How it works
From a book sale to a verified commissary deposit
Every dollar follows the same documented path: recorded royalties, a 30% allocation, a free application, verification, human review and an institutional deposit.
Non-negotiable
Thirty percent applies to net royalties actually received after retailer fees, printing costs, distribution deductions, returns and platform charges — never to the retail purchase price.
1. Participating books are sold
Authors enroll titles in the program. Books are bought through ordinary retailers. Purchases never influence who receives a grant, and no purchase is required to apply.
2. Net royalties are recorded
Each reporting period we record units sold, gross sales, printing costs, retailer fees, distribution deductions, returns and other approved deductions, together with the supporting royalty statement.
3. Thirty percent is allocated
Grant fund allocation = net royalties actually received × 30%. The allocation is posted to an immutable ledger. Errors are corrected only through documented reversing entries.
4. Applications are received free of charge
Applications can be submitted online or entered by staff from mailed forms. There is never a fee, and progress is saved so an application can be resumed later.
5. Verification
We verify the person, the facility and the current official deposit instructions. Duplicate applications and mismatched details are flagged for human review, never denied automatically.
6. Review and decision
An authorized reviewer applies objective criteria. Automated scoring may organize the queue, but a person always makes the final decision, and denials require a written reason.
7. Institutional deposit
Approved funds are sent only through the institution-approved provider to the recipient's trust or commissary account, then reconciled against the fund ledger.
8. Notification and reporting
The applicant or authorized contact is notified without exposing sensitive data, and the award is included in aggregate public reporting.
Payment principle
Funds go only to institutional accounts
Approved funds must be sent through a verified institutional payment method to the recipient's trust or commissary account. We never send recipient grants to a family member, a personal bank account, Cash App, Venmo, Zelle or a cryptocurrency address.
Correctional systems may impose transaction fees, restrictions or legally authorized deductions on deposits.
Application statuses
What each status means in plain language
| Status | Plain-language meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Not submitted |
| Submitted | Received successfully |
| Verification Required | Identity, facility or account must be confirmed |
| Under Review | Eligibility review in progress |
| Information Requested | Applicant must provide additional information |
| Approved | Grant approved, payment not yet complete |
| Waitlisted | Eligible but current funds are unavailable |
| Payment Processing | Deposit is being prepared or submitted |
| Paid | Deposit recorded with confirmation |
| Unable to Pay | Institutional deposit could not be completed |
| Denied | Application did not meet published requirements |
| Closed | Application lifecycle ended |