Youth Grants for Excellence Applications due 10/2/15

The Nebraska Library Commission announces that grants are available to accredited public libraries and state-run institutional libraries for special projects in the area of children’s and young adult services. These grants are awarded to encourage innovation and expansion of public library services for youth and their parents or caregivers. Applications will be accepted for projects in an area that will benefit children and/or teens and which you see as a need in your community; for examples see the “Introduction” link below. The Youth Grants for Excellence require a 25% match of the amount requested (grant amount), of which at least 10% must be a cash match. The minimum amount that will be awarded per grant is now $250. The $250 minimum grant amount plus the required 25% local match ($63) combine for $313 as the lowest total project amount for a Youth Grant for Excellence. There are two different application forms. For projects requesting $250 – $1,000 in grant funds use the abbreviated, or short form. Applications requesting more than $1,000 must use the long form. Please be sure to use the correct form for your project. Please go to the “Introduction” page for links to the forms (at the bottom of the page). Please note: AWE work stations, or similar stations of other companies, are allowed this year (2015) and then will no longer be eligible beginning in 2016. You may also be interested in viewing the NCompass Live session from 8/20/14 titled “What You Need to Know to Apply for a Youth Grant.” You are welcome to call or email Sally Snyder with questions or to ask for more information.