Game On! Grant

The Games and Gaming Round Table of the American Library Association is proud to sponsor its annual grant program to enable libraries to develop gaming programs or collections for their public. Through the Game On! Grant, $2000 will be available to be awarded either as one grant of $2000 or two of $1000 each to assist a library (or libraries) in developing gaming programs or collections for their communities. This year’s grant fund includes donor-provided funds!

GameRT members in good standing currently employed at a public, school, academic or special library in the United States or Canada are eligible to apply. GameRT membership requires ALA membership. Libraries will need to illustrate a plan for a sustainable gaming program or collection created with the funds as well as financial need and institutional support for the proposed project.

The application period will take place from January 1 to March 10 of each year.

Grant awardees will be notified no later than July 1. GameRT does not contact non-winners individually.

The grant winner will first be publicly announced at GameRT’s ALA Play event at the ALA Annual conference in June, followed by a press release after the conference.

Administered by: Games and Gaming Round Table

Eligibility

• Applicants must be a member of GameRT and ALA (personal or organizational); ALA member ID required on application.
• Applicants must be employed with a public, school, academic, or special library in the United States or Canada.
• No library should receive the Game On! Grant more than two times in a five-year period.
• Institutions represented by the Game On! Grant jury are eligible to apply, but jury members must recuse themselves from the discussion and voting or decline the nomination if they have a conflict of interest.
• Awards will be granted to no more than one application within a library system. Only one application per location (a branch is one location) can be submitted.

Evaluation Criteria

Candidates must submit an electronic application, explaining why they are interested in the grant and how a new or expanded gaming program/collection will benefit their community. Selection is based upon the quality and appropriateness of the submitted proposals. Preference will be given to applicants who can demonstrate fiscal need for funds based on their institution’s budget.

GameRT Game On! Grant Application Evaluation Rubric

Reporting Requirements

Grant recipients will be required to submit a follow-up report upon the completion of their proposal project. This report includes a written element and receipt submissions. Recipients may optionally include photos relevant to their project as well.

GameRT Game On! Grant Recipient Report Form

(viewing password is Game$grant)

Application Instructions

The 2025 grant cycle will accept applications from January 1 to March 10 of 2025.

Game On! Grant Application Form

Applications will need to include the following information:

• Name of library and contact information of project coordinator
• Applicant’s ALA Member ID number (personal or organizational membership)
• Approval of a library administrator / supervisor. Applicants should defer to their system protocols on who can approve grant applications.
• Annual Library programming and collection budget
• Itemized list of materials to be purchased and justification
• Description of proposal, including how the proposal will provide sustainable gaming opportunities for the Library’s patrons (250 words or less)

Previous Winners

2024: Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA)

2023: Butler Area Public Library (Butler, PA)

2022: Seward County Community College Library (Liberal, KS) and Roselle Public Library District (Roselle, IL)

2021: Chippewa Falls Public Library (Chippewa Falls, WI)

2020: Prairie State College Library (Chicago Heights, IL)

Grant Donors

GameRT currently provides $1000 of annual grant funds for the Game On! Grant. The rest of the annual grant funds are provided by gracious donors.