Funding an Author Visit

Visiting schools is one of my absolute favorite parts of being an author. I love getting kids excited about research and writing. Bringing the world to young readers is my passion – and making nonfiction fun has been my life’s work since I became a full-time writer more than 14 years ago. When students hoot and holler over Kit Kat flavors in Japan or watching a wood frog freeze and come back to life, I know I am doing my job during an author visit.

Author visits are a fantastic way to bring books to life for students of all ages. A nationwide survey of librarians, teachers, administrators and parents showed the following benefits of an author visit:

  • Motivating students to read more (91%)
  • Inspiring creativity and expression (75%)
  • Motivating students to write more (70%)

But there are so many other reasons why school author visits are great. Among them are the following:

  • Author visits foster a sense of community through the creation of a shared experience for students, teachers, and parents.
  • They bridge the gap between imagination and reality, allowing students to see how the imaginative process of an author turns thoughts and concepts into reality on the pages of their books.
  • They expand students’ critical thinking and confidence.

Looking for more ways in which an author visit benefits your school community? Check out the following:

Booked Authors – Do School Author Visits Really Matter?

Unfortunately, money is an obstacle that prevents many schools from hosting an author visit. But there are loads of ways to find funds for your visit. Below are some sources to try.

School Level Funding Ideas

  • Spare Change Collection: Place a coin box in every classroom. Students can ask their families to bring any spare change to donate. Every penny counts!
  • Read-A-Thon: Encourage reading by creating a pledge sheet where friends and family sponsor students to read. Sponsors can pledge a certain amount of money per minute or page read or by the book. It’s a great way to raise money and get kids to turn off their screens!
  • Fundraisers: Bake sales, basket raffles, and can-and-bottle drives are just a few of the ways to raise money for an author visit.
  • Book Fairs: Using earnings from a schoolwide book fair can reward readers twice – both when getting to read a new book and when an author comes to the school.
  • PTA/PTO
  • Title 1 Schools: Schools that qualify for Title 1 status may be eligible to use some of these funds toward special programs like author visits.

Community Level Funding Ideas

  • Local Organizations, including Booster Clubs, Town- or City-Level Arts & Culture Organizations
  • Local Business Sponsorship: Reach out to a local business and see if they will help sponsor an author visit in exchange for promoting their business to parents.
  • Apply for an educational or community grant through Optimists, Kiwanis, or Rotary

State Level (NY*) Funding Ideas

*** Each state has its own library associations and education department programs which help to fund enrichment such as author visits. I am most familiar with those in New York State since I live there, but if you ask other librarians or teachers who have hosted authors, they can be terrific resources on how to access funding in your own part of the country.

Other Funding Ideas & National Grants