2026-2027 DEI Grant Application Information
The Equity and Inclusion Grant is back again this year. This grant is open to unpublished San Diego SCBWI authors and illustrators who identify as a member of an underrepresented group, including but not limited to race/ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship, and religion.
Members may apply for only ONE grant. (SCBWI San Diego reserves the right not to award a grant.) Grant recipients must wait one season to apply for another grant and may receive only two grants total.
Applications are now open, with a due date of midnight on December 1. The grants will be awarded at our February 8, 2027 meeting. If you are an unpublished author and/or illustrator and fit the DEI criteria, this is the perfect opportunity to get your polished manuscript read by the judges.
Here are the links to apply:
Equity and Inclusion Author Grant Google Form Link:
https://forms.gle/MHv5ewXpXtyAycxi6
Equity and Inclusion Artist Grant Google Form Link:
https://forms.gle/dX1AVapkAnY2oTTu9
EI Judges for 2026-2027 Kerry Martin for Illustrators and Sandra Proudman for Authors
Kerry Martin, Creative Director of Holiday House and Peachtree Publishing Company
Kerry Martin is the creative director of Holiday House and Peachtree Publishing Company. She designs and illustrates picture books, novels, graphic novels, and illustrated nonfiction for very young through young adult readers. Kerry is interested in looking at portfolios for picture books and novels. She lives in Queens, New York with her husband and son. When not designing books or watching her son ride a skateboard, she is swimming, drinking strong coffee, or listening to audio books.
Sandra Proudman, Literary Associate Agent, Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency
Sandra Proudman (she/her/ella) is a literary associate and agent at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency, assisting Marietta Zacker and representing a list of diverse authors and author-illustrators. She is passionate about bringing underrepresented voices to the forefront and is also a committee member of #LatinxPitch. When not busily immersed in all things publishing, you can find her spending time with her amazing husband and adorable toddler, catching up on all her shows, and attempting to take care of her many plants. She is also the editor of the YA Latinx SFF anthology, RELIT: 16 LATINX REMIXES OF CLASSIC STORIES, a contributor to THE HOUSE WHERE DEATH LIVES, and the author of the YA fantasy SALVACIÓN, all out now. She has an upcoming dual POV dystopian romance, LOVE IN THE OASIS releasing in fall 2026, with more fun news coming.
Important Information:
Members may apply for only ONE grant. (SCBWI San Diego reserves the right not to award a grant.)
The recipient of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Grant must wait one year before applying for an Equity and Inclusion Grant a second time.
A person may receive a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Grant no more than two times.
The San Diego SCBWI reserves the right to NOT grant an award in any of the grant categories.
2025-2026 DEI Grant Winners
Equity and Inclusion Author: Sheri Cameron
Equity and Inclusion Author: Karla Cordero
Equity and Inclusion Illustrator: Fay Ryu Kelling
Grant Judge: Irene Vazquez, Associate Editor, Levine Querido
SCBWI Emerging Voices Winner
We are thrilled to announce that SCBWI San Diego member To-wen Tseng was a recipient of the 2025 Emerging Voices Award for her YA novel, Thousand Gold Precious, a dual-timeline story that explores the courage it takes to break the cycle of harm. To-wen won complimentary registration to the SCBWI Virtual Winter Conference and had her writing displayed at the Industry Party at the conference in New York. Congratulations, To-wen!
SCBWI BIPOC Writing Award Winner
Congratulations to Fareeha Nawaz, a San Diego Season Ticket Holder, who received the SCBWI BIPOC Writing Award! The award included complimentary transportation, lodging, and registration to the SCBWI Winter Conference, opening the door to a weekend filled with inspiration and connection. May this opportunity fuel your imagination, expand your community, and carry your stories even further into the world.
We encourage all our eligible San Diego SCBWI members to visit the SCBWI.org website and apply for grants and scholarships.
2024-2025 DEI Grant Winners:
Equity and Inclusion Author: Alexis Kouba
Equity and Inclusion Author: Ginny Uybungco
Grant Judge: Saba Sulaiman, Talcott Notch Literary
2023-2024 DEI Grant Winners:
Own Voices Illustrator: Nancy S. Lee
Own Voices Author: Iris Quiroga
Own Voices Author: To-wen Tseng
Grant Judges:
Erika DiPasquale, Editor, HarperCollins Children's
Esther Cajahuaringa, Editor, Alfred A. Knopf Books For Young Readers