Dollar General Literacy Foundation Makes Historic Grant Announcement to Support Literacy and Education
Thu, 13 May 2021
$10.5 Million Grant is Largest One-Day Donation in the Foundation’s 28-Year History
Nearly 1,000 Schools, Nonprofits and Libraries Receive Funding to Support Literacy and Educational Programs
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Today, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation announced the organization’s largest one-day grant donation in its 28-year history of more than $10.5 million to support literacy and education in the communities that Dollar General (NYSE: DG) serves. Awarded to approximately 1,000 nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools, the funds aim to support summer, family and adult literacy programs and enrich the lives of nearly 900,000 individuals.
“We understand the meaningful impact that the Dollar General Literacy Foundation investments and grants can have on local schools, nonprofits and libraries, and we are pleased to provide our largest one-day grant award to serve additional students this year,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO and Dollar General Literacy Foundation board member. “Our support of communities’ educational advancements remains unwavering. We are proud to champion the positive work by each of today’s recipients and are happy to help individuals increase their potential and pursue their dreams of a better tomorrow through the power of education and literacy.”
A complete list of today’s grant recipients is available online at www.dgliteracy.org. Grant recipients plan to use awarded funds to promote literacy and learning across a variety of programs including promoting childhood summer reading, helping adults learn to read and prepare for the high school equivalency exam and helping individuals to learn English.
"For nearly 30 years, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has been proud to invest in literacy and education programs in our hometown communities," said Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. "The recent and significant shifts in the educational landscape have made the Foundation’s mission more critically important. As we work to create access to high-quality instruction for all individuals, we share our gratitude for the educators who are working to uplift and empower others. We hope these funds will have a meaningful impact on students and teachers across the country and look forward to seeing the positive impact they have on learners.”
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is also currently accepting applications for youth literacy grants through Thursday, May 20, 2021 until 10 p.m. CT. Youth literacy grants support schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations in implementing new literacy efforts or expanding existing ones. Funding can be used to purchase new technology, equipment, books, materials, or software to enhance literacy programs. Grant applications may be found online at http://www.dgliteracy.org.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer, and youth literacy programs. The Foundation also offers a student referral program for individuals interested in learning how to read, speak English, or prepare for the high school equivalency exam. Referrals to a local organization that provides free literacy services are available online here or through referral cards found in the Learn to Read brochures that are available at the cash register of every Dollar General store.
For additional information, photographs or items to supplement a story, please visit the Dollar General Newsroom or contact the Media Relations Department at 1-877-944-DGPR (3477) or via email at dgpr@dollargeneral.com.
About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $197 million in grants, helping more than 14 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. Cal Turner, Jr. founded the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to honor his grandfather and Dollar General’s co-founder, J.L. Turner, who was functionally illiterate having dropped out of school in the third grade to support his family. The Foundation aims to provide support to schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations that seek to improve adult, summer, youth and family literacy initiatives. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, visit www.dgliteracy.org.
About Dollar General Corporation
Dollar General Corporation has been delivering value to shoppers for more than 80 years. Dollar General helps shoppers Save time. Save money. Every day.® by offering products that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, housewares and seasonal items at everyday low prices in convenient neighborhood locations. Dollar General operated 17,266 stores in 46 states as of February 26, 2021. In addition to high-quality private brands, Dollar General sells products from America's most-trusted manufacturers such as Clorox, Energizer, Procter & Gamble, Hanes, Coca-Cola, Mars, Unilever, Nestle, Kimberly-Clark, Kellogg's, General Mills, and PepsiCo. Learn more about Dollar General at www.dollargeneral.com.
