Grant Request Read to Grow, Inc.
Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form
Organization Name: Read to Grow, Inc.
Legal Name (if Different):
Also Known As:
Mailing Address: 53 School Ground Road, Suite #3
City: Branford
State: Connecticut
Postal Code: 06405
Main Phone: 203.488.6800
Main Fax: 203.488.7735
Organization Website: www.readtogrow.org
Employer ID Number: 06-1572185
Organization Tax Status: 501 c (3)
Proposal Information
Today’s Date: 3/25/21
Requested Amount: 5,500
Project Title: Supporting early childhood literacy from birth
Project Description:
Read to Grow starts with the assumption that parents want the best for their children. We are committed to supporting parents in understanding that birth to three is a critical time in the development of babies’ brains. Our innovative programs begin the conversation about early childhood literacy with pregnant women before babies are born, share the message at hospital bedside to parents of newborns, provide free books to children, and offer early childhood literacy workshops for parents. We start with pregnancy to emphasize that babies are born ready to learn. Our messaging explains that parents are their babies’ first teachers and that the regular repetition of fun activities – talk, sing, share books – provides the foundation for the development of language and literacy skills. As children get older, families have access to free books through our collaborations with nearly 300 organizations across Connecticut.
We are requesting support for the Books for Babies Prenatal Project and Newborn Project, which provide new baby board books and early childhood literacy information to pregnant women and families of newborns through nine community health centers and 15 hospitals in Connecticut. Annually, the programs serve more than 1,600 pregnant women and 21,200 families of newborns.
Research shows that parents who learn about babies’ explosive brain growth between birth and age 3 and are aware of the importance of sharing books, will take steps to nurture their children’s growth:
“…all parents want their children to do well – so when parents do learn that set of facts about both brain development and literacy, that knowledge, all by itself, can create new behaviors and different and more focused approaches for the parents who understand those issues,“ (Halvorson, 2015).
We help parents and children discover the joy of shared books because this positive experience leads to better outcomes for all.
Total Project Budget: 402,695
Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): 30,000+Funded Seedlings Foundation. The Foundation awarded an unrestricted $150,000 grant to support the Books for Babies and Books for Kids programs. We have not finalized our FY22 budget but we anticipate allocating between 30 – 50K to the Books for Babies Program. 5,000 Funded Community Foundation for Greater New Haven 10,000 Funded The Gawlicki Foundation 1,000 Funded Bodenwein Public Benevolent Foundation 5,500 Funded Frank Loomis Palmer Fund 20,000 Funded Fund for Greater Hartford 10,000 Funded Pitney Bowes Literacy and Educ. Fund 25,000 Pending Yale New Haven Hospital 10,000 Pending Middlesex Hospital 30,000 Pending Hartford Hospital Auxiliary 45,000 Pending Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET)
Project Duration: Ongoing
Geographical Area Served: Connecticut
Age Group To Be Served: Adults and babies
Contact Information
Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Mrs.
Contact First Name: Paula
Contact Last Name: Grimm
Contact Title: Development Associate
Contact Phone: 203.488.6800
Contact Email: pgrimm@readtogrow.org