Overview
The Kenan Trust funds primary school literacy projects that aim to promote grade-level reading achievement by the 3rd grade. Students who read on their grade level are more likely to progress from grade to grade on time, have fewer behavioral problems, and be more engaged in the classroom.
Eligible Project Types
The Trust will fund projects that:
- Provide access to books at home or in school, particularly during school breaks;
- Offer professional development programming based on the science of reading for educators and school administrators; or
- Programs offering targeted interventions for students at risk of falling behind their grade level.
Eligible Organizations
The Trust will consider proposals for the types of projects listed above from:
- Community based nonprofit organizations; or
- Colleges or Universities
Size and Duration of Grants
Grants in this focus area will generally start at $250,000 and may reach more than $1M for larger organizations demonstrating large-scale impact. 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 Primary School Literacy: Book Harvest
Book Harvest’s 12-year-old Books on Break program has emerged as one of the most effective interventions in the country for strengthening students’ reading skills over the summer. This time-tested program allows every student in a school to select 10 new books to take home to read all summer long and keep forever, building their home libraries and preserving the literacy gains they made in the classroom. Book Harvest has distributed more than 500,000 books.
"Teachers and school administrators report that Books on Break helps to provide a culture of literacy in their school communities and in the homes and neighborhoods where their students and families live."
In 2024, the Kenan Trust funded a pilot expansion of Books on Break, creating a sustainable model for implementing the program in other regions across North Carolina and in other states, contributing to a thriving culture of literacy for all children.
