Grants for Digital Literacy Programs 2026: 126 Funders
Quick Answer: If you're running computer classes for adults or seniors, a digital navigator program or a laptop refurbishing shop that trains the people it serves, grants for digital literacy programs now come mostly from private and corporate foundations, because the Digital Equity Act's state grants were terminated in May 2025.
Full answer and how we checked it
Grantsights analysis of 990-PF filings pulled November 1, 2026 found 126 foundations that made 224 grants to digital literacy and digital inclusion groups, totaling $36,548,454. According to the same pull, one funder gave about 73% of that, so plan around the $22,000 median instead.
This guide is for executive directors, program managers and volunteers at digital inclusion nonprofits, libraries and adult literacy groups that teach people to use computers, phones and the internet. It covers skills classes, one-on-one digital navigators, refurbished devices handed out with training, and regional digital inclusion coalitions. Broadband construction is a separate subject: grants for rural internet and the broadband grants guide cover the infrastructure side.
Data note: The counts come from a Grantsights search of 990-PF filings across all causes, pulled November 1, 2026, for recipients whose names identify them as digital literacy, digital inclusion or computer access programs. Grantsights checked all 32 distinct matched recipient names by hand, and 31 were digital literacy or digital inclusion groups, including Tech Goes Home, PCs for People, Byte Back, Kramden Institute, Human-I-T, EveryoneOn, Comp-U-Dopt, Digitunity, Free Geek, Cyber-Seniors, Older Adults Technology Services and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. One, Global Computer Literacy, couldn't be confirmed. Because the search matches names, it misses libraries and literacy councils that run digital classes under their own names. The statewide education table further down uses a separate Grantsights pull of 990-PF education filings, dated October 29, 2026.
In this guide (12 sections)
- Grants for Digital Literacy Programs: What 990-PF Filings Show
- One Funder, 73% of the Money
- Digital Literacy Grants by State
- Why the Education List for Digital Literacy
- What NTIA Doesn't Tell You About the Digital Equity Act
- Other Federal Routes: Adult Education, Libraries and Lifeline
- Budgeting a Digital Literacy Program for a Grant
- Common Mistakes in Digital Literacy Grant Requests
- A Digital Literacy Program's Funding Calendar
- Related Guides for Digital Literacy Programs
- FAQ: Common Questions
- Sources
Foundations near you already fund this work. See three in your state that take requests, with how to apply. Free, about a minute.
Digital literacy source review, Grantsights, November 1, 2026: Grantsights checked NTIA's BroadbandUSA pages for the Native Entities Grant Program (opens in a new tab) and the Competitive Grant Program (opens in a new tab), the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority's Digital Equity Act page (opens in a new tab), the WIOA definitions at 29 U.S.C. 3272 (opens in a new tab), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Grants to States overview (opens in a new tab) and the FCC's Lifeline page (opens in a new tab), then compared them against foundation filings. Where official sources stop: none of these pages says what it costs to teach one older adult to use a patient portal, or how many class hours a new learner needs. Your own attendance and cost records have to fill that gap.
Foundations that fund this work
67,088 private foundations gave to schools, colleges, libraries and scholarship funds
From their own IRS Form 990-PF filings (tax years 2019 to 2025). Pick your state to see who gave there, with one foundation in full. About the list
Across the US, these foundations gave 871,704 grants totaling $51,422,345,287.
Historical giving does not establish an open application or eligibility for your organization. For-profit operators should check each foundation's applicant rules before buying.
The full list names all 67,088, state by state: what each gave, to whom, for what, and a link to its filings. One payment, no subscription.
Foundations ranked for education in
Ordered by how many grants they made for this work in your state and to how many organizations, invitation-only foundations last. From their own IRS 990-PF filings.
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Grants for Digital Literacy Programs: What 990-PF Filings Show
Private foundations are now the steadiest outside source for digital inclusion nonprofits, alongside corporate sponsors, internet providers, local governments and earned income from device sales. According to IRS guidance about Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab), private foundations report their charitable grants on that return, which is why every gift below can be traced.
Grantsights analysis of 990-PF filings pulled November 1, 2026 found 126 foundations that made 224 grants to 32 digital literacy and digital inclusion recipients, totaling $36,548,454. That works out to about $163,000 a grant, a number almost no program will ever see. According to the same pull, the median grant was $22,000, a quarter of gifts were $5,000 or less, and 66 grants (29%) were under $5,000.
4 kinds of digital literacy programs
The 31 confirmed recipients fall into 4 rough groups, and funders read each one differently. This table is illustrative, not data: budgets vary from a volunteer class in a church basement to a statewide nonprofit.
| Program type | Usual setup | Largest expenses | What wins funders over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skills classes for adults and seniors | Cohort courses, often in libraries or senior centers | Instructors, loaner devices, space | Learners who finish, tasks they can now do online |
| Digital navigators | One-on-one help by phone or in person | Navigator pay, training, outreach | People connected to service, devices or benefits |
| Device refurbishing with training | Donated computers wiped, repaired and handed out | Warehouse, technicians, licenses | Devices placed, families trained, e-waste diverted |
| Digital inclusion coalition | Coordinates many local providers | Staff, convenings, data | Partners reached, regional plans, shared services |
Grantsights' honest view: refurbishers that skip the training piece look like electronics recyclers to an education funder. Pair every device with a class or a navigator session, and say so in the first paragraph of the request.
One Funder, 73% of the Money
According to the same Grantsights data, the Santander Consumer USA Foundation made 22 grants to Comp-U-Dopt in Houston, Texas from 2023 to 2025, totaling $26,508,656. That's about 73% of all the dollars in the pull, and 6 of those gifts were above $2,500,000 each, filed as support for a digital inclusion initiative covering digital literacy, digital education and connectivity. Strip that one relationship out and the other 125 foundations gave $10,039,798 across 202 grants.
| Foundation | Grantee | State | Grant | Filed purpose | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santander Consumer USA Foundation | Comp-U-Dopt | TX | $3,626,005 | Digital inclusion initiative | 2023 |
| Santander Consumer USA Foundation | Comp-U-Dopt | TX | $3,250,243 | Digital inclusion initiative | 2024 |
| The Gilbert Family Foundation | Human-I-T, Long Beach | CA | $1,008,400 | Discretionary grants | 2024 |
| Fidelity Foundation | Comp-U-Dopt | TX | $715,000 | Technology and equipment | 2024 |
| The Moody Foundation | Comp-U-Dopt | TX | $341,984 | Technology access in Galveston | 2023 |
| The Devonshire Foundation | Tech Goes Home, Boston | MA | $290,471 | Year of a 3-year grant for development and earned revenue | 2024 |
| The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation | PCs for People | MN | $250,000 | Expanding to the Richmond and Hampton Roads region | 2024 |
| The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation | Older Adults Technology Services | NY | $250,000 | General operations | 2024 |
A small program shouldn't read Texas's numbers as a sign of easy money. One organization in Texas, Comp-U-Dopt, also drew from Texas foundations besides Santander, including $300,000 from the Moody Foundation in 2024 to renew its Digital Equity for Galveston Families work and $100,000 from the Rockwell Fund in 2023 for its STEAM Team. They describe one corporate partnership that grew over 3 years, not a pool open to newcomers.
Mid-size and small gifts that look like your ask
For example, the Ford Foundation gave the National Digital Inclusion Alliance in Columbus, Ohio $150,000 in 2023 and $225,000 plus $50,000 in 2024 for general support. The Weinberg Foundation gave Byte Back in Washington, DC $100,000 in 2023 for a digital skills training program that prepares people for IT careers, and the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation gave Byte Back $60,000 that year for general operations. In Oregon, the Collins Foundation gave Free Geek in Portland $50,000 in 2023 and $65,000 in 2024 to add staff for its digital inclusion work.
