The Literacy Council does not receive any state or federal support so we rely on the generosity of the community to help provide a large share of the financial resources needed to help determined adults reach their goals.

If you are interested in making a contribution, please fill out the donor form and mail it to the address listed on the form. Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

You will need the FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the form.

You may also donate online!

What if the Literacy Council of St. Joseph County earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.

Just visit GoodSearch or go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Literacy Council-St. Joseph County as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!

Make a Difference

Rose's New Year's resolution is to get a better job. Cleaning houses is fine for now but she hopes to one day land a job working in an office. She moves closer to meeting that goal each week she meets with her tutor. Together, they work on her reading and writing skills. Last year she read her first book, The Secret Garden.

This year the Literacy Council of St. Joseph County helped 157 adults like Rose with low literacy skills. These adult learners are some of the estimated 40,000 functionally illiterate adults in St. Joseph County. Because the need is so great, the Literacy Council has added two new programs to increase literacy in St. Joseph County.

The new Spanish Literacy and Success by 6 Programs, the Literacy Council will have a greater impact on increasing functional literacy in our community. The Spanish Literacy Program strives to improve the lives of native Spanish speakers in St. Joseph County by first increasing their Spanish literacy skills to meet students' self-determined goals. The Success by 6 initiative provides the community with the training and tools needed for integrating literacy into early childhood experiences.

Please consider a generous gift to the Literacy Council this year in support of the new vision to tackle illiteracy and prevent failure in school. Even with the strides the Literacy Council is making, your financial support is more important than ever. If you are interested in making a contribution, please fill out the donor form and mail it to the address listed on the form.

How much should I give to help make a difference?

• $1,000 takes a student off our waiting list and provides reading help for a year.
• $500 recruits and trains a new volunteer tutor.
• $250 enrolls and matches a new student with a volunteer.
• $100 provides a reading skills assessment to a new student.
• $50 provides learning materials to a needy student for a year.
• ANY amount helps!

Is my gift tax-deductible?

Yes. The Literacy Council is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Can I donate through the United Way?

The Literacy Council is a United Way agency, and you may donate through the United Way by indicating on your campaign pledge form that you wish to designate your pledge to The Literacy Council of St. Joseph County.

For more information about making a bequest or other gift from your estate, please call the Executive Director at 574-235-6229 or contact your financial advisor.

Current Wish List

Other donations will also support the Literacy Council's mission. Items from this list can be dropped off at the Literacy Council's offices.

• Address labels
• Canvas Bags
• Children's books (new or gently used)
• Binders
• Gift cards to use as prizes
• Greeting cards (assorted)
• Note Cards (ruled and unruled)
• Notebooks (wide-ruled)
• Paper (copy, color, cardstock, easel table-top pads)
• Paper shredder
• Pencils, mechanical
• Picture Dictionaries
• Printing services
• Refreshments for volunteer events
• Shipping labels