Laubach Literacy Receives $1 Million Donation

ProLiteracy Worldwide
Tuesday, 25 July 2000

SYRACUSE, NY, JULY 25, 2000- The West Foundation of Indianapolis, Indiana, has announced a $1 million gift commitment to the international component of the Women in Literacy: Women in Action campaign of Laubach Literacy- the world's oldest and largest literacy organization.

The gift, which will be fulfilled over the next five years, will enable Laubach to award direct grants to their grassroots partner programs in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

Laubach anticipates that 400,000 poor women will gain and apply the necessary literacy skills they need in order to take control of their lives through its five-year Women in Literacy: Women in Action campaign.

"Not only will this grant help hundreds of thousands of women worldwide, but these women will take their literacy skills home with them and transform their households, their neighborhoods and their communities," said Kirk Shisler, director of Fund Development for Laubach Literacy.

In addition to supporting adult literacy in the poorest regions of the world, the West Foundation also aids international initiatives that improve health and medical treatment, both of which are achieved by the Women in Literacy: Women in Action campaign.

"Women in Literacy: Women in Action is so wide-ranging in scope that we think it has a strong chance of making a lasting impact," stated Emily A. West, executive director of the West Foundation, explaining the reason for the $1 million gift.

Laubach Literacy is a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to helping adults of all ages improve their lives and their communities by learning reading, writing, math and problem-solving skills.

Founded in 1955 by literacy pioneer Dr. Frank C. Laubach, the organization has 1,100 member programs throughout the United States and 69 partner programs in 36 developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

Its U.S. Publishing Division, New Readers Press, produces and distributes 700 titles of adult educational materials to 30,000 literacy organizations, schools, libraries and other institutions across the country.

For more information, or to contact ProLiteracy Worldwide, see their website at: www.proliteracy.org