Senior-focused programs have their own funders. The RRF Foundation for Aging gave Cyber-Seniors $54,646 in 2024 for a second year of technology training for older adults, and the Joseph and Vera Long Foundation gave Community Tech Network $50,000 in 2024 for digital programs for older adults in Alameda County. Regional coalitions draw local money too: Hillman Family Foundations gave the Greater Pittsburgh Digital Inclusion Alliance $50,000 in 2023 for regional collaboration.
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Digital Literacy Grants by State
Texas's 23 funders lead, but its $28,825,340 is almost all Comp-U-Dopt. This table counts gifts in the November 1, 2026 pull by the state where the recipient filed, across every cause tag.
| State | Digital literacy funders | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 23 | 55 | $28,825,340 |
| District of Columbia | 18 | 22 | $508,500 |
| Oregon | 18 | 30 | $467,425 |
| Massachusetts | 16 | 27 | $2,192,177 |
| California | 13 | 22 | $1,898,296 |
| Minnesota | 10 | 12 | $568,940 |
| Ohio | 8 | 13 | $653,193 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 9 | $147,634 |
12 states had 3 or more funders, with Pennsylvania and New Jersey at 5, New York at 4 and New Hampshire at 3. Because the table follows the recipient's home address, national groups pull money toward their headquarters: PCs for People files from St. Paul, so the Parsons grant for Virginia counts in Minnesota. Oregon's largest gifts all went to Free Geek, and Massachusetts's largest went to Tech Goes Home. The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation gave Tech Goes Home $250,000 in both 2023 and 2024, and the Liberty Mutual Foundation gave it $100,000 in each of those years for its digital inclusion programs.
California's digital literacy funders
California's 13 funders gave 22 grants worth $1,898,296, and the Gilbert grant is more than half of it. The rest is a set of steady local relationships. The Rudolph J. and Daphne A. Munzer Foundation gave Human-I-T $60,000 in 2024 for digital equity in North Long Beach and $50,000 in 2025 for its Connect 562 digital equity project in Long Beach. The Metta Fund gave Community Tech Network in San Francisco $100,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for general operations, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York gave EveryoneOn in Los Angeles $156,250 in 2023 for general support.
Why the Education List for Digital Literacy
Education is where tagged digital literacy gifts land most often, so Grantsights points these programs to the education list. It's not a perfect fit. In the education-tagged slice of the November 1, 2026 data, 66 foundations gave to matching recipients, but only about 80% of a hand-checked sample were digital literacy programs; coding, STEM and general reading gifts crowded the rest. That's why this guide has no filtered funder list of its own. The free preview on the Grantsights education funder list shows education funders across your state broadly, not ones picked for digital literacy, so read each funder's past gifts before you write.
The education slice does show where much of the money for digital classes actually goes: to libraries and literacy councils. The JPB Foundation gave the New York Public Library $1,250,000 in 2023 for English and digital literacy help, the Coleman Family Charitable Foundation gave Brooklyn Public Library $15,000 in 2023 for adult digital literacy training and credentials, the Pablo Foundation gave Literacy Chippewa Valley in Wisconsin $10,000 in 2024 for digital literacy for seniors, and the FSC Foundation gave the Catherine McAuley Center in Iowa $3,500 in 2024 for online English and digital literacy classes. A small digital inclusion group that partners with a library or a literacy council can reach those funders too.
| Recipient state | All education grants on file | Foundations giving to education | Open to requests | Median education grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 81,479 | 12,291 | 2,871 | $5,000 |
| Texas | 48,431 | 6,756 | 2,256 | $5,000 |
| Massachusetts | 46,930 | 8,701 | 2,430 | $5,000 |
| Minnesota | 17,305 | 2,740 | 961 | $3,500 |
| District of Columbia | 14,860 | 4,495 | 1,189 | $10,000 |
| Oregon | 13,335 | 1,890 | 712 | $6,647 |
These rows come from Grantsights analysis of every 990-PF education grant pulled October 29, 2026. The District of Columbia's $10,000 median is twice that of most states in the table. Buying one state's education list costs $29, a full year of all causes nationwide runs $99, and you can ask for your money back on either within 30 days. Programs aimed at retirees should also read grants for senior centers, since many senior centers host digital classes.
