You are reading this because you want to launch a reading initiative in your school or community. This is a noble venture, and I applaud you for taking this step. This post will guide you on how to secure a grant and provide a downloadable free book machine PDF grant template.

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Whether it's part of your PBIS Rewards strategy or a way to earn Scholastic Dollars, to secure a book vending machine grant you will pitch potential funders using a grant proposal. In this free book vending proposal, you will describe the project you are about to undertake, explain why there is a need for a book vending machine in your school or community, and demonstrate that you will be a good custodian of donor funds and scholastic dollars.

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Where to Apply for a Book Vending Machine Grant

Various organizations, including federal and local governments, provide grants for different social responsibility causes. Your book vending machine project may be eligible for funding from the following grants.

1. Federal Grants

The federal government provides grants to support community causes that serve the public good. Information on relevant federal grants is available on the grants.gov website. You can apply for federal grants by doing the following:

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• Go to the federal grants knowledge center and learn about the grants process
• Check if you are eligible for federal grants
• Sign up with grants.gov
• Search for active federal grants that align with books, literacy, or education in general
• Apply for a grant and submit your book vending machine grant proposal
• Get the tracking number to check the status of your submission.

Before applying for a government grant, it is best to research the grant’s scoring system and priorities to align your proposal with these facts.

2. Educational Grants by Charities/Foundations and Other Orgs

Various organizations and registered charities have grants for educational projects. Your book vending machine project likely aligns with many literacy and educational access programs these organizations already target.

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Examples of charities that support education programs that may be open to funding your project include:

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• The Rotary Foundation
• The Kids in Need Foundation
• The U.S. Department of Education Discretionary Grants
• The NEA Foundation
• Fund for Teachers
• Book Rewards

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Funds for school and classroom enrichment are especially likely to fund a book vending machine project.

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Cost of Book Vending Machines for Schools

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Good book vending machines cost around $3,500 to $7,000 when sourced locally in the United States via sites like Global Vending Group or Book Vending. In this price range, you can find well-designed machines such as the Betson Book Vending Machine and Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine.

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If you want cheaper book vending machines, you have the option of ordering new ones from Asia via sites such as Alibaba. Take into account the cost of shipping the machine to the US when comparing prices.

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After buying a vending machine, it will cost an additional $1,000 to $1,600 to stock it with books. A typical machine will carry between 200 and 300 individual books and about 20 titles.

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How to Write a Great Book Vending Machine Grant Proposal

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Where there is a clear need for a book vending machine in your school or community, individual teachers will find grant proposal easy to write. The goal of writing the proposal is to communicate the need to potential funders and demonstrate that you will use the grant money judiciously and to encourage good behavior.

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Take the following steps to create a compelling proposal for book vending machines.

1. Assess and Understand Your Book Vending Project

Before you start selling your project to potential funders, assess it thoroughly and iron out any issues that might inspire doubts in the minds of your audience. Clarify the needs you intend to meet, determine project budgets, and establish timelines for execution.

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Restocking a typical book vending machine may require upwards of $1,000. This is an ongoing cost. How do you intend to meet it after securing a one-time grant to buy a machine? Like someone writing a business plan, comb through all the pertinent aspects of successfully operating a book vending project.

2. Identify Grants to Apply For

You need to align your grant proposal to the goals and scoring systems of the organization offering the grant. Therefore, it is best to identify the relevant grant organizations beforehand and create the required accounts on their submission portals/websites. 

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Some organizations may require you to submit a grant inquiry letter before submitting a grant proposal. Follow their instructions strictly and only send a proposal after your request is approved.

3. Start by Writing a Strong Cover Letter

You need a concise, attention-grabbing cover letter that immediately clarifies what you want from the funders. Include the amount of money you are seeking in the cover letter. A strong cover letter may start as follows:

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Dear Melinda Gates,

Richmond Books in Schools humbly requests a one-time grant of $6,500 for our book vending machines project at Amelia Street School in Richmond, VA. 

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Richmond Public Schools faces an educational crisis as our school district consistently scores poorly on standardized tests. To bridge the glaring achievement gaps, Richmond Books in Schools is joining forces with local schools to address the root causes of this problem, especially poor reading proficiency.

