OWATONNA, Minn., May 12, 2026 – Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) recently awarded 26,797 children’s books to 75 organizations through its Early Literacy Grant Program, impacting 31,543 children in its 20-county region. This grant supports early literacy efforts that enhance school readiness for children birth to age eight by providing children with books.
The books were awarded in partnership with Capstone and ABDO, Mankato-based publishers of children’s books and digital products and services. In 2002, Capstone helped launch the BookStart program, working with SMIF to distribute thousands of books to children in the region over a period of 15 years. In 2018, the Early Literacy Grant was formed as a new collaborative effort between SMIF and the two publishers to put even more books into the hands of children birth to age eight. SMIF has previously partnered with both companies on collectively distributing more than 230,000 books across the region through grants and programming.
The following organizations were awarded Early Literacy Grants because they provide outstanding early literacy opportunities for young children and their families:
•Albert Lea Area Schools
•Allina Health in Northfield
•Blooming Prairie Elementary
•Blue Earth Area Schools
•Brown County Public Health
•Byron Early Childhood Family Education
•Cardinal Club of West Concord
•Cardinal Foundation in Lewiston
•Children’s Museum of Rochester Inc
•Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota in Mankato
•Christmas in the cities of Adams and Taopi
•City of Kilkenny
•City of Springfield
•Cleveland Public School
•Exchange Club Center for Family Unity in Owatonna
•Families First of Minnesota in Rochester
•Faribault Public Schools Community Education
•Faribault Youth Empowerment Center
•Fillmore Central Public Schools Community Education
•Fillmore County Public Health
•Friends of the Houston Minnesota Public Library Inc
•Goodhue County Education District Birth-3 Program
•Grand Meadow Public Schools
•Hayfield Economic Development Authority
•Houston County Public Health
•Human Services of Faribault and Martin Counties
•Kasson-Mantorville Public Schools Community Education
•Kenyon-Wanamingo Early Education
•Kids X-Cel Center in New Ulm
•Kingsland Public Schools Community Education
•Lake City Public Schools
•Le Sueur County Public Health
•LeRoy-Ostrander Public Schools
•Mankato Area Public Schools
•Mankato Kiwanis Foundation
•Martin County West Schools
•Minnesota Valley Action Council in Mankato
•Muir Library in Winnebago
•New Prague Area Schools Community Education
•New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Public Schools
•New Ulm ECFE
•Nicollet County
•Nisse Treehouse in Mabel
•Northfield Healthy Community Initiative
•Northfield Public Schools Community Education
•Owatonna Independent School District No 761 Foundation
•Owatonna Public Schools
•Parenting Resource Center in Austin
•Pine Island Early Childhood/Early Learning Center
•Red Wing Public Schools
•Ridgeview Foundation in Waconia
•Riverway Learning Community in Winona
•Rochester Public Schools
•Rushford-Peterson School District Community Education
•Saint Dominic School in Northfield
•Saint Peter Lutheran School
•SEMCAC Head Start in Rushford
•Sleepy Eye Early Childhood Family Education
•St. Charles Early Learning Programs
•Steele County Public Health
•Stewartville Early Childhood
•The Children’s Center in Albert Lea
•The Village Agricultural Cooperative in Rochester
•Three Rivers Community Action Inc in Zumbrota
•Tri-City United Early Learning
•Triton Public Schools
•Tri-Valley Opportunity Council Incorporated
•Under the Rainbow Early Education Center in Red Wing
•United Way of Steele County
•Wabasha County Social Services
•Wabasha-Kellogg Public Schools
•Waseca County Public Health
•Waseca Public Schools Community Education
•Watonwan County Public Health
•Wells Public Library
“It is wonderful to see the commitment to early literacy and support for children and families in our region,” said Kelly Fluharty, vice president of Early Childhood at SMIF. “We are grateful to Capstone and ABDO for their continual, generous donations that make the work of our awardees possible.”
Award recipients were provided with a selection of titles donated by the publishing companies, including bilingual- and Early Childhood-appropriate books. The organizations will incorporate the books into their programs and events where young children will receive books to take home and keep.
About ABDO
ABDO has been a leader in children’s educational publishing for school and public libraries since 1985, providing high quality nonfiction and fiction titles for children and young adults in grades PreK–12. The company is known throughout the industry for its excellence in both reading materials and customer service. ABDO titles are available in reinforced library bindings as well as digital products, including multi-use eBooks, Read-to-Me eBooks, and Databases. To learn more about ABDO, visit www.abdobooks.com.
About Capstone
Capstone is a leading learning company of K-5 digital solutions, children’s books, and literacy programs for school libraries, classrooms, and at home reading including the award-winning PebbleGo™ research database. To learn more about Capstone, visit www.CapstonePub.com.
About Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), a donor-supported foundation, invests for economic growth in south central and southeastern Minnesota, serving a region that includes 20 counties, 175 communities and one Native nation. The Foundation has provided more than $178 million in grants, loans and programming within the region during the past 40 years. SMIF’s key interests include entrepreneurship, Early Childhood development and community vitality. To learn more about our work and mission, visit www.smifoundation.org.
Leave a Reply