Since 2004, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation has been dedicated to putting books in the hands of Canadian children at high-needs elementary schools. This is part of our commitment to transforming the lives of children across the country by inspiring in them a love of reading. Together with Indigo, its customers and its employees, we have committed $35 million to over 3,500 schools, impacting more than 1,000,000 children.
Every child needs access to new and engaging books to develop the literacy skills that are critical for educational success and to inspire a love of reading. Due to insufficient funding for elementary school libraries, many children cannot access these new and engaging books.The Foundation works to provide books to these schools with the goal that all Canadian children have access to the resources they need to develop strong literacy skills. By providing support to high-needs elementary schools, we are equipping teachers, librarians and principals with the resources that are critical for promoting educational success and inspiring a love of reading.
The Foundation provides support to high-needs elementary schools primarily through two signature programs: the Indigo Love of Reading Literacy Fund Grant and the Indigo Adopt a School program.
Through the generosity of Indigo, its customers and its employees, the Foundation grants $1.5 million in library support to high-needs schools across the country each year. Since 2004, over 300 high-needs elementary schools have received a Literacy Fund Grant. These Literacy Fund Grant recipient schools receive funding over a three-year period. For each of the three years, the grant recipient school receives 10% of the grant in the form of cash to spend on special projects that they believe will further promote literacy at their school, such as visits by special guest speakers and other literacy related events. The grant recipient school receives the remaining 90% of the grant in the form of an Indigo corporate account for the purchase of new books at Indigo, Chapters and Coles, which are provided at a 30% discount.
For more information and to see if a school in your community qualifies for support, visit indigoloveofreading.org.
Each year, the Indigo Adopt a School program unites Indigo, its employees, its customers and their communities in raising money to rejuvenate local high-needs elementary school libraries across Canada. Each Indigo, Chapters or Coles store partners with a local high-needs elementary school to support through in-store fundraising.
For more information or to see if a school in your community is eligible for support visit indigoloveofreading.org/grants/adopt-a-school/
The Ontario EQAO study and the PISA study read in aggregate indicate that only 70% of students are meeting provincial reading standards in Grade 3 and the remaining approximately 30% of students fail to meet such standards. [1] [2] Unfortunately, there is no Canadian national reading standard for which children are tested nationally, so we rely on aggregated sources.
The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation supports over 200 high-needs Canadian elementary schools each year. Many of these schools report that without the Foundation's support, their library budgets are very limited and they are able to purchase only 1 new library book a year for every 3 students. The information provided by these schools is supported by Dr. Ken Haycock, author of the report The Crisis in Canada’s School Libraries, who has studied extensively the history of public school library funding from the 1970s through today. His research shows that Canadian schools budgeted to buy three books per child per year in 1970, whereas today’s school budgets allow for less than one third of a book per child.
The Foundation is funded through the generosity of Indigo, its leadership, its employees and its customers.
100% of customer donations go directly to promoting children's literacy in high-needs communities.
Indigo and its leadership fund all of the Foundation’s operating and administrative expenses and has also provided donations that go directly to high-needs elementary schools.
Every dollar donated to the Foundation by customers goes directly to promoting children's literacy in high-needs communities. When high-needs schools or non-profit organizations use funding provided by the Foundation to purchase books at Indigo, Chapters and Coles, they receive a 30% discount.
All schools that participate in the Foundation’s programs receive a 30% discount on the purchase of books at Indigo, Chapters and Coles when using funding provided by the Foundation.
The Foundation relies on the generous donations of Indigo customers, Indigo employees and members of the public who are committed to literacy. We welcome your donations at all Indigo, Chapters and Cole stores, and online. Donations can be made on our website at indigoloveofreadingfoundation.givecloud.co.
All customer donations go directly to high-needs elementary school libraries to support literacy and instil in students a love of reading.
Donations made in Indigo, Chapters and Coles stores are eligible for tax receipts upon request by emailing the Foundation team at loveofreading@indigo.ca with a copy of the receipt and the following customer contact information: donor’s full name, complete Canadian mailing address and email address.
For donations made online at indigoloveofreadingfoundation.givecloud.co, tax receipts will automatically be provided if the donation is $20 or more and will be provided upon request if the donation is less than $20.
To request a tax receipt, please email the Foundation team at loveofreading@indigo.ca with a copy of the receipt and contact information including: donor’s full name, complete Canadian mailing address and email address.
Please refer to the Foundation’s website loveofreading.org or email the Foundation team at loveofreading@indigo.ca.
[2]https://www.cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/365/PISA2015-CdnReport-EN.pdf
FUNDS RECEIVED BY THE FOUNDATION | Numbers in Thousands | Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|
Donations made to the Foundation by Indigo, its leadership and employees | 9,324 | 24% |
Donations received from Indigo customers and public support | 29,116 | 74% |
Donations received from suppliers, partners and other sources | 831 | 2% |
Total Funds Received by the Foundation | 39,271 | 100% |
GRANTS AND AWARDS | ||
Love of Reading Literacy Fund grants (awarded as of May 2018) | 21,000 | 73% |
Adopt a School awards and Special Initiatives for high-needs schools | 7,651 | 27% |
Total Grants and Awards | 28,651 | 100% |
TOTAL OPERATING COSTS | ||
Administrative, salaries and supplies | 3,374 | 51% |
Awareness Initiatives (including documentary productions) | 3,282 | |
Total Operating Costs (17% of Total Funds Received) | 6,656 | 100% |
Cash balance remaining for future grants and operations | 3,964 |
*Note that the financial results for FY19 have yet to be reported.