Socially Conscious Online Bookseller Awards $125,000USD in 2018 Literacy Grants

Better World Books Announces the Global Recipients of its Eighth Annual Literacy Grants to Projects in the Central African Republic, Columbia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zimbabwe 

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MISHAWAKA, Indiana U.S.A. (September 5, 2018) – In March 2018, Better World Books announced the application period for its Eighth Annual Literacy Grants designed to address the literacy needs of communities across the world. Applicants could qualify for a grant up to £10,000 (UK and Europe) and up to $15,000 (North America) for projects designed to address a literacy need in their community. Literacy Grant funding is generated by the sale of books designated to support the Better World Books’ General Literacy Fund.

Better World Books received a record-breaking 400 applications this year and each application was reviewed, scored and selected by a team of forty-six Better World Books employee volunteers.

For the 2018 grant period, Better World Books is pleased to announce that literacy grants totaling $125,000USD have been awarded, in varying amounts, to support the following noteworthy projects:

• Money for Madagascar  
  • https://moneyformadagascar.org/
  • Project Location: Madagascar
  • Grant: £10,000
  • Recipient: Literacy for All
• Sharing Stories
  • https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries-and-archives/
  • Project Location: Lancashire, United Kingdom
  • Grant: £10,000
  • Recipient: Lancashire County Council Libraries
• A Library for Gert Nel Primary School: Chatsworth, Zimbabwe
  • https://aussiebooksforzim.org/
  • Project Location: Zimbabwe
  • Grant: $15,000
  • Recipient: Aussie Books for Zim
• Books, iPads, Board Games & Buddies for Homeless Children
  • http://www.theneed2read.org/
  • Project Location: New Jersey, United States
  • Grant: $13,048.78
  • Recipient: Need2Read Program
• Additional Classrooms
  • http://www.prefercanada.org/
  • Project Location: Rwanda
  • Grant: $12,150
  • Recipient: Rwanda PREFER Society

• Braille Books for Blind Children
  • http://www.seedlings.org/
  • Project Location: Detroit, United States
  • Grant: $5,000
  • Recipient: Seedlings Braille Books for Children
• The Literacy Garden
  • https://www.rileyortonfoundation.org/
  • Project Location: Kisumu, Kenya
  • Grant: $13,513
  • Recipient: Riley Orton Foundation
• Litworld Programs and Support for the Community of Roldanillo, Colombia
  • https://www.litworld.org/
  • Project Location: Roldanillo, Colombia
  • Grant: $15,000
  • Recipient: Litworld International, Inc.
• 22,000 Donated Books in 40’ Sea Container to Central African Republic
  • https://www.booksforafrica.org/
  • Project Location: Bangui, Central African Republic
  • Grant: $15,000 + donated books
  • Recipient: Books for Africa
• ideaX STEM Learning Program
  • https://kcls.org/browse/ideax/
  • Project Location: King County, Washington, United States
  • Grant: $15,000
  • Recipient: King County Library System Foundation

Martin Mullin, Chair of Better World Books’ Literacy Council commented, “Better World Books is really proud to be able to support these superb projects.  We have consolidated this year’s funds into one global fund, with each application carefully read and scored by team members from across our global sites.  We look forward to hearing more from each of these projects and how they make a sustainable difference to literacy across communities.  Thank you once again to everyone who applied for this year’s grants.”

To learn more about Better World Books’ Literacy Grants and this year’s award recipients, please visit https://cares.betterworldbooks.com/

About Better World Books

Better World Books (https://www.BetterWorldBooks.com) is a for-profit socially conscious business and a global online bookseller that collects and sells new and used books online matching each purchase with a book donation, Book-for-Book™. Each sale generates funds for literacy and education initiatives in the UK, US, and around the world. Since its launch in 2003, Better World Books has raised more than $27 million for libraries and literacy, donated over 26 million books and reused or recycled over 313 million books.

Media Contact

Better World Books

Dustin Holland

O: 1.574.855.5205

[email protected]