Grants for Children's Book Publishers

Publishing grants open doors for some children's book writers.

Children’s book publishers have an array of grants from which to choose, from the conventional to the more unusual and innovative, but they all lead to published children's books. These grants give life to small, individual and group book projects. They are available through individuals, organizations, foundations and societies, as well as national, community, nonprofit and commercial sponsors. Their common denominator is to produce books that are a credit to their creators and make a positive contribution to society at large.

Teaching Tolerance Grant

Through a Mix It Up grant from Teaching Tolerance, Harwood Union High School students in Vermont self-published five illustrated children’s books in 2010. Based on the real-life experiences of students with disabilities, the books tell the stories of children with dyslexia, Down syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and a lisp. The publishing project stemmed from a creative writing class with the aim to raise awareness about disabilities. The book titles are “Tanner,” “Gracie,” “Swoosh,” “Who’s the Boy with the Box?” and “Sea Shells.” Teaching Tolerance is a program of the nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center that promotes inclusive and nurturing school environments. The Mix It Up grant supports youth activities that challenge social boundaries in schools and communities. The grant value is undisclosed.

Community Foundation Grant

The role of the Community Foundation in Jacksonville, Florida, is to stimulate philanthropy so as to benefit the community at large. It is Florida’s oldest community foundation. Grants for community projects receive funding from the J. Shepard Jr. & Mary Ann Bryan Arts Endowment, the Art Ventures Fund, and the Independent Life Minority Arts Award Fund. In 2011, the foundation awarded grants to six area artists. Among them was Carrie J. Richter, who received a $3,500 grant to cover the printing costs and illustrations of a book endorsed by the Early Learning Coalition of Putnam and St. John’s Counties. The book is for children and also for adults learning to read.

Design Ignites Change/Worldstudio Grant

In Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2011, Foothill High School senior Ben Nelson became a children’s book author because of his outstanding computer graphics skills and despite autism. He received a $1,000 grant for his book idea from Design Ignites Change, a collaboration between Worldstudio, which awarded the grant, and the Adobe Foundation, a sponsor. The Design Ignites Change Idea Awards are for project ideas that address an important community issue and reflect innovation that translates into a feasible project, given the necessary funding and resources. Nelson’s book takes its inspiration from “Little Red Riding Hood.” In “Little Red Flying Hood,” the main character is a housefly called Red, while a bad spider called Cranston substitutes for the Big Bad Wolf.

Barbara Karlin Grant

The nonprofit Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators offers the Barbara Karlin Grant, especially for picture book writers. Amazon.com underwrites the award, which has the designation SCBWI Work-in-Progress grant. Full and associate SCBWI members are eligible for the grant, provided they have no previous picture book publications. The Society accepts one submission per entrant of an original story, work of nonfiction or a new interpretation of a fairy tale, folktale or legend. As of 2011, the value of the annual grant was $2,000; a runner-up grant was $500.

References

• The Valley Reporter: "Harwood Students Publish Children's Books About Disability Awareness;" Jan 2010
• King County Youth Development Network: Mix It Up Grants
• Southern Poverty Law Center: Who We Are, Teaching Tolerance
• The Community Foundation In Jacksonville: Foundation Grants
• Las Vegas Sun: "Foothill High Senior Is the Picture Of Victory Over Autism;" Takahashi; Feb 2011
• Design Ignites Change: Idea Awards

Resources

• SCBWI: Barbara Karlin Grant