SMART Reading gets $5,000 grant to boost Lane County literacy programs

A $5,000 grant will help SMART Reading keep books in children’s hands and one-on-one reading help in Lane County classrooms next school year. The nonprofit says the money will support more than 650 students and help it distribute more than 4,500 brand-new books during the 2026-27 school year.

Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation awarded the grant as part of a larger spring round that sent $606,815 to 87 charities at Seven Feathers Convention Center in Canyonville on June 9. The awards reached nonprofits across Coos, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Lane counties, underscoring how a regional grantmaking fund can still shape day-to-day services in Lane County schools and reading programs.

For SMART Reading, the Lane County piece sits inside a larger South Valley operation that covers Lane, Linn and Benton counties. In 2024-25, that area served 1,363 PreK-through-third-grade students and gave away 14,164 books, a scale that shows how quickly donated dollars and volunteer hours are turned into direct contact with young readers.

The nonprofit says about 90 percent of participating students improve in areas such as comprehension, vocabulary, motivation and enjoyment, based on annual teacher feedback. Older year-end reports have pointed to similar gains, including more pleasure in reading and stronger confidence. In practical terms, the grant helps pay for the books students keep and the reading time that makes those books matter.

SMART Reading is also leaning on volunteers to carry that work through the school year. The organization says its Lane County sites use readers and site coordinators, and that site coordinators receive training and ongoing support from staff. With SMART in its 35th year, the group plans to use the 2026-27 school year to highlight its impact and the need for continued literacy investment.

The Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation says it was formalized in 1997, began philanthropic activity in 1998 and has given more than $20 million in grants overall. For Lane County families, the immediate result is more reading help, more books to take home and a steadier pipeline of support for children who need extra time with the page.