The Action & Innovation Grant supports projects that take action on issues impacting the community served by your organization. Projects that take action in an innovative way are preferred. Projects that collaborate with other RRLC members or community organizations receive priority consideration.
The Rochester Regional Library Council invites member organizations to submit Preliminary Proposals for our Action & Innovation Grant. Of those Preliminary Proposals submitted, RRLC will invite a subset to submit a Full Proposal.
Preliminary Proposals are no longer being accepted. Thank you to all that applied.
ELIGIBILITY
Membership: All applicants must be dues paying members of RRLC. See our website for a list of member libraries. NOTE: Individual school and public libraries, while not dues paying members of RRLC, are considered members through their library system. You must be authorized by your organization to submit a proposal on behalf of your organization.
FUNDABLE PROJECTS
Many types of projects may be funded under this grant program. Projects must address an issue impacting the community served by your organization. Projects that address an issue in an innovative way, i.e. in a way not currently modeled in our region, are highly preferred. Projects collaborating with another RRLC member or community partner receive priority consideration.
Examples of projects may include:
- Improving health outcomes through a telehealth project in partnership with a local health system
- Improving digital inclusion in the community through a collaboration with a community organization
- Designing accessible programming or services for community members with disabilities
- Partnering with a student group to address an issue on campus
GRANT TIMELINE
September 20, 2024 Preliminary Proposals open
October 18, 2024 Preliminary Proposals due
November 1, 2024 Selected applicants invited to submit Full Proposal
December 2, 2024 Last day to ask questions about grant proposals
December 9, 2024 Full Proposals due
January 16, 2025 Board of Trustees makes final award selections
January 20, 2025 Grant awardees notified this week
January 31, 2025 Grant acceptance letters due; award payments sent
July 31, 2025 Mid-year progress reports due
January 2026 Project completion; final reports due
IMPORTANT: You must fully review the RFP before submitting the Preliminary Proposal. Contact Laura Schiefer with questions.
The 2024 Action & Innovation Grant winner is:
- Rochester School Library System – Providing Books and Makerspaces for Blind and Partially Sighted Students
This project will build a collection of braille and VCI books to ensure blind and low vision students across the Rochester Region have more equitable access to school libraries. This project also seeks to improve equity across student makerspaces by creating new universally designed loanable kits that include braille items or braille overlay labels to current kits that will allow these students to more fully participate in their makerspaces.