The Book Industry Charitable Foundation is launching a matching grant pilot program that will add to the Foundation’s existing financial assistance programs. The program is designed to aid a bookstore employee experiencing a financial hardship that is outside of the foundation’s core areas of assistance.

To apply for the matching grant program, a bookseller’s sponsor--either the owner of the store where they work, the manager or a regional IBA executive director--must submit an application on the bookseller’s behalf. Once approved, bookstores can then raise funds, and the Foundation will match the amount raised by the bookstore up to a maximum of $2,000.

For more information on Binc’s new matching grant program, booksellers can visit Binc’s website or call the Binc Foundation at 866-733-9064.

The Binc Foundation, established in 1996, provides assistance to bookstore employees experiencing severe financial hardship and/or emergency circumstances. The organization has, to date, provided over $5.2 million in financial assistance and scholarships to more than 6,900 bookseller families.