Reading Together: The Big Read Program from the National Endowment for the Arts

Nov 09, 2020 at 11:48 am by Unknown


Grant Opportunity: Despite social distancing measures that limit the ways we can directly connect with our local communities, there remain many creative ways to come together in small ways. The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read project is designed for local libraries to develop and implement community reading programs around a series of pre-selected books. Click here for the Big Read FAQ page and learn more about the program’s guidelines.

Community reading programs will be conducted from September 2021 – June 2022 and will use the following texts for programming:

According to Mary Anne Carter, NEA Chair, “These books all provide insights into different aspects of our history and we look forward to seeing the creative ways organizations find to explore their selected book with their community." NEA will also provide instructional content (e.g., author interviews, audio/visual resources) and teaching guides for all of the selected books.

Eligibility: Organizations registered as 501(c)(3) nonprofits; a division of local, state or tribal agencies; or tax-exempt libraries.  Federally recognized tribes, local/ municipal governments, and educational institutions. “Eligible applicants include organizations such as arts centers, arts councils, arts organizations, colleges and universities, community service organizations, environmental organizations, fairs and festivals, faith-based organizations, historical societies, housing authorities, humanities councils, libraries, literary centers, museums, school districts, theater companies, trade associations, and tribal governments” according to Arts Midwest.

Grant Amount: Awards range $5,000-$20,000

Grant Period: September 2021 – June 2022

Important Dates: An online informal information session will be conducted on Thursday, November 12, at 1:00 p.m. ET. Click here to register for the event.

The deadline for applications is January 27, 2021.

For more information: Click here to review the application guidelines and information submitting an Intent to Apply letter to ArtsMidwest.

Brockport Research Institute provides grant-writing, evaluation, project management, and professional learning services. For questions or more information, please call the office (585) 431- 3416 or contact us: info@BrockportResearchInstitute.com.

Tags: Books Library Literacy NEA Reading
Sections: Grant Opportunities