Literacy Opportunity Fund is a grant from the Nora Roberts Foundation, administered by ProLiteracy, that funds US-based nonprofit organizations providing direct adult literacy services. Awards of up to $6,000 support general operating expenses such as staff salaries, teacher stipends, technology, supplies, equipment, and space rental, as well as specific adult literacy projects or new programming development.

Grants are awarded four times per year, with award notifications sent approximately eight weeks after each deadline. To be eligible, organizations must be registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits with an EIN, located in the United States, providing direct literacy instruction to adult students, and not have received this grant within the past 12 months. The next deadline is April 1, 2026.

Literacy Opportunity Fund - ProLiteracy Literacy Opportunity Fund Literacy Opportunity Fund Access funding to support your general operations. Grants through our Literacy Opportunity Fund help US-based nonprofit organizations do their work in transforming lives through adult literacy. We award grants up to $6,000 to literacy organizations of all types and sizes that are doing direct work with adult students.

Apply for a grant to fund your organization’s general operating expenses, such as salaries or teacher stipends, supplies or equipment, space rental, and more. Grant funds can also be used to fund adult literacy projects or develop new programming. Generously funded by the Nora Roberts Foundation.

What you need to know to apply. We award grants four times a year . If the date falls on a weekend or a holiday, the deadline will be the next business day.

To be eligible for this grant, your organization must: be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. state tax exemptions do not fulfill this requirement have an Employer Identification Number (EIN). provide literacy services directly to students.

book distributions and lending libraries are not funded projects be located within the United States. not have already received a Literacy Opportunity Fund grant in the last 12 months. submit a complete and detailed application.

(Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.) When will we find out if our application is approved? We send award notifications by email approximately 8 weeks after the submission deadline.

How much are individual grants? Our Literacy Opportunity Fund grants are awarded up to $6,000. You can apply for any amount up to $6 ,000 based on your organization’s specific needs.

What work can a grant support? Grants can be used to support general operating expenses. General operating expenses might include salaries, technology, supplies, teacher stipends, equipment, space rental, etc. Your application may also focus on a particular project or new programming effort.

In our grant application, what should we include in the 2–3 sentence summary? At minimum, the summary of your request should include the kind of literacy services your program provides, who your literacy program serves, and how your program will use the grant. Can I apply for more than one type of ProLiteracy grant?

Yes! If eligible, your organization may apply to one or more of our three grant opportunities. Each of our funds—Literacy Opportunity Fund, National Book Fund, and Mobile Learning Fund—has a separate application with different requirements and deadlines, so be sure to follow the application guidelines for each.

If we're not a 501(c)(3), can we apply through a related 501(c)(3) organization? Yes. In the application, please describe your organization as well as its relationship to the applying 501(c)(3) organization.

Can I apply if my organization operates outside of the United States? Only organizations within the US may apply to the Literacy Opportunity Fund. However, our international membership program may provide benefits applicable to your organization.

Find out more here . If you have more questions, please contact the grants manager at [email protected] .