The Encouragement Fund is currently closed for submissions.
The Impact and Legacy Fund is thrilled to announce the establishment of a brand new grant program, the Stephen Fraser Encouragement Fund. This program will provide three grants of $2,000 each to children’s book authors, artists or translators who have traditionally published at least one children's book. Generously supported by Stephen Fraser, a veteran editor and now one of our industry’s most respected agents at The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency, this grant reflects Stephen’s commitment to supporting talent. He has long been an active participant in SCBWI regional and national conferences. His clients have won the Newbery Honor, the Edgar Award, the PEN award, and SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award. The ILF is proud to call him a friend. Stephen understands that writing children’s books can be a tough road, and he states that his hope is that this fund will “spoil its recipients with encouragement,” combatting the reality of rejections, financial hardships or emotional discouragement. His aim is that this fund will help create an environment of support in which creative people can flourish. Stephen knows that encouragement comes in many forms. As such, the grants have no strings attached and may be used however the recipient sees fit. In addition to the financial grant, recipients may also take advantage of Stephen’s offer to meet with them for career advice or feedback.
Applications will reopen in Fall of 2024.
Submission Guidelines
To submit, please create a free account with SCBWI by clicking "Log in or Register" in the upper right hand corner.
If you are already a member with a login you can skip this step. Navigate to "Member Home" and click the awards tab. From there, you can apply for the award.
To apply for the Encouragement Fund, please provide the following through our website:
- Submitter’s name
- As a single PDF:
- A 250 word bio
- Your website or social media contacts, if you have them
- The name(s) and publisher(s) of your most recently published book(s)
- A 500 word essay describing why you need a burst of encouragement and how receiving the grant would support that.
