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READ Nebraska

The READ Nebraska program aims to improve reading ability and support age-appropriate professional growth and academic success among Nebraska students through mentorship programs operated by experienced Nebraska nonprofit organizations. READ Nebraska supports mentorship programs designed to improve reading ability while also promoting age-appropriate professional growth and academic success among participating students.

The mentoring relationship must be intentional, relationship-based, and designed to support the student's educational, personal, or developmental growth. Applicants are expected to demonstrate that their programming meaningfully supports reading improvement, student engagement, and academic success. Eligible programs should demonstrate how mentoring activities, reading engagement, and student-development objectives work together to advance these outcomes.

Eligible Grant Applicants

Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations that have been continuously organized and operated throughout the preceding fifteen (15) years and have, during that same fifteen (15)-year period, maintained a primary organizational purpose of providing structured youth mentorship programming serving elementary school students. The applicant must demonstrate established mentorship programming, organizational experience, and operational capacity reasonably capable of supporting literacy development, academic success, and positive educational engagement among participating students.

Grant Amounts:

The Department has received $2,880,762 in funding for the fiscal year 2026–2027 to provide grant aid to qualifying organizations. Approved eligible applicants will receive funding through a noncompetitive, pro-rata allocation based on the number of Qualifying Mentors documented at the time of application submission. Following initial allocation, the Department may make adjustments to funding amounts based on programmatic and administrative factors including, but not limited to, prior program performance, compliance with grant requirements, timeliness and accuracy of reporting, audit or monitoring findings, financial management practices, and demonstrated implementation capacity. Final award amounts and disbursements are subject to verification of submitted data, completion of any required post-award adjustments, availability of appropriated funds, and compliance with applicable program requirements.

Eligible Expenses:

The READ Nebraska program is administered as a beneficiary grant intended to support qualified mentorship organizations with demonstrated histories of established youth programming through mentorship activities. Program funding is awarded to experienced organizations with established operational histories and demonstrated capacity to provide literacy-focused mentorship and educational-development programming. Recipients are expected to exercise reasonable discretion in determining how best to utilize grant funds to support the program activities described in the application and to foster positive student outcomes.

Grant funds may not be used for: