Penguin Random House and United for Libraries Open 2027 Grants

What was announced? Penguin Random House and United for Libraries will run the grant program again in 2027, for rural and small libraries in the United States. The release, issued October 20, 2026, says cash grants of $500 and $1,000, totaling $25,000, will go to Friends of the Library groups, or to nonprofit groups that support and raise money for their libraries, for priority projects. Separately, 20 libraries will receive in-kind book-donation grants of $500 to buy Penguin Random House titles.

United for Libraries will administer the grants. The release gives its full name as United for Libraries: The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, and describes its mission as supporting the people who govern, promote, advocate, and raise money for all types of libraries. Penguin Random House provides the money. Our Penguin Random House page and American Library Association page collect other news from both.

Since 2025, the release says, the program has made 61 cash grants totaling $50,000 and 40 in-kind book-donation grants totaling $20,000. Those went to Friends groups and libraries across 41 states and U.S. territories.

Who can apply, and when

Applications open December 8, 2026, and close January 25, 2027. Applicants will be notified by March 31, 2027. The release describes the cash awards as support for priority projects of Friends groups or of other nonprofits that fundraise for a library in the community. The book grants are for libraries, and they are for Penguin Random House titles, at $500 each, twenty of them.

For libraries that want to apply and do not know where to start, United for Libraries will hold free virtual information sessions in December and January. The sessions cover the process, tips on applying, and past recipients talking about their projects. On-demand training includes a session on grant-writing basics and a session on how to start a Friends of the Library group, for libraries that do not have an active one. The release points readers to a grant page on the American Library Association site for details and for signup updates. The press contact on the release is Beth Nawalinski, executive director of United for Libraries, at bnawalinski@ala.org or 312-280-5868.

A grant is not the only thing recipients get. Along with the $500, the $1,000, or the book grant, they receive complimentary eLearning from United for Libraries. That includes a year of access to United for Libraries Learning Live webinars, which the release says offer in-depth training for trustees and board members, Friends, foundations, advocates, and the people who work with them. It also includes training on how to use the grant to build support for the library and for the Friends group. Recipients get complimentary registration for Friends of the Library Day at the United for Libraries virtual conference in summer 2027, and for the United for Libraries Friends virtual retreat in spring 2028.

What the two organizations said

Skip Dye, senior vice president for institutional markets and digital strategy at Penguin Random House, is quoted as saying: "At Penguin Random House, we believe libraries need strong, reliable funding streams to serve their communities." He says the partnership "goes beyond awarding grants" because Friends groups get practical grant-writing expertise. "The goal isn't simply to fund one project--it's to strengthen their ability to secure support for their libraries for years to come."

Lauren Trujillo, United for Libraries president for 2026–2028, said Friends groups "are core stakeholders in our libraries, inviting the community in and turning a shared love of libraries into meaningful support." Through fundraising, advocacy, and building connections, she said, Friends help communities shape and sustain libraries. "These Penguin Random House grants, paired with United for Libraries training and resources, will help Friends serving small and rural communities welcome more people into this work and meet local needs."

For a wider picture of library conditions, rather than this grant round, see our reports on the ACRL survey of U.S. academic libraries and on Library Futures' survey of AI policies in public libraries. Neither of those is a count of this program.

Why it matters for authors and publishers

The sums are small and specific. The 2027 cash pool is $25,000, in grants of $500 and $1,000, for priority projects chosen by Friends groups or by other library nonprofits in rural and small communities. The book piece is twenty grants of $500 in Penguin Random House titles. Authors do not apply. A supporter of a small-town library does, and only inside the window the release sets: December 8, 2026, through January 25, 2027, with a decision by March 31, 2027.

What the release adds, beyond the check and the books, is training aimed at the next grant. Dye's line is that the point is to leave Friends groups better able to raise money on their own. The free December and January sessions, the on-demand grant-writing class, the year of Learning Live webinars, and the conference registrations are the parts of the award that are not cash. If a library has no active Friends group, the release points to a class on starting one, which is the eligibility path it describes for communities that are not already organized.

Since 2025 the same program has put $50,000 in cash grants and $20,000 in book grants into 41 states and territories. This round repeats the shape: a limited cash total, a limited number of Penguin Random House book grants, and a calendar. For an author with readers in a small community, the local fact is whether a Friends group, or a nonprofit that raises money for that library, files between those two dates. The books, if a library wins one of the twenty in-kind grants, are Penguin Random House titles.

Sources

• American Library Association / United for Libraries, October 20, 2026: Penguin Random House and United for Libraries announce 2027 grants to U.S. rural and small libraries