Could your Dayton area non-profit use an extra $10,000?  Of course it could! Each fall the Dayton Book Fair Foundation pick 3 local charities to be the beneficiary of the proceeds from the Book Fair.

The application process to become a beneficiary of the Book Fair Foundation is outlined here, with an application form and guidelines posted below.

There are three requirements:

1. Your group must be a registered organization in the State of Ohio.
2. Your location must be within 25 miles of the city of Dayton
3. You must be a 501c3.

It really happens, I received this check for FilmDayton in 2016 from the Book Fair Foundation’s Larkin Vonalt.

Application deadline is January 9, 2024 and applications can be dropped off at our offices at 2181 Embury Park  They are open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 10am to 4pm. You can also drop them at  Rabbit Hole Books, open noon to seven pm every day at 29 West First St. Dayton. If mailied, Applications must be postmarked by Wednesday, January 3, 2024 .

The board will meet in January to talk about the applications we’ve received. Some of the things that ar consider is what kind of “match” the applicant feels like for the foundation—does this seem like a group whose mission is in concert with our own? We also look at the 990-N documents that each organization has filed. They work very hard to make the book fair a success and they’d like the gift they give to have significant impact on the organizations we choose.

It’s possible that they may want to schedule an interview with finalists if they cannot agree on three. They get so many applications from wonderful organizations that choosing just three is quite a challenge.

If your group is chosen as a beneficiary, there are certain requirements you should be aware of.

They require 40 volunteer hours from your organization. It can be 40 people for one hour, 4 people for ten hours, one person for 40 hours—the volunteer hours can be at the sale, during the year at the Book Loft, at Rabbit Hole Books or a combination of any of these. At least four of those forty hours must be fulfilled on November 11th, 2024, the Monday following the book sale.

Additionally, they expect that you will promote the 53rd Annual Dayton Book Fair among your own volunteers, staff and fans—through your newsletter, website, Facebook page, emails or tweets. We want the people who love your organization to help support you by supporting the Book Fair.

If you have already been a recipient of a Book Fair Foundation grant, you must wait at least three years before applying again.

Letters of application should be sent to the Book Fair Foundation, 2181 Embury Park Rd, Dayton, OH 45414. You are also welcome to drop off your letter at our Embury Park Road office. (Look for the flamingos in the yard.) We are open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 10am to 4pm.

You may also drop them at our brick-and-mortar bookstore, Rabbit Hole Books, 29 West First St. We are open there noon to seven every day.

Beneficiaries of the 2024 Dayton Book Fair on or around February 2, 2024 on their website and r Facebook page. Organizations chosen for this year will be contacted prior to that date.

If you have questions, you’re welcome to call  the Foundation at  (937) 999-4491 to  or email us at [email protected].

Please download the application form here:

2024 Application Packet