The Bessie Minor Swift Foundation announced recently that it is accepting grant applications from nonprofit organizations that promote literacy, reading and writing skills and programs in the languages, sciences and interdisciplinary areas and serve Routt and Moffat counties.

Applications will be accepted through Feb. 15, and recipients will be announced by May 1. The fund will consider applications requesting a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $3,000.

The foundation considers grants to organizations that provide direct service to help with the implementation or expansion of literacy programs for children who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading, and also to develop reading and writing skills at all age levels. The foundation supports STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) as well. The foundation also occasionally supports programs for adults.

More than $780,000 in grant money has been awarded since 2008. The foundation prefers to consider support for programs rather than grants for the purchase of technology. The foundation also favors organizations that do not have access to large fundraising budgets and are local. Grants are made only to nonprofit organizations certified as tax-exempt. More information is available BessieMinorSwift.org, and questions can be sent to grants@bessieminorswift.org.

The Bessie Minor Swift Foundation was formed by the owners and founder of Swift Communications. Bessie Minor Swift was mother of Philip Swift, the founder of Swift Communications. She was born in Onaga, Kansas, on June 29, 1887, and she later taught school in a one-room schoolhouse in Missouri.