Dollar General Literacy Foundation Makes an $8.3 Million Impact to Approximately 1,000 Schools, Nonprofits and Literacy Organizations

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded more than $8.3 million to approximately 1,000 nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools.  These grants will support adult, family and summer programs, which aim to enhance local literacy and education initiatives throughout the communities Dollar General (NYSE: DG) serves.

“In keeping with Dollar General’s mission of Serving Others, we are excited to provide grants to support literacy and education initiatives in the communities we proudly call home,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO and Dollar General Literacy Foundation board member.  “Each year, funds provided by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation make a real difference by providing the tools that students, adults and families need to pursue new opportunities and accomplish their goals. We believe these programs empower the communities we serve, and we are honored to play a role in their success.”
 
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.
 
“Education has the ability to level the playing fields in life,” said Denine Torr, Dollar General’s senior director of Community Initiatives. “Through these grants, we are helping expand access to educational programs and enhancing literacy instruction for adults, families and youth. We are excited to invest in programs across our hometown communities that are uplifting and empowering others to have a brighter future.”
 
In addition to these adult, family and summer program grants received today, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation is currently accepting applications for youth literacy grants through Thursday, May 16, 2019 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.
 
A complete list of today’s grant recipients and applications for youth literacy grants is available online at www.dgliteracy.org.
 
Each year, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries within a 20-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs.  Through partnerships with national literacy organizations like the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, XPRIZE Foundation and the American Libraries Association, 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.
 
The Dollar General Literacy 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.

 

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 $168 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 10 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. 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 nearly 80 years through its mission of Serving Others. 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 15,472 stores in 44 states as of March 1, 2019. 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.