500,000):
901Readers, Adult Literacy Partners of Houston, Cedar Riverside Adult Education, Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition, Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE), El Refugio – The Refuge, Essential Education, First Book, KANSEL, Laundry Literacy Coalition, Lit 417, Lit Fit NEO, The Literacy Council of Central Alabama, Literacy Services of Wisconsin (MKE), Makeosity Inc., National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA), Napa Adult Literacy Alliance, North Texas Communities Competition Team, Philadelphia Freedom, ProLiteracy, Queens Borough Public Library, Southeast Michigan Region 10 Adult Learner, Westchester Library System, World Education

Eligible Apps:
Applications developed by proven finalist teams from main XPRIZE competition that demonstrated literacy gains

Eligibility:

Applicants: Education institutions, nonprofits, NGOs, government agencies, companies, corporations, and individuals

Geographic Focus: Rural communities to metropolitan centers across the United States

Target Population: Low-literacy adults; emphasis on diverse geographies and backgrounds

Required Activity: Recruit adult learners and distribute free learning apps

Contact:

Lauren Sproull, Vice President of Communications: 850.562.5300 or Lauren.Sproull@barbarabush.org

Eric Desatnik, XPRIZE Communications: prcontact@xprize.org

Address: P.O. Box 14141, College Station, TX 77841-4141

Phone: (979) 862-2251

Email: bush.foundation@bush41.org

How to Apply

Application Process

Timeline:

Application deadline: December 21, 2018

All 46 teams recruited adult learners and distributed apps through August 31, 2019

Grand prize winners announced fall 2019

Application Requirements:

Submit most innovative, feasible, and scalable plans for app distribution

Describe strategy for recruiting low-literacy adults to download apps

Outline implementation plan for reaching target populations

Detail community engagement and outreach approach

Evaluation Criteria for Milestone Awards ($500,000):

Innovation of plan

Feasibility of implementation

Scalability of approach

Ability to reach diverse populations

Evaluation Criteria for Implementation Prize ($500,000):

Number of adult learners recruited to download apps

Consistent app usage by participants

Diversity of participants across geographic regions

Submit to:

Communities Competition website at communities.xprize.org

Apply with Grantable Learn more

What The Barbara Bush Foundation actually gave

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2025

Grants in 2025: 5
Total given: $21.11M
Median grant: $10K
Range: $5,200–$21.07M

By dollars: Texas >99%, Florida <1%, Connecticut <1%. Top recipient cities: Ft Lauderdale, FL; College Station, TX; Miami, FL.
0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

Example grants

George & Barbara Bush Foundation · College Station, TX

Education and support

$21.07M
Broward Education Foundation · Ft Lauderdale, FL

Education

$18K
The School Board of Miami Dade · Miami, FL

Education

$10K
The City of Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale, FL

Education

$6,000
Bridgeport Public Schools · Bridgeport, CT

Education

$5,200