[lstac] Non-Competitive grants

[Forbes, Lyndsay (BLC)]

We also did something similar in Massachusetts for two years before putting it on hiatus for similar reasons. Ours was competitive, which I think helped limit the issue you're seeing. To be fair, any grant program we run always gets applications that are operational expenditures no matter how much wording and messaging we do.

We framed it more to encourage summer learning than solely summer reading. I don't know if having them propose a project or concept and giving examples helped but we got some excellent options. Here's the blurb we used.

While summer reading programs are a well-established tradition, libraries offer many other opportunities for learning during the summer months. This program supports expanding the concept of summer learning in libraries beyond reading. Public libraries may apply for funds in the range of $500-2000 to carry out a project that promotes youth learning in their community during the summer.
Examples could include teen internships, youth designing an escape room event for the library, a gardening series in partnership with your local Parks and Rec, offering healthy activities if you serve as a summer lunch site, etc


Lyndsay Forbes
Project Manager and Grants Specialist
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
617-725-1860 x252
857-488-6616 (mobile)


From: lstac <lstac-bounces at omls.oregon.gov> On Behalf Of Reish, Karren (MDE) via lstac
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 2:18 PM
To: lstac at omls.oregon.gov
Subject: [lstac] Non-Competitive grants

CAUTION: This email originated from a sender outside of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts mail system.  Do not click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.

Good afternoon, Michigan has a small (under $2,000 per grant), simple programming supply grant for public libraries. It is intended to allow more robust summer programming in public libraries and a chance for the library to try something new. It is on hiatus since last year due to the CARES/ARPA work and I am pondering how to restart it. My issue is that it has become operational expenditures for small libraries. They just ask for their programming costs each summer. For many, it isn't increasing their programming nor are they necessarily trying something new.

Does anyone else do a non-competitive small grant like this? Do you consider the specific programming content as part of the criteria other than for allowability? Am I just angsting over what a small library can do for grant applications and for programming?

Thanks for any insights.

Karren Reish
Library Grants Coordinator
Library of Michigan
517-241-0021,  www.michigan.gov/lsta<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.michigan.gov/lsta__;!!CPANwP4y!RVETP3LaHH1Hxd1UQxhGNTp2Zo1KKKWJdl9XQQUXObExXom_FQN4WH4op00LvM7KVairYQNSEx6Ra7PmanY6EPAEPQ$>

The Michigan School Meals program allows for all public school students, grades Pre-K to 12, to eat breakfast and lunch for free. Learn more<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.michigan.gov/mde/services/food/michigan-school-meals__;!!CPANwP4y!RVETP3LaHH1Hxd1UQxhGNTp2Zo1KKKWJdl9XQQUXObExXom_FQN4WH4op00LvM7KVairYQNSEx6Ra7PmanYWRPW6vA$>.
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