Funding
It's no secret that schools, libraries, and other educational groups are often underfunded. Our aim is to give every group with financial concerns the opportunity to apply for funding.
​If you are an educator or parent and want to see a production of Magic in the Library live at your school, library, theater, museum or other venue but have concerns about the cost, we encourage you to read the steps below carefully.
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If you are considering a sponsorship of a live production of Magic in the Library or to chip in on one of our other aspects of literacy advocacy, please accept my sincere thanks and visit our supporter page.
How much does it cost for us to see a live production of Magic in the Library?
It varies. We encourage everyone to contact us for an accurate and free quote. Pricing varies based on the following:
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Are you attending a field-trip show at a theater/civic center or will this be a production taking place at your school, library, etc.?
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What is the date, time, and location of the event?
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How many children are in your group?
As a point of reference, productions of Magic in the Library ​on-location (where we come to your school or library) typically run in the neighborhood of $750 plus some expenses; however we've seen the program go considerably lower or higher. Please contact our office for an accurate quote.
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Generally speaking, tickets for individual students coming as a field trip group range from $3 - $20 per student. Depending on the specific theater or other venue, there is either a fee per student or a general "blanket" ticket for up to 50 students or so if the school wishes to pay altogether at once.
Ten Steps for Funding
Below are several steps that you can take to help make it possible for Magic in the Library to come to your school or library (on-location version), or to make a field trip to a local theater or event center near you (field trip version). It's important to follow these steps in order by how they are numbered as they apply to your situation.
1. Use the Correct Budget
Schools and school districts generally allocate funding for programs and presenters around the school year. It is possible, however, for the cost of Magic in the Library to be split across the "library budget" or "language arts department budget" and "programs and field trips budget" in order to be fair to each department and so that expenses are shared among various budget categories.
2. Charge Per-Student
For on-location programs such as at your school or library, it's common for groups to charge per student. Usually this cost ends up being between $1 - $4 per student. Most parents won't hesitate to send a few one-dollar bills with their child to see the magic show program. This helps reserve the program budget for the school or library for other activities.
3. Make Magic in the Library a Fundraiser!
If you decide to charge per student as mentioned in step 2, you could charge a little higher, such as $10 per student. Once the initial costs for Magic in the Library are paid, the remainder money raised can be used for other educational expenses!
4. Pay Out in Increments
Magic in the Library offers a convenient payment plan for programs that exceed $700 in cost.* An initial setup cost of $35 is made and the total cost for the program can be divided across three payments on a regular (usually monthly) basis.**
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*payment plans apply to On-Location programs only, not to Field Trip Programs.
** If using a payment plan, all payments must be made in advance in full before the Magic in the Library program can take place.
Note: please read the specific terms and conditions of your Payment Plan Agreement.
5. Reach out to Local Organizations
Many educational groups have sponsoring organizations that are able to raise money for programs like Magic in the Library. Consider reaching out to United Way, Friends of the Library, your school parent-teacher association, local companies that may be able to contribute, etc.
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6. Contact State and Federal Organizations
According to United States Congress, the art of magic is now legally recognized as an art form by the United States. This allows for schools and libraries to apply for performing arts funding to help produce events such as Magic in the Library. While it may seem difficult, it's actually quite easy to request funding by writing to your local US House representative. You can also write to other government officials who may be able to help. We recommend writing a physical letter and delivering as a certified letter via US Mail rather than writing an email. Be sure to include photos of your school or library, along with a detailed summary of what you want to do! We also recommend having students sign the document as well!
7. Consider the Field Trip Program
If you are a school principal or other school group leader and want Magic in the Library to take place at your school but can't afford it, it may be better to do a school field trip to a central production of the program at a theater, event center, or civic center near you! Very often the costs of hosting a field trip are much less than the cost of hosting the entire program yourself at your school campus. On a field trip it's common for students to pay their own admission fee and the school is only out of pocket for transportation costs.
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Be sure to check our information page on Field Trip Programs to learn more. If there isn't a field trip location near you, contact us! If there are enough school groups nearby to justify the trip, we may even be able to set up a field trip program near you upon request!
8. Syndicate the Program
Every now and then we are able to come down on pricing for school or library groups if there are multiple groups in the area who are also interested in a program. These groups should all be within an hour drive of your own location in order to take advantage of this discount. We can't guarantee that this approach will work but having multiple groups in the same area interested cuts down on our costs and makes it easier for everyone.
9. Split the Bill
Sometimes school groups will host Magic in the Library at their own elementary school or in the auditorium of a local high school or community theater and have multiple schools show up at once. This causes the cost for the program to go down since several schools are watching together at the same time.
