OPEN — 2027 Round 2 competitive grants for approved rural public libraries and eligible library systems in Western New York. Applications accepted September 11–November 13, 2026. Only organizations on the official pre-vetted eligible-library roster may apply.
New York — Western New York Rural Library Grant Program 2027 Round 2 ($2,000–$150,000; November 13)
Funding$2,000–$150,000 per individual 2027 Round 2 project. Higher-value awards primarily for collaborative multi-library projects. Separate program-wide allocation: $500,000 across Western New York annually (NOT an individual award).
DeadlineApplications opened September 11, 2026 and are due November 13, 2026. Exact hour and time zone NOT specified in the official 2027 guidelines. Awards expected early January 2027.
Last verified2026-11-02
Required next actionCheck that the applying rural public library is on the officially pre-vetted eligibility roster. Confirm county-form discrepancy with WNYLRC/RRLC. Read the official 2027 Round 2 RFP and use the Jotform application: https://form.jotform.com/262446789112160. Prepare library/system details and EIN, $2,000–$150,000 project request, impact and priority alignment, collaboration, implementation/evaluation/sustainability plan, detailed budget and mandatory Excel budget spreadsheet, some budget for marketing/promotion, and at least one supplemental visual/project document. Apply by November 13, 2026 (no official cutoff time stated).
Broad Eligibility
Only pre-vetted rural public libraries and participating library systems representing approved libraries may apply. The official program overview lists Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties. Library facilities must be in cities, towns, or villages with a population of 25,000 or fewer AND be at least 5 miles from an urbanized area. Applicants must appear on the pre-vetted approved library roster. The online application county dropdown and guidelines contain inconsistent entries; confirm eligibility with WNYLRC or RRLC before applying.
Atlas Analysis
Official-source verification 2026-11-02: WNYLRC 2027 Round 2 page, controlling nine-page September 2026 Grant Guidelines & RFP, and live Jotform 2027 Round 2. Legitimate competitive grants for approved rural libraries in Western NY; opens 2026-09-11, closes 2026-11-13 with no published hour/time zone. Individual funding $2,000-$150,000; $500,000 per year is total program pool only. Higher requests generally collaborative; multi-year eligible. Priority areas active lifestyles, childhood/after-school, workforce/families, caregivers, economic development, nonprofit support. Mandatory online Jotform, library identity and geographic eligibility, narratives, evaluation and sustainability, detailed budget and mandatory Excel budget spreadsheet, mandatory supplemental visual/project document, budget for marketing/promotion. Other funding or in-kind disclosed but no universal matching minimum or reimbursement terms stated. Controlling RFP page 3 and official WNYLRC page identify counties; online form county selection has inconsistent entries, so applicant must confirm eligibility via vetted roster. Primary sources: https://wnylrc.org/services/grants/rcwjrf and https://form.jotform.com/262446789112160. RFP available via links on primary WNYLRC page.
Western New York Rural Library Grant Program — 2027 Round 2
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation funds a competitive 2027 round for vetted rural public libraries and library systems in Western New York, administered by the Western New York Library Resources Council (WNYLRC) and Rochester Regional Library Council (RRLC). The application period opened September 11, 2026 and closes November 13, 2026. The official guidelines do not publish a specific closing hour or time zone.
Individual award funding
Applicants may request $2,000–$150,000 per project. The official 2027 guidelines specify $500,000 in total available program funding across Western New York each year; this is not an individual award. Higher-end awards are expected primarily for collaborative projects serving multiple libraries. Multi-year projects, including 2027–2028 work, may be considered. No universal required cash-match percentage is stated, but the application requests any other funding or in-kind support.
Who may apply
Only public libraries or library systems representing pre-vetted eligible rural libraries may apply. The program’s published eligibility summary lists libraries in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties. Eligible facilities must be in communities with populations of 25,000 or less and at least five miles from an urbanized area; applicants must be on the official approved library roster. Collaborative proposals are encouraged. Important: county options in the live application form do not perfectly match the county lists in the guidelines. Applicants should verify their library’s eligibility directly with the program administrators before submission rather than relying solely on the form’s county menu.
Eligible project priorities
Proposals must align with at least one Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation focus area: youth sports and recreation; parks and trails; early childhood development; after-school and young-adult workforce supports; caregivers; entrepreneurship and economic development; or nonprofit support and innovation. Examples include programming, equipment lending, accessibility improvements, early literacy, community learning spaces, workforce resources, and shared library programs. These are competitive project grants, not government procurement contracts.
Application requirements and restrictions
Submit the official online 2027 Round 2 application. Required information includes eligible library and system, county, tax ID, contacts, requested amount, other funding/in-kind contributions, priority area, project need and goals, collaborators, implementation timeline, communications and marketing plan, evaluation measures, detailed project budget, and sustainability. Upload a detailed budget spreadsheet and at least one visual or other supplemental project document. Every proposal budget must include some funding for marketing and promotion. Describe whether partial funding would be workable. Awardees must provide progress and final reports. The available guidelines do not state a blanket reimbursement-only condition or universal matching percentage.
Read the controlling funding page and 2027 guidelines before submission. Direct eligibility or budget questions to WNYLRC or RRLC administrators; the online submission deadline is November 13, 2026. Awards are expected in early January 2027.
Source verificationReferenced source · wnylrc.orgAtlas last verified this record 2026-11-02. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
