To reduce disparities in access to education and health.
The Molina Foundation’s grantmaking centers on literacy as a way to reduce disparities in access to education and health. Its recent awards show a strong pattern of large book- and resource-distribution grants to schools, libraries, food banks, health clinics, and community organizations that serve children, families, and low-literacy adults. In 2023, Region One Esc in Edinburg, Texas, received $2,063,145 for literacy, and Psja Library Services Department in Pharr, Texas, received $2,010,675 for literacy. Those awards sit alongside substantial support for public library systems and community-based partners, suggesting a direct-service model that moves books and literacy materials through local intermediaries rather than through individual grants. The foundation’s program names reinforce that approach: Book Buddies distributes new books through partner organizations, while WordUp and On My Way to Kindergarten provide structured literacy resources for young children. Across the grant list, the same theme appears repeatedly in different settings: building home libraries, supporting reading readiness, and increasing access to books where families already receive services.
Education and literacy are the clearest throughline in the foundation’s recent work. It gave $1,558,791 to Cleveland Public Library in 2024 for literacy, and $1,394,040 to Boys & Girls Club of the Los Angeles Harbor in San Pedro for literacy. Early childhood and school readiness also appear in the active programs: On My Way to Kindergarten offers activities, songs, crafts, and games for young children, and WordUp provides curated book sets and literacy resources with themed modules such as Space, Animals, and Pirates. The foundation also supports access to reading materials through community partners; for example, Capoc Oc Food Bank in Garden Grove received $985,380 for literacy, showing that food distribution sites are part of the delivery network. Taken together, the grants and program names point to reading support that is embedded in schools, libraries, and family-serving organizations.
Typical grant size sits at a p25 of $37,324, a median of $328,771, and a p75 of $505,937. The recent grants list shows repeated awards to some recipients across multiple years, including Cleveland Public Library, Teachers' Treasures, South Texas Literacy Coalition, Kiwanis #1 Club of Detroit, Psja Library Services Department, Jenna Welch & Laura Bush Community Library, and others, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation is a regular funder and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. It also accepts unsolicited partner sign-up requests through its network programs, including Join Our Network. The pattern is operational and direct-service oriented, with grants flowing to organizations that distribute books and literacy resources.
$5.3M
$18.7M
$6.7M
$6M
Most grants fall between $37K and $506K, with a median of $329K.
25th Percentile
$37K
Median
$329K
75th Percentile
$506K
MARY MARTHA BERNADETT M
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The foundation gives nationally, and every grant in the supplied recent list goes to a U.S. recipient. California is the top state by grant count, and 27% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state of California. Recent recipients span a wide set of places, including Edinburg and Pharr in Texas, Cleveland in Ohio, Detroit in Michigan, Indianapolis in Indiana, Garden Grove and San Pedro in California, and El Paso in Texas. The geographic pattern is broad, but it repeatedly favors community-based organizations and public institutions that can distribute books and literacy materials locally.
Its stated mission is to reduce disparities in access to education and health. Recent grants and active programs show a strong emphasis on literacy, early childhood education, book distribution, school readiness, and community-based support for children, families, and low-literacy adults.
Yes, through its Join Our Network partner sign-up programs. Those intake paths are open to nonprofits, clinics, agencies, and schools that want books and literacy resources for distribution to children and families.
The typical grant size is $37,324 at the 25th percentile, $328,771 at the median, and $505,937 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list also includes much larger awards, showing a wide spread within a direct-service funding model.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Cleveland Public Library, Teachers' Treasures, South Texas Literacy Coalition, Kiwanis #1 Club of Detroit, Psja Library Services Department, and Jenna Welch & Laura Bush Community Library. That pattern points to ongoing relationships with selected partners.
The foundation gives nationally, but California is the top state by grant count. In the provided data, 27% of grants go to recipients in California, while the recent grants list also shows recipients in Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Washington.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Molina Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations that serve children and families and can distribute themed book sets and literacy materials to young children.
Who can apply: Available for free to qualified nonprofit organizations through the Book Buddies program.
