Bessie Minor Swift Foundation
Our Mission
Contribute to an informed and active citizenry by supporting programs that promote literacy and educational enrichment. We focus our work in Washoe County, Nevada; Ada County, Idaho; and, the North County area of San Diego County, California, and will only consider applications from non-profit organizations in those areas.
Examples include programs that promote:
- Literacy, reading and writing skills
- Programs focused on literacy, sciences and interdisciplinary efforts
Objectives
The Bessie Minor Swift Foundation awards grants to programs that provide direct service to:
- help with the implementation or expansion of literacy programs for children who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading
- develop programs in the literacy, STEM, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) and Interdisciplinary areas for preschool, primary and secondary school-aged students
- develop reading and writing skills at all age levels
![aaron-burden-QJDzYT_K8Xg-unsplash](https://bessieminorswift.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/aaron-burden-QJDzYT_K8Xg-unsplash.jpg)
![pencil mark 2](https://bessieminorswift.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/pencil-mark-2.png)
2024 Awards
For 2024 a total of $83,002.21 was awarded to 24 organizations. The maximum award was increased this year to $5,000, thus introducing a larger gap between the number of awards and the dollars granted. Details of these awards can be found in Grant History. Since inception, over 445 awards have been granted for a total of $950,000. Over 17 years the Foundation has awarded grants as follows:
![Statistics2024](http://bessieminorswift.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Statistics2024.jpg)
![GrantsSinceInceptionbyCategory](http://bessieminorswift.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GrantsSinceInceptionbyCategory.jpg)
While grants have been primarily given for Literacy programs in the past, STEM, STEAM and Interdisciplinary projects are on the rise.
![pencil mark 2](https://bessieminorswift.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/pencil-mark-2.png)
Contact Us
![](https://bessieminorswift.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/seafood-restaurant-icon-13.png)
Address
Sterling Foundation Management
12030 Sunrise Valley Drive
Suite 450
Reston, VA 20191
![](https://bessieminorswift.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/seafood-restaurant-icon-14.png)