Family Literacy Grant

This funding opportunity supports nonprofits that build the capacity of parents and caregivers to serve as their child’s first and most important teacher. Two‑year grants will enable organizations to equip caregivers with the tools, resources, and strategies needed to guide learning and language development at home for children from birth through age eight.
The plan notes that foundational literacy skills include print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing, and oral language development. Applicants should describe how their program develops one or more of these foundational literacy skills.
The Hawaiʻi State Early Literacy Guide further describes early literacy concepts, Birth–Preschool to
Kindergarten–3rd transitions, and developmental continuums for implicit and explicit acquisition.  The following focus areas were informed by advisory committee input and donor funding priorities. Funds must be used to support family literacy efforts that strengthen the capacity of parents and caregivers to serve as their child’s first and most important teacher. Proposed projects should focus on families with young children, from birth through age eight, and “equip caregivers with the tools, resources, and strategies to guide children’s learning activities and language experiences at home.”
Priority will be given to applications that:
Serve under-resourced communities, including families experiencing economic hardship, immigrant or refugee families, rural communities, and others with limited access to high-quality literacy supportsImplement evidence-based family literacy practices or programs, including nationally recognized models adapted to reflect local cultures, languages, and community contexts
All funded projects must also:
Include an assessment or evaluation component to monitor implementation and measure progress toward family literacy outcomesDescribe how project staff and partners will be prepared to implement family literacy effectively, which may include professional learning or training for educators, family engagement staff, or community partnersEngage community-based partnerships to build trust, increase participation, and ensure programming is responsive to families’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds