Celebrate contemporary literature and authors and promote the cause of literacy in Arizona. Bring the joy and lifelong benefits of reading to all.
Literary and Prologue Society of the Southwest centers its giving on Arizona literacy programs, with recent grants reaching everything from bookmobiles on the Navajo Nation to classroom-ready reading support for young children. The foundation’s Literacy Grant Challenge supports nonprofit literacy work in Arizona through an application and reporting process, and its recent awards show a consistent focus on direct service, reading access, and early literacy outcomes. Among its larger recent grants, Chinle Planting Hope in Chinle received $15,000 for a bookmobile for the Navajo Nation, while Make Way for Books Story School Program in Tucson also received $15,000 for a kinder-ready literacy program. The foundation has also supported Read Better Be Better in Phoenix with $15,000 for literacy programs serving pre-K through 12th grade and another $15,000 for youth-mentor-based literacy work. These grants point to an approach that favors community-facing programs, mentorship, and practical reading support for children and families. Its stated purpose is to celebrate contemporary literature and authors and promote literacy in Arizona, bringing reading’s lifelong benefits to local communities. The recipient list shows repeated support for organizations working with at-risk children, caregivers, and rural or Indigenous communities.
Early literacy is a clear throughline in the foundation’s recent awards. Make Way for Books Story School Program in Tucson received $15,000 for a kinder-ready literacy program, and A Stepping Stone in Phoenix received $7,500 for a kinder-ready reading program. Mentorship-based reading support is another recurring theme. Read Better Be Better in Phoenix received $15,000 to improve literacy through youth mentors, and Literacy Connects in Tucson received $15,000 for mentors who help at-risk kids boost reading skills. Family literacy also appears in the grant record. Valleywise Health Foundation in Phoenix received $13,500 for book sharing with kids to improve literacy, following an earlier $10,000 grant for engaging caregivers in regular book sharing. The foundation also backed Achieve Pinal in Glendale with $15,000 for second- and third-grade tutors for literacy, showing support for reading intervention beyond early childhood.
$135K
$1.4M
$899K
$603K
Most grants fall between $10K and $15K, with a median of $12K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$12K
75th Percentile
$15K
LORELEI GONZALES
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Typical grants cluster tightly around a small range: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $12,412, and the 75th percentile is $15,000. Recent awards include multiple grants at $15,000, $10,000, $7,500, and $6,000, indicating a modest, program-focused grantmaking pattern rather than a wide spread of award sizes. The foundation gives through a defined Literacy Grant Challenge and says donations to that program go directly to vetted community programs after an application and reporting process. The recent record also shows repeat support to several recipients across multiple years, including Chinle Planting Hope, Read Better Be Better, Literacy Connects, Make Way for Books, Valleywise Health Foundation, and A Stepping Stone.
Grantmaking is concentrated entirely in Arizona, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the state. Recent recipient cities include Phoenix, Tucson, Chinle, and Glendale. Phoenix appears repeatedly in the record, alongside Tucson-based literacy providers and Chinle organizations serving the Navajo Nation. The pattern is local and statewide within Arizona rather than multi-state or national.
It funds early literacy, education, literature, and youth-focused reading support. Recent awards include kinder-ready literacy programs, youth-mentor reading work, tutoring for second- and third-graders, caregiver book-sharing, and a bookmobile serving the Navajo Nation.
Typical awards are concentrated in a narrow band: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $12,412, and the 75th percentile is $15,000. Recent grants also include $7,500 and $6,000 awards.
No. The geographic scope of giving is local, and 100% of grants in the recent record went to recipients in Arizona.
Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Chinle Planting Hope, Read Better Be Better, Literacy Connects, Make Way for Books, Valleywise Health Foundation, and A Stepping Stone. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships with selected literacy organizations.
The Literacy Grant Challenge accepts unsolicited applications. The foundation says the program supports nonprofit literacy programs in Arizona through an application and reporting process, with donations directed to carefully vetted community programs.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Literary and Prologue Society of the Southwest that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Nonprofit organizations working to improve reading access and outcomes across Arizona. Applications go through a vetting, application, and reporting process.
Deadline: Held each season from October to December.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinle Planting Hope Inc | Chinle, AZ | $25,000 | 2026 | Bookmobile for the Navajo Nation |
| Read Better Be Better | Phoenix, AZ | $25,000 | 2026 | Improve literacy thru youth mentors |
| Make Way For Books | Tucson, AZ | $25,000 | 2026 | Kinder ready literacy program |
| Literacy Connects | Tucson, AZ | $25,000 | 2026 | Mentors at-risk kids to boost reading skills |
| Elevate Phoenix | Phoenix, AZ | $15,000 | 2026 | Improve literacy with mentors coaching |
| Valleywise Health Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $15,000 | 2026 | Book sharing with kids to improve literacy |
| Child Crisis Arizona | Mesa, AZ | $5,000 | 2026 | Preschool literacy program |
| Chinle Planting Hope | Chinle, AZ | $15,000 | 2025 | Bookmobile for the Navajo Nation |
| Central AZ Regional Economic Development Foundation - Achieve Pinal | Glendale, AZ | $15,000 | 2025 | 2nd 3rd grade tutors for literacy |
| Make Way for Books Story School Program | Tucson, AZ | $15,000 | 2025 | Kinder ready literacy program |
| Literacy Connects | Tucson, AZ | $15,000 | 2025 | Mentors at-risk kids to boost reading skills |
| Read Better Be Better | Phoenix, AZ | $15,000 | 2025 | Improve literacy thru youth mentors |
| Valleywise Health Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $13,500 | 2025 | Book sharing with kids to improve literacy |
| A Stepping Stones Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $7,500 | 2025 | Kinder ready reading program |
| Gabriel's Angels | Phoenix, AZ | $7,500 | 2025 | Improve literacy-1st -3rd grade at-risk kids |
| Others under threshold | — | $15,000 | 2023 | — |
| Read Better Be Better | Phx, AZ | $15,000 | 2023 | Literacy programs pre-K-12th grade |
| Three others 5K and under | — | $13,000 | 2023 | Literacy programs pre-K-12th grade |
| Chinle Planting Hope | Chinle, AZ | $11,825 | 2023 | Bookmobile for Navajo Nation |
| Valleywise Health Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 2023 | Engages caregivers in regular book sharing |
| Literacy Connects | Tucson, AZ | $10,000 | 2023 | Reading proficiency for at-risk children 5-9 |
| Girl Scouts of AZ Cactus Pine | Phx, AZ | $10,000 | 2023 | Literacy programs pre-K-12th grade |
| A Stepping Stone | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 2023 | Help famililies prep kids for school success |
| Literacy Connects | Tucson, AZ | $6,000 | 2023 | Literacy programs pre-K-12th grade |
| Make Way for Books | Tucson, AZ | $6,000 | 2023 | Literacy programs pre-K-12th grade |
Central AZ Regional Economic Development Foundation - Achieve Pinal
$15,0002nd 3rd grade tutors for literacy
Gabriel's Angels
$7,500Improve literacy-1st -3rd grade at-risk kids
Others under threshold
$15,000Three others 5K and under
$13,000Literacy programs pre-K-12th grade