What NTIA Doesn't Tell You About the Digital Equity Act
The Digital Equity Act set up federal planning, capacity and competitive grants for digital inclusion, and for most applicants that money is gone. According to the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, it received a letter on May 9, 2025 from the U.S. Department of Commerce saying the Act's grant had been terminated, that activities had to stop immediately and that no further federal funds would be reimbursed. Illinois's broadband office describes the same May 9, 2025 termination. Read NTIA's current pages next to those notices and 5 lessons come out.
- Only Native entities have an open window. According to NTIA's BroadbandUSA page, the Native Entities Grant Program is open to Indian Tribes, Alaska Native entities and Native Hawaiian organizations, with applications due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on November 17, 2026. If you aren't one of those, partner with one rather than applying.
- The competitive program has a new name and no notice yet. NTIA now calls it the Competitive Grant Program. Its August 25, 2026 Federal Register notice cites 47 U.S.C. 1724 and describes the program as funding broadband adoption, digital skills development and access to public connectivity resources. That notice only asked for comment on the application form, with comments due October 26, 2026. As of November 1, 2026, the program page shows no funding notice.
- Nonprofits are on the eligibility list. The same notice lists not-for-profit foundations, corporations, institutions and associations that aren't schools, community anchor institutions, local educational agencies and workforce development entities among likely applicants. A digital inclusion group should line up partners and data now.
- Don't build a budget on it. A common mistake is hiring staff against a promised federal subgrant. When the 2025 letters arrived, reimbursement stopped at once, per the Pennsylvania notice. Treat any new federal round as upside, not payroll.
- Your state office knows more than NTIA's pages. Illinois's broadband office says it remains committed to digital equity after the cut. Ask your own state broadband office directly what's still running and who it's funding.
What federal pages rarely admit is how much of this field is back to private money. With the state capacity grants terminated, the 125 foundations outside Santander that gave $10,039,798 in the pull are the base most programs can count on. That's the honest starting point for a 2027 budget.
Other Federal Routes: Adult Education, Libraries and Lifeline
3 federal programs still touch digital literacy, and none hands money straight to a small nonprofit. Each one runs through a state agency or a household benefit.
Adult education. According to 29 U.S.C. 3272, adult education and literacy activities include workforce preparation activities, and the law defines those to include digital literacy skills alongside basic academic and critical thinking skills. That means your state's adult education agency can fund digital classes inside its WIOA Title II grants to local providers. The adult education programs guide explains those competitions.
Libraries. According to the IMLS Grants to States overview, more than $160 million a year goes to state library administrative agencies through a population formula. IMLS's page on the purposes and priorities of the Library Services and Technology Act (opens in a new tab) lists digital literacy skills among the services libraries can expand. The state allotment page (opens in a new tab) shows 2026 amounts for every state, such as $2,935,088 for Alabama. Ask your state library about subgrants, or partner with a branch that has them. Grants for libraries covers the rest.
Lifeline. Lifeline isn't a grant to programs, but it's the affordability piece navigators help people claim. According to the FCC, Lifeline gives up to $9.25 a month off phone or internet service, or up to $34.25 on Tribal lands, for households at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or enrolled in programs such as SNAP, Medicaid or SSI. The FCC says it doesn't subsidize hardware, so devices still have to come from you.
Budgeting a Digital Literacy Program for a Grant
Most programs underestimate 3 costs: the hours a navigator spends per person, devices that break, and data plans after the class ends. This table is illustrative, not data: costs depend on your city, class size and whether you refurbish your own devices.
| Expense | Purpose | Commonly forgotten? |
|---|---|---|
| Instructors or navigators | Class time and one-on-one sessions | No |
| Loaner or take-home devices | Laptops, tablets, phones | No |
| Repair, licenses and wiping | Software, data security, spare parts | Yes |
| Connectivity | Hotspots or help signing up for Lifeline or low-cost plans | Yes |
| Language access | Interpreters, translated materials | Yes |
| Outreach | Flyers, partner visits, transport | Yes |
| Follow-up | Checking in 30 and 90 days later | Yes |
Report learners enrolled, learners who finished, tasks they can now do (email, telehealth, job applications), devices placed and households connected. Funders comparing a digital class with a job program want outcomes, not seat counts.
