Overview
Struggling with literacy as an adult can lead to long-term negative impacts for individuals, families, and entire communities. The Trust supports Adult Literacy by investing in Adult Basic Education programs, which also include basic math understanding, computer literacy, GED preparation, English as a Second Language support, and basic job-skills training.
Eligible Project Types
The Trust will fund projects that:
- Offer Adult Literacy or Adult Basic Education programming; or
- Develop new tools or curriculum to teach Adult Literacy or Adult Basic Education.
Eligible Organizations
The Trust will consider proposals for the types of projects listed above from:
- Community based nonprofit organizations; or
- Post-secondary educational institutions
Size and Duration of Grants
Grants in this focus area will generally range from $250,000 – $500,000. Grant durations typically range from 1-3 years.
Please note, the grant size and duration listed here are meant as a general guide. A Kenan Grant Officer will work closely with organizations advancing to later stages of our grant process to tailor grant requests if needed.
Featured Grant in Adult Literacy: ProLiteracy
The Kenan Trust supported ProLiteracy’s Navigating Success program by expanding services to 20 additional literacy partners in Upstate and Western New York. The program deploys skilled lead facilitators to conduct training sessions for literacy tutors, emphasizing advanced-skills development and the latest methodologies, equipping tutors with the tools to support low-literacy individuals.
Adult students use Learning Upgrade, an app that teaches reading, math, English, and financial literacy. The app broadens the accessibility of lessons outside of formal tutoring time, and it allows tutors to view a student’s progress in real time and create customized lessons according to the student’s progress.
