How to Fund Your School's First (or Next) Author Visit

Authors can inspire the next generation to read and tap into their passion. Let me help you find the funds to motivate the next generation.

What are author visits?

Author visits are special events where writers meet with students in schools, libraries, or community spaces to share their books, creative process, and personal journeys. These visits can be in person or virtual and often include interactive readings, writing workshops, and Q&A sessions.

Why are author visits important?

Author visits bring books to life! They inspire a love of reading, encourage creativity, and show students that they, too, can be storytellers. Meeting an author helps kids connect with books on a deeper level, boosts their confidence as readers and writers, and introduces them to diverse perspectives and experiences.

As a Queer Black Latine author and former English Language Learner (ELL), I make my visits interactive, engaging, and welcoming for all students—especially bilingual learners. I share my journey of learning English, embracing my bilingual superpower, and using storytelling to celebrate my heritage. Through hands-on activities and lively discussions, I empower students to find their voices and see themselves as creators.

Would you like an author to visit your school or library? Let’s make it happen!

Why do authors charge for author visits?

Did you know that only 10% of authors are full-time authors and can make a living off their writing? That’s right - 90% of authors have other jobs. I am in that 90%. I LOVE visiting schools and meeting students, but I cannot afford to do this for FREE.

As a children's book author, I charge for school and author visits because they require significant time, effort, and expertise to create an engaging and educational experience for students. Each visit involves careful preparation, from crafting interactive presentations to tailoring content for different age groups. When I visit schools, I’m not just reading a book—I’m helping students see themselves in stories, fostering a love of reading, and showing them that their voices and experiences matter.

Like other professionals, authors deserve fair compensation for their work. By investing in an author visit, schools and organizations provide students with an unforgettable experience.

WIN A NEW FREE SCHOOL VISIT

I am going to share A LOT of GRANTS and FUNDRAISING opportunities. But before I do, I have exciting news. I am giving away FREE SCHOOL VISITS.

How do I enter to get a free school visit?

1. Pre-order Bold, Brilliant, and Latine from Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, Amazon, and/or your local independent bookstore by July 30, 2025.

2. Double your chances by requesting the book at your local library by the same date.

3. Upload your receipt and/or library request confirmation to this form by July 30, 2025.

What do you get when you pre-order?

🎥 3 Free Virtual School Visits: Enter the giveaway to win ONE of THREE 30-minute virtual school visits!

📄 Printable Activity Pack: Every pre-order gets a FREE downloadable PDF with coloring pages, word searches, and fun facts about some of the icons featured in the book.

💌 Personalized Thank You: Be one of the first 50 pre-orders and receive a signed bookplate and a heartfelt thank-you note from Alyssa!

📧 What happens next? Once you enter, check your email for your FREE activity pack and updates on the giveaway!

How to Fund Your School’s First (or Next) Author Visit?

The good news is that there are grants and other opportunities you can apply for to help you pay for an author visit at your school. I have put together a list of over a dozen opportunities.

1. The Latinx KidLit Book Festival - Be sure to sign up for their newsletter because they send out a call for grant applications to fund FREE school visits. I have worked with them at least 5 times, and they do such a great job on the programming.

2. SCBWI Amber Brown Grant - One underserved school is awarded a $250 stipend and $250 worth of books by the visiting author or illustrator each year. Learn more here: https://www.scbwi.org/awards-and-grants/community-grants/amber-brown-grant

3. ProLiteracy’s National Book Fund (NBF): Supports adult literacy and basic education programs, including initiatives like author visits that promote literacy skills. Grants typically range from $500 to $2,000.

4. Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award: Recognizes and funds schools with exemplary humanities programs, which can include author visits.

5. Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) Program: Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, this program supports high-quality literacy programs in high-need schools, potentially covering costs associated with author visits.

6. Laura Bush Foundation provides grants to update and diversify library collections.

7. We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) in the Classroom: Provides free books and author visits to low-income schools, aiming to promote diversity in children's literature. Since 2014, WNDB has donated over 12,000 books to classrooms across 32 states.

8. Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grants: Provides funding to schools, libraries, and nonprofits to support literacy programs, including author visits and book donations.

9. National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grants: The NEA offers grants to support arts projects in schools, which can include author visits aimed at promoting literacy and creativity.

10. Title I Funding: Schools receiving Title I funds can allocate a portion toward special literacy programs, including author visits, to enhance educational outcomes for disadvantaged students.

11. Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs/PTOs): Local PTAs or PTOs often have discretionary funds that can be used to sponsor author visits and other literacy initiatives. Engaging with these organizations can provide a viable funding avenue.

12. State Arts Councils: State-specific arts councils often provide grants to support arts-in-education programs, which can encompass author visits. For example, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts offers such funding opportunities.

13. DonorsChoose: A crowdfunding platform where teachers can post specific project requests, such as funding for an author visit, and receive donations from individuals and organizations.

14. Local Rotary Clubs: Rotary Clubs often fund educational initiatives within their communities. Partnering with a local chapter can secure funding for author visits.

15. Target Field Trip Grants: While traditionally for field trips, these grants can sometimes be applied to bringing external educational experiences, like author visits, into schools.

16. The Book Love Foundation Grants: Supports teachers in creating classroom libraries and may fund author visits to inspire a love of reading among students.

17. The Awesome Foundation Grants: Provides micro-grants of $1,000 for projects that promote awesomeness, including innovative educational initiatives like author visits.

18. The Snapdragon Book Foundation: Offers grants to school libraries for books and literacy programs, which can include funding for author visits to engage students.

19. Local Education Funds (LEFs): Many communities have LEFs that provide grants for innovative classroom projects, including author visits to promote literacy and career development.

When pursuing these funding opportunities, it's essential to carefully review each grant's eligibility criteria, application deadlines, and required documentation. Building relationships with local organizations and community members can also enhance your school's ability to secure funding for author visits and other literacy initiatives.

Last, but not least, you can also host fun and engaging fundraising initiatives to bring an author to your school.

Here is a link to a PDF document I created with dozens of FUNdraising ideas. Some examples are:

1. Pajama Day - Pick a day for students to be able to ditch the uniform and wear PJs to school. Participating students pay $1-2 each.

2. Turn PIZZA into PROFIT - You can raise funds quickly and effortlessly by partnering with Little Caesars. Your school can earn $6 from every pizza sold.

3. SILLY SOCK DAY - Pick a day for students to wear silly socks to school. Participating students pay $1-2 each.

4. HERO DAY - Pick a day for students to dress up as their Hero - ie, MLK, Messi, Sonia Sotomayor, and so on - at school. This is a FUN and educational way for students to reflect upon who their heroes are and WHY they look up to them. Maybe encourage students to share WHO their hero is and WHY in a writing exercise, and have them share with the class to work on their public speaking skills. To join in on the fun, students pay $1-2.

5. CHIPOTLE - Fundraisers are not in-restaurant and online. Every fundraiser gets a unique code. When the supporter enters the code, 33% of the sales go to your fundraiser.

   And many more ideas like Game Board Day, Talent Shows, Carnivals, Raffles, and Art Shows.

I hope you found this helpful. If this was helpful, please like the post and share it with someone you think would appreciate this content.

Gracias,

Alyssa Reynoso-Morris

www.alyssaauthor.com

P.S. On a completely different note, if you have made it this far, please know that I appreciate you. I was laid off from the nonprofit I worked for in early March. I worked there for four years and loved my job, but we lost our federal funding, and the foundations that historically funded us for years also pulled their funding because we work to uplift marginalized voices.

With that said, I entered a contest to win $20,000 so I can afford to take care of my family while I search for another job. Diapers, wipes, and formula are all very expensive. Plus, I cannot just take any job because daycare for my twins will cost $40,000 a year. Please consider voting for me. It is FREE to vote. You can vote once a day until the contest ends in June. I would greatly appreciate your vote.