NLA Question:Literacy Center Funding--College--Connecticut

[Bryon Lee Grigsby]

[Pleass reply to the sender, Bryon Grigsby, not to the NLA List.  Thanks,
David J. Rosen, NLA List Moderator]

Greetings--I'm a faculty member at Eastern Connecticut State University
and the Writing Specialist here.  I just joined this listserve because
I have initiated a new program in which we take college students and
train them to teach writing and literacy to both college and community
people.  The Writing and Literacy Center at Eastern now employs ten
work-study students who have over thirty hours of training in literacy
and writing.  Now comes the rub. . . while the college supports this
program by providing work-study students and a roof over our heads, we
have zero funds for anything else (ie. supplies, BOOKS, computers, even
adminstrative salaries).  I have attempted private foundations, twenty
of which said they would not fund a state college, another five said it
was outside their area of donation, and the last three didn't care about 
literacy.  

Since I'm new at this literacy funding game, can anyone offer me some
help to find outside sources to pay for this program?  I recently mailed
out ten more pleas for private funding.  I am also aware of the Federal
"America Reads Program," but right now the Dept of Ed is broke until
Congress signs the bill into law.  

We already have adults, children, and families coming to us for help. 
We mainly use books I've been given as a faculty member as examination
copies, but we can't continue for long without a budget of some kind.
Any help would be appreciated.  

Email grigsbyb at ecsuc.ctstateu.edu