United Way of Central Indiana awards nearly $11K literacy grant to Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation

United Way of Central Indiana has awarded more than $400,700 to 31 child care providers, schools, and community organizations to help them start or expand literacy initiatives.

Locally, the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation received $10,959.64.

United Way’s Literacy Fund provides grants up to $25,000 to support literacy projects and efforts for children within the birth to age 8 range that improve language development, early literacy skills, reading and writing.

About 6,000 children will be served through the grants, across Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Marion, Morgan, and Putnam counties.

Earlier this year, United Way invited licensed nonprofit child care centers, licensed family child care homes, registered ministries, licensed out-of-school time providers, Title I elementary schools, and nonprofits from across its seven-county service area to apply for grants.

Among this year’s grant recipients are five nonprofits accredited with United Way and 26 outside its accredited partner network. Seventeen organizations are receiving funds from United Way of Central Indiana for the first time. This is part of United Way’s ongoing work to reach more people in more communities across the region.

“Strong literacy skills begin long before a child enters a classroom,” said Cody Haupert, United Way’s director of early care and learning. “Through the Literacy Fund, we are investing in organizations across Central Indiana that are helping children build language, reading and communication skills during the most critical years of development. We are excited to support both longtime partners and many first-time grantees as they expand access to high-quality literacy opportunities for children and families throughout our region.”

This is the second year of the Literacy Fund. The grants evolved from the Literacy Matters Fund, which supported literacy efforts following the coronavirus pandemic.