Grants That Make a Difference

Advancing Literacy, a program of Carnegie Corporation's Education Division, was launched in 2003 to fund research on teaching reading to older children and adolescents. In its first three years, Carnegie Corporation's Advancing Literacy has awarded over $12 million in grants to support the advancement of research, practice, and policy in the field of middle and high school literacy.

The program has focused its funding in the following areas:

• Research and Policy Change: With grants to research and policy organizations, including Alliance for Excellent Education, the National Urban League, and the National Association of State Boards of Education, Advancing Literacy funded new studies on the relationship between adolescent literacy and the achievement gap. Funded reports include Reading Next- A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy: A Report to Carnegie Corporation of New York and Adolescent Literacy and the Achievement Gap: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go From Here?. Read about the impact of this research in Education Week, the Denver Post, and the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• Furthering Best Practices: Research grants in this area, including in methods targeting high school English-language learners, have gone to the Center for Applied Linguistics, RAND Corporation, and the New York Institute for Special Education, among others. One recent report describes the work of a panel convened by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, outlining the specific needs of English-language learners and the teaching methods and educational policies required to help them. Read about Double the Work: Challenges and Solutions to Acquiring Language and Academic Literacy for Adolescent English Language Learners in Education Week.
• Professional Development Programs in Adolescent Literacy:
Carnegie Corporation grantees in this area include the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National School Boards Association, and institutions of higher education across the country.

Additional information on Advancing Literacy, including access to funded reports and the web sites of program grantees, is available on the web site of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Here you will find information by topic, audience, and format.

Source: "The State of Adolescent Literacy Today: Carnegie Corporation’s Advancing Literacy Initiative"

"Grants that Make a Difference" is a rotating feature profiling grants awarded to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations in the tri-state region (NY, NJ, or CT); the grantmaker doesn't necessarily have to be local. The selection of grants for "Grants That Make a Difference" is based on criteria such as programmatic interests, geographic focus, and size, to ensure the broadest possible representation of the region's nonprofit sector.

If you'd like to see a grant that was awarded to your nonprofit organization featured here, e-mail a detailed description of the grant (following the format below), to nyweb@foundationcenter.org, with "Grants Submission" in the subject line. We welcome press releases in addition to, or as a substitute for the description.
Here is what you need to include:

1. Name of your funded program
   
2. The amount of the grant (indicate if multi-year)
   
3. Who received the grant: Your organization's name, contact person's name (if applicable), address, telephone and web site (if applicable).
   
4. Who gave the grant: Name of the grantmaker
   
5. Community impact: A brief (250 words maximum) explanation of how this program is making a difference in the community.
   
6. Your organization's mission and how it relates to this funded project.