2022-2023 Local Impact Grant Recipients
Pi Beta Phi believes reading always has been—and always will be—a powerful step toward a life of enduring impact. Our members seek to inspire a lifelong love of reading through Read > Lead > Achieve® literacy initiatives, fundraising events and activities, making a difference for children in communities across North America.
Local Impact Grants help expand the reach of the Fraternity’s literacy work while also providing a way for Pi Phis to support reading programs and access to books for children close to home. As chapters and alumnae clubs fundraise for The Literacy Fund at Pi Beta Phi Foundation, they can nominate an organization in their community to receive a Local Impact Grant from our Foundation. The program allows clubs and chapters to direct 25% of their fundraising contributions to a literacy-focused nonprofit, matched dollar-for-dollar by a grant from our Foundation.
Recipients include organizations such as Title I schools in districts with Foundations, tutoring and mentoring programs and community foundations. Grants are used to support literacy programs and purchase books for classroom and home libraries—providing reading materials for children who otherwise might not have access to quality, age-appropriate books.
“When people say that kids don’t read anymore, do they ever stop to think about whether those kids even have access to books?” Jessica Payne, Executive Director at Kids Need to Read understands that access is everything. Their mission is to bridge the gaps in literacy access and support, and now they can with the help of Pi Beta Phi.
Thanks to a Local Impact Grant from the Pi Beta Phi Foundation, Kids Need to Read can immerse children in an integrated world of literacy experiences that teaches them the impact of reading on every aspect of life, and builds confidence for a prosperous future regardless of race, economic status or personal capabilities.
In 2023, the Arizona Beta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi and the Phoenix, Arizona, Alumnae Club hosted an event at Brunson Lee Elementary, a Title 1 school in where they had a “Storybook Adventure” read aloud activity with the students. Pirate Captain Ruby Red Lips read pirate stories to the kindergarten and first-grade students and even came back the next day to hand out books and assign reading buddies.
“We couldn’t have done it without the amazing Pi Phi volunteers from Arizona State University and the Phoenix, Arizona, Alumnae Club," says Jessica. "They helped everything run smoothly.”
Thank you to the Pi Beta Phi alumnae clubs and chapters that nominated organizations to receive Local Impact Grants—and congratulations to the grant recipients! Learn more about the ways Pi Beta Phi Foundation supports Pi Phi’s commitment to literacy here.