Some restrictions may apply. Contact us for details.
10. Apply for Funding Help from Magic in the Library
There are a few local organizations that help offset some of our costs when performing Magic in the Library. Please note that this funding is limited and only applies to a handful of groups all year. This offset funding is not necessarily a "grant" but works similar to one. This final step should only be used after completing all of the above steps. We cannot guarantee that Magic in the Library will be able to offer any funding towards a production.
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Note: For legal purposes, please note that the subsidized funding we offer is not a "grant," strictly speaking, but rather a discount program available to a handful of applicants each year.
Click the icon to download the most recent application.
This file is best viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat Pro. You may also be able to open it in your browser.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT FUNDING
Can I use subsidies from Magic in the Library as funding to pay for other aspects of Magic in the Library, such as private tutoring or Magic at School?
Unfortunately, the funding opportunities only apply to live productions of Magic in the Library. We can’t offer funding for other services such as private language arts tutoring or Magic at School at this time.
Do funding opportunities change depending on our location?
Sometimes. For example, locations outside of the continental United States require extensive travel costs and we have to offset these costs as best we can through third party sponsorships if the school, library, or other organization cannot foot the bill on their own.
How far in advance do I need to apply?
Naturally we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Even if the date and time you have in mind is a year or more in advance, please go ahead and complete the form and return it to us. Funding is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
How much money does a production of Magic in the Library cost?
The going rate for a single production of Magic in the Library is about $750 on average but that’s a very rough estimate. On the high end, Magic in the Library can cost about $3000 or as low as $200. The reason for this drastic change in price has everything to do with our costs including airfare, travel costs, the size of the audience, how far we are traveling, how long we will be on the road to and from the location, and so on. We encourage everyone to apply for funding and we review each application on a case-by-case basis to unlock the most opportunity possible. Please do not assume that you cannot afford the program based solely on these price tags.
How to I return the application to you?
You can email us a scanned or photographed copy of the application to office@magicinthelibrary.org or send via SMS text to 432-413-6816. You can also mail the application to our office at 604 Watson Street, Suite A, Midland TX 79701. If you are mailing it in, then please notify us via phone so we can be on the lookout for the application. Please print legibly if completed by hand.
How will I know if my application has been approved?
We will contact you within one business week as to whether or not the application is approved. If it is not approved, we will do our best to accommodate your situation or to give you tips on how to get the application approved.
I am a civic librarian. Is funding available for libraries as well as schools?
Yes! Libraries outside of schools are a very big part of our network of “tour stops” all year long. While most city libraries book in the summer, it’s also good to consider productions of Magic in the Library at other times of the year.
I am over a homeschool co-op program, can I still fill out the grant application?
Yes! We have several homeschool co-op groups that contact us regularly for live productions of the show program in their local event space. A minimum of 25 children is usually recommended for the show program to take place.
I work with a museum, theater, or other event venue. Could we still qualify for funding?
Yes! Educational venues outside of libraries and schools are welcome to book Magic in the Library and may qualify for funding. Please allow an extra day or two to process your application if your venue is something other than a school or library.
My school is a private school or charter school. Could we still qualify for funding?
Yes! Contrary to popular belief, not all private schools and charter schools have adequate funding, and we understand! Please complete the application no matter what.
What can we do if our application is denied or if the amount of funding isn’t sufficient for our budget?
Applications may be denied if there is no funding available on our end, but there are other options available. Some schools use PTA or PTO groups to help fund the event.
Another way to diminish costs is to split the bill with another school or library. For instance, if a school nearby can come to your school building the same day as your own presentation or if we can get to the other school nearby then we can reduce the costs for both schools since we’re already in the neighborhood.
Likewise, civic libraries can follow a similar pattern. Many municipal libraries have a “friends of the library” or similar supporting program to offset costs. Again, if you are a municipal librarian and know of another library nearby that may also benefit from a production of Magic in the Library, then please let us know.
Our school is not a Title I school, and we never qualify for anything. Should we bother with the application?
Never say never! Lots of schools have qualified for as much as whole funding who are not considered Title I schools. We encourage everyone to complete the application.
Whom at my organization should fill out the subsidy application?
The application can be filled out by virtually anyone at the school, library, or other educational venue that knows the answers to the questions, but we always encourage the head librarian or school principal to do the application if possible.
Why can’t you do a show program for free?
As much as we like what we do, we cannot do a production of Magic in the Library for free. This is due to the costs involved with production such as travel fees, equipment, administrative costs, taxes, and so on. Even our local programs have costs tied to them and if the school or library cannot pay for the program then we turn to our sponsors to help us cover costs.