Common Mistakes in Digital Literacy Grant Requests
These 6 mistakes come up when a request explains the digital divide instead of the program.
- Leading with national statistics. Funders already know the divide exists. Lead with who you served last year and what they can do now.
- Treating the Santander total as normal. A red flag for a program officer is a newcomer asking for $500,000 because digital inclusion gifts look large. Check each funder's typical check with how to read a 990-PF.
- Pitching devices with no training. Education funders want learning. Recycling alone belongs with environmental funders.
- Confusing access with skills. If your project is wiring a building or a town, the broadband guides fit better. Digital literacy funders pay for people, not cable.
- No tax status of your own. Volunteer classes run out of a church or senior center often lack a 501(c)(3). Read about fiscal sponsors first.
- Mixing youth coding with adult skills. Coding camps for kids have their own funders in grants for coding programs for kids. Keep adult and senior digital skills in a separate request.
A Digital Literacy Program's Funding Calendar
This 12-month plan assumes classes run in fall and spring cohorts. Adjust it to your partners' schedules.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January | Pull last year's enrollment, completion and device numbers |
| February | Ask the state library and adult education office about subgrants |
| March to May | Send 10 to 15 requests to education and senior-focused funders |
| June | Check NTIA's Competitive Grant Program page for a funding notice |
| July to August | Recruit volunteers and refurbish devices for fall cohorts |
| September to December | Report outcomes to funders and plan the next year's cohorts |
The Grantsights grant database tracks open federal and state notices, including state library and adult education programs that fund digital skills.
Related Guides for Digital Literacy Programs
The 126 foundations behind these grants overlap with funders of reading, job skills and library work, and these guides cover them.
Programs that teach reading and English alongside computer skills should see grants for literacy programs. Groups that train people for tech jobs, as Byte Back does, will find related funders in grants for workforce training. Programs that teach computer skills inside jails and prisons fit the college-in-prison funders described in grants for prison education programs. Classes on spotting false stories online pair well with a local newsroom, and the funders of those newsrooms are in grants for local news nonprofits.
FAQ: Common Questions
How many foundations give grants to digital literacy programs? 126 in Grantsights' search of 990-PF filings pulled November 1, 2026.
How big is a typical digital literacy grant? The median was $22,000, and the middle half ran from $5,000 to $71,250.
Is the Digital Equity Act still funding digital literacy programs? Mostly not since May 2025, apart from NTIA's Native Entities program.
Can adult education money pay for digital literacy classes? Yes. WIOA counts digital literacy skills as part of adult education.
Do libraries get federal money for digital literacy? Yes, through IMLS Grants to States and your state library agency.
Does this guide cover broadband construction? No. Infrastructure has its own guides and funders.
Sources
- NTIA BroadbandUSA: Native Entities Grant Program (opens in a new tab)
- NTIA BroadbandUSA: Competitive Grant Program (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Register, August 25, 2026: Application for Competitive Grant Program (opens in a new tab)
- Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority: Digital Equity Act, terminated May 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- Illinois Office of Broadband: Digital Equity Capacity Grant (opens in a new tab)
- 29 U.S.C. 3272: WIOA Title II definitions (opens in a new tab)
- IMLS: Grants to States overview (opens in a new tab)
- IMLS: Purpose and priorities of LSTA (opens in a new tab)
- IMLS: State allotment data (opens in a new tab)
- FCC: Lifeline support for affordable communications (opens in a new tab)
- IRS: About Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab)
Last updated November 1, 2026. Published by Grantsights from public sources. See our editorial policy, how we build and check guides, corrections and how we make money.
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