Literacy & Education Focused
Join us in our mission to support child and adult literacy while enhancing education opportunities for all. Together, we can make a difference by raising awareness, collecting donations for beneficiaries, providing resources to educators and connecting dedicated volunteers with schools, libraries, senior centers and civic groups.
Overview
CIPA Education and Literacy Foundation (CIPA ELF), based in Boulder, CO is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity, the purpose of which is to facilitate and support child and adult literacy and education through the resources of independent publishing. We work towards enriching lives through education and helping individuals discover the transformative power of books and learning. CIPA ELF supports multiple programs to foster literacy and enhance educational opportunities within our communities.
CIPA ELF is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which means your financial contribution may be tax-deductible in accordance with IRS regulations. Donors may be eligible to claim a charitable deduction on their federal tax returns for donations made to CIPA ELF. However, we are not tax advisors and recommend that all donors consult their accountant or financial advisor to determine eligibility and ensure compliance with current tax laws before making a donation. Beyond potential tax advantages, your donation also provides tangible community benefits: it supports literacy programs for underserved populations, helps distribute books to Title I schools, medical centers, and shelters, and amplifies the work of Colorado’s independent authors. Every financial gift helps extend our mission, builds educational equity, and creates a lasting impact across Colorado communities.
Our Initiatives
BOOK BENEFIT PROGRAM accepts new books from various donors and provides the books to other 501(c)(3) and publicly funded organizations. The organizations are selected based on need and verification that the books will be used to further the educational, literacy and community awareness purposes of CIPA ELF. Past recipients have included schools, libraries, shelters, senior centers, hospitals, prisons, civic groups, youth groups and other education and literacy organizations. The CIPA ELF BBP accepts donations of new books, especially children’s and young adult titles, that are well suited for our beneficiaries. Since 2006 the BBP has distributed almost half a million dollars’ worth of donated new books.
ACCESSIBLE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN (ABC)
CLASSROOM LITERACY SUPPORT PROGRAM assists schools and teachers with their classroom literacy programs by providing volunteers, books, educational and art supplies and/or funds to acquire them to preclude educators from having to dip into their own limited resources. Educators can apply for grants on the CIPA ELF website.
SENIOR STORYTELLING PROGRAM (SST)
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YOUNG AUTHORS LEAGUE PROGRAM sponsors projects that emphasize literacy skills for students K-12. Past projects have included writing competitions and publishing classroom book projects. YAL can provide professional publishing assistance and funding to selected classrooms to create books.
CIPA EVVY AWARDS
ACCESSIBLE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM (ABC) coordinates the conversion of previously published printed illustrated children’s books to audio/video books with narration and ASL so the books are more accessible to those who are visually or hearing impaired. Converted books can be made available to tens of thousands of readers participating in the Described and Captioned Media Program supported by the U.S. Dept. of Education. CIPA ELF also helps with the distribution of these books to special needs schools and programs.
SENIOR STORYTELLING PROGRAM (SST) was created to support literacy for all ages and to help seniors leave a legacy for their families. CIPA ELF partners with senior centers and assisted living communities to provide publishing guidance and professional assistance to senior citizens and their families on the writing and preservation of memoirs, stories, poetry, and photographs for future generations.
The CIPA EVVYs, having run for nearly thirty years, is one of the longest-running book award competitions on the independent publishing scene. The annual contest is sponsored by the CIPA Education and Literacy Foundation (ELF) and the Collective of Independent Publishers and Authors (CIPA).
VISITING AUTHORS PROGRAM (VA)
SHELTER READING BUDDIES PROGRAM (SRB)
JOIN THE CAUSE
VISITING AUTHORS PROGRAM (VA) schedules and facilitates CIPA member authors and publishers to provide expert information on a subject area and/or speak about or read from their books at schools, libraries, senior centers and civic groups throughout the state. CIPA ELF can arrange to supply classrooms as well as civic groups like Rotary or Kiwanis clubs with multiple books for their literacy programs when Visiting Authors & Experts present to them.
SHELTER READING BUDDIES PROGRAM (SRB) coordinates partnerships with and provides assistance and support to local animal shelters to promote literacy as students hone their reading skills when volunteering to read books to homeless, nonjudgmental dogs and cats which helps to socialize the animals making them more adoptable.
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Do you want to donate your time and energy to CIPA ELF? Have in mind a worthy program or event for which you'd like to request books from CIPA ELF's inventory? Do you have books you'd like to donate for redistribution? We'd love to hear about it!