Deadline: No fixed deadlines stated.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEACHERS' TREASURES | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $709,102 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| CHILDRENS LITERACY PROJECTBERNIE'S BOOK BANK | LAKE BLUFF, IL | $649,598 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| CHILDRENS LITERACY PROJECTBRILLIANT DETROIT-313READS | DETROIT, MI | $619,153 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| QUEENS CITY BOOK BANK | CINCINATTI, OH | $403,000 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| SOUTH TEXAS LITERACY COALITION | EDINBURG, TX | $398,347 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| CHILDRENS LITERACY PROJECT-OREGON | LAKE OSWEGO, OR | $323,516 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| SC STATE UNIVERSITY 1890 RESEARCH & EXTENSION PROGRAM | ORANGEBURG, SC | $312,000 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| BEVERLY'S PGH | NORTH HUNTINGDON, PA | $312,000 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| THE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP | PITTSBURGH, PA | $312,000 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| SAN DIEGO COUNCIL ON LITERACY | SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA | $312,000 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP OF KERN (CAPK) | BAKERSFIELD, CA | $194,688 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| VOLUNTEER CENTER SOUTH BAYHARBORLONG BEACH | TORRANCE, CA | $163,350 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| NEST HEALTH | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $156,221 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| THURSTON COUNTY FOOD BANK | OLYMPIA, WA | $144,986 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHOP OF SAN BERNADINO COUNTY | SAN BERNADINO, CA | $133,952 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| WEST ANGELES CHURCH | LOS ANGELES, CA | $45,475 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| NEW IMAGE HOMELESS SHELTER | LONG BEACH, CA | $35,379 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| VIRGINIA 4-H | BLACKSBURG, VA | $31,750 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| WAYNE METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY HEAD START PROGRAM | DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI | $8,358 | 2025 | PROMOTE LITERACY |
| CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY | CLEVELAND, OH | $1,558,791 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| KIWANIS #1 CLUB | DETROIT, MI | $883,454 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| SOUTH TEXAS LITERACY COALITION | EDINBURG, TX | $753,818 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP - ORANGE COUNTY FOOD BANK | GARDEN GROVE, CA | $618,039 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| JENNA WELCH AND LAURA BUSH COMMUNITY LIBRARY | EL PASO, TX | $507,053 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP OF KERN COUNTY | BAKERSFIELD, CA | $384,720 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| CHILDRENS LITERACY PROJECT READ NORTHWEST | VANCOUVER, WA | $345,198 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| PSJA LIBRARY SERVICE DEPARTMENT | PHARR, TX | $331,017 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| CHILDRENS LITERACY PROJECT BRUNNER LITERACY CENTER | DAYTON, OH | $328,075 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| CHILDRENS LITERACY PROJECT READ2WIN | FORT WORTH, TX | $313,943 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| CHILDRENS LITERACY PROJECT TEACHERS TREASURES | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $288,863 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| CHILDRENS LITERACY PROJECT BERNIES BOOK BANK - TRUCK 1 | LAKE BLUFF, IL | $263,941 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| SAN DIEGO COUNCIL ON LITERACY | SAN DIEGO, CA | $215,877 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| VOLUNTEER CENTER | TORRANCE, CA | $100,595 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT | CHICAGO, IL | $81,411 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| THE VOLUNTEER CENTER - SOUTH BAY - HARBOR - LONG BEACH | TORRANCE, CA | $66,288 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| BLUE STAR FAMILIES | ENCINITAS, CA | $62,597 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| WEST ANGELES CHURCH | LOS ANGELES, CA | $42,280 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| NOBEL DUAL LANGUAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $28,249 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| QUEEN CITY BOOK BANK | CINCINATTI, OH | $27,340 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| NEW IMAGE HOMELESS SHELTER | LONG BEACH, CA | $23,461 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| GASOL FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $16,914 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| PULASKI COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL D | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $14,404 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| CITY YEAR COLUMBUS | COLUMBUS, OH | $14,404 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| METHODIST SERVICES | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $14,404 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| ATLAS PREPARATORY SCHOOL | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $13,782 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| BRACKENS KITCHEN | GARDEN GROVE, CA | $12,467 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| ALESSANDRO VOLTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $7,365 | 2024 | LITERACY |
| REGION ONE ESC | EDINBURG, TX | $2,063,145 | 2023 | LITERACY |
| PSJA LIBRARY SERVICES DEPARTMENT | PHARR, TX | $2,010,675 | 2023 | LITERACY |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE LOS ANGELES HARBOR | SAN PEDRO, CA | $1,394,040 | 2023 | LITERACY |
QUEENS CITY BOOK BANK
$403,000PROMOTE LITERACY
SOUTH TEXAS LITERACY COALITION
$398,347PROMOTE LITERACY
PROMOTE LITERACY
SAN DIEGO COUNCIL ON LITERACY
$312,000PROMOTE LITERACY
NEST HEALTH
$156,221PROMOTE LITERACY
WEST ANGELES CHURCH
$45,475PROMOTE LITERACY
NEW IMAGE HOMELESS SHELTER
$35,379PROMOTE LITERACY
PROMOTE LITERACY
KIWANIS #1 CLUB
$883,454LITERACY
SOUTH TEXAS LITERACY COALITION
$753,818LITERACY
JENNA WELCH AND LAURA BUSH COMMUNITY LIBRARY
$507,053LITERACY
PSJA LIBRARY SERVICE DEPARTMENT
$331,017LITERACY
CHILDRENS LITERACY PROJECT READ2WIN
$313,943LITERACY
SAN DIEGO COUNCIL ON LITERACY
$215,877LITERACY
WEST ANGELES CHURCH
$42,280LITERACY
NOBEL DUAL LANGUAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
$28,249LITERACY
QUEEN CITY BOOK BANK
$27,340LITERACY
NEW IMAGE HOMELESS SHELTER
$23,461LITERACY
GASOL FOUNDATION
$16,914LITERACY
PULASKI COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL D
$14,404LITERACY
METHODIST SERVICES
$14,404LITERACY
ATLAS PREPARATORY SCHOOL
$13,782LITERACY
ALESSANDRO VOLTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
$7,365LITERACY
REGION ONE ESC
$2,063,145LITERACY
PSJA LIBRARY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
$2,010,675LITERACY