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We are committed to improving school outcomes…

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If you're a vending machine business owner, you might want to check this guide on how to write a cover letter and a business plan.

4. Write a Clear Project Summary

In an executive summary, brief the reader about your project. This section should cover all the pertinent areas of your project. If the funder reads nothing but the executive summary, they should have a good idea of your project, how you plan to run it, and how you want them to help.

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Some of the things you can cover in the executive summary include:

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• Your school’s mission
• Your school’s or community’s past performance in standardized tests
• The problem book vending machines seek to solve in your school or community
• Why you need funding for the book vending project
• How you intend to keep the project running, as you will have to restock the vending machine.

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Where appropriate, demonstrate your competencies to assure the funder that you will allocate funds efficiently.

5. Share Information about Your School or Community

With the cover letter and executive summary out of the way, you can start covering relevant topics in more detail. The funder will want to know more about your elementary school, middle school, and community and why a book vending machine is necessary.

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You should be selling your school, organization, or community as the best candidate for funding. The funder likely has competing interests, and they want to know they are giving money to the most impactful cause.

6. Describe the Problem the Book Vending Machine Solves

In a separate section, you can include a problem statement that comprehensively describes the problem necessitating a book vending machine in your elementary school, middle school, or community organizations.

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You’ll likely title this section as “statement of need” and comprehensively describe the achievement gaps in your school or community and the potential solutions you’ve identified. In stating the solution, you want to be objective and provide evidence that the path you’ve chosen actually addresses the problem. For instance, you can say:

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At XYZ school, the pass rate in reading is 45%, while the graduation rate is 80%. This number shows that our school is graduating a large number of students who cannot effectively read.

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We have identified various causes of the low reading proficiency in our school, and the big part is the minimal number of books homes in our community have. We are, therefore, exploring ways of promoting literacy and giving students books they can take home with them to improve reading rate. 

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Data from NAEP shows that students with more books at home outperform those with fewer books. Notably, in 2015, in homes with less than 10 books, only 15 percent of students scored proficient. In homes with more than 100 books, 50 percent of students were proficient.

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Given that children with access to reading materials achieve better literacy outcomes, our book vending machine project will promote literacy, invite positive behavioral interventions, and…

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7. State the Goal of the Book Vending Machine Project

Without clear goals, you won’t know if your students are moving toward the educational outcomes you want. Your project should have clear educational outcomes you intend to achieve. For instance, one of the main goals may be raising the pass rate in reading proficiency from 45% to 70% in three years.

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The funder needs to know that this is a serious project, and having clear goals and objectives will help communicate that you are up to the task. A movement towards the goal is like scoring a positive return on investment.

8. State How You Plan to Track Progress

Without measurement, you won’t find ways to know if you are progressing toward the goal or regressing. Luckily, it is easy to track progress in educational outcomes in a school or community. Records of class assessments or standardized tests should be sufficient.

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Where you have records of students who use the book vending machine and those who don’t, comparing the outcomes of these two groups will also yield useful data.

9. Give the Budget for the Project and Disclose Additional Funding

Having outlined the problem and stated the solution, the scope of the project should be clear. Give a reasonable budget without understating or overstating your requirements. You might be tempted to underbid your actual budget, thinking that a lower amount will make it easy to secure funding. This is not a good idea as it increases the likelihood that your project fails on account of insufficient funding.

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A book vending machine project is not a one-time investment. You will need additional funds to continuously restock it. Besides the cost of restocking, you will need additional funds for mechanical maintenance. 

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The funder will want to know where you intend to get additional funds to keep the project running. These funds can come from the government, your school, your own pocket, or other donors.

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Download Grant Proposal Template PDF

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Find below a free book vending machine grant proposal template in PDF. You can download and customize it to fit your specific needs.

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Closing Thoughts

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You will need a vending location to put your book vending machine. If you are a stakeholder in a school, you can easily secure a location in the said school. If you are looking to put book vending machines in other areas in your community, you can use our services to get a list of potential locations such as public libraries, colleges, coffee shops, hotels, and airports, among others. You can even take a look at another vending machine proposal template we've made to help you win locations more easily.

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Also, our location-finding services can help you start a snacks and drinks vending business to earn additional income. Learn how to start a snacks and drinks vending machine business here.