The Book Industry Charitable Foundation has announced that its Survive to Thrive grant program will award a total of $1.1 million to 115 bookstores and comic shops: 99 stores will receive $10,000 and 16 will receive $7,500.
Two hundred and fifty-five stores applied for the funds, which are to be used to permit stores to continue implementing improvements begun as a response to the pressures of the pandemic.
“We are incredibly pleased to announce grants to stores in 48 states. Bookstores and comic shops are vital to the cultural and economic fabric of their communities, and by helping to retain these community anchors, we are helping to preserve the literacy, economic and social benefits bookstores and comic shops provide,” Pam French, Binc’s executive director, said.
The Survive to Thrive initiative was launched in March with a leading gift of $500,000 jointly from Ingram Charities and Ingram Content Group. Survive to Thrive received strong support from across the publishing and bookselling communities with significant contributions from Bookshop.org, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster. Binc said 12 authors and creators led by Garth Stein and Amor Towles made a combined $40,000 matching gift, which led to another $55,000 in donations.
“Our goal is to do well by helping others do well. Supporting local bookstores and comic shops is an excellent way to support communities as we continue to move beyond the pandemic crisis,” John Ingram, chairman of Ingram Industries and Ingram Content Group, said. “Above all else, I am happy to have been a catalyst for helping a group of stores recover from the pandemic. Thank you to my friends and colleagues in publishing and all those who joined together to make the Survive to Thrive initiative successful.”
