The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries, housed at the George W. Bush Institute, provides grant funding to expand, diversify, and update school library book and print collections. Mrs. Laura Bush initially launched the Laura Bush Foundation in 2002 while serving in the White House. Since then, $22 million has been awarded to over 3,800 schools across the country, filling libraries with new books and encouraging students to develop a love of reading and learning.
Schools use the grant awards to update their collections through a variety of formats, including Braille volumes, audiobooks, dual language books, publication subscriptions, and e-books. Studies show that the quality of a school library has a major impact on reading scores and academic success.
In 2023, Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) began to support the Foundation, serving as a valued extension of their team in facilitating the management of their online grant application and grant distribution process.
A former librarian and teacher, Mrs. Bush has a lifelong passion for education and reading, and she understands that limited financial resources often result in school leaders placing a lower priority on their libraries.
“We’ve seen that when schools evaluate their budgets and need to make cuts, funding for school library collections can often be the first to go,” said Alex Dowdy, senior program manager for education at the Bush Institute. “School leaders have shared the positive impact these grants have on students when they discover there are new authors and titles for them to explore and connect with. Our focus is to ensure all children have access to books and agency in what they’re reading.”
“Instilling a love of reading is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. When a child opens a book, they open up a world of possibilities. These grants give librarians the opportunity to update their collections, and they give students the chance to find a book that captures their interest,” Mrs. Bush said.
“CFT’s partnership frees up our team to focus on reading each grant application and understanding each school’s needs,” shared Alex. Their grant awards support hundreds of school library collections each year.
Mrs. Bush’s impact on literacy and learning spans decades. In 2001, Mrs. Bush established the Library of Congress National Book Festival, an annual literary festival that brings together bestselling authors and readers for author talks, panel discussions, and book signings. The George W. Bush Presidential Center presents an annual Laura Bush Book Club event to bring together authors and community members as part of their Engage at the Bush Center series. Mrs. Bush also shares an annual summer reading list for toddlers through middle schoolers that contains both classics and new releases.
Read more about The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries’ 2024 grants
View Mrs. Laura Bush’s 2024 reading list
Learn more about how CFT can help provide strategic and administrative grantmaking support
This story was originally featured in our 2024 annual report. For additional details and content, click here.
