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GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — In mid-October, Nashville’s downtown skyline shined a bit brighter thanks to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF).
The Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge, which arches over the Cumberland River as it winds through Tennessee’s state capital, was illuminated in “DG yellow” to shine a light on the DGLF’s 30th anniversary and its positive impact on literacy during the past three decades.
“We’re excited to celebrate our 30th anniversary, recognize our partners and look with hope toward the bright future ahead,” said Denine Torr, DGLF’s executive director and Dollar General’s vice president of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. “Literacy and education play a vital role in advancing economic empowerment, workforce development, social mobility, poverty reduction, civic engagement, improved health outcomes and personal growth. We look forward to continuing our investments in efforts that help students and teachers thrive as we write the DGLF’s next chapter.”
Since its inception in 1993, DGLF has awarded more than $238 million, supporting more than 23,000 organizations, schools and libraries and nearly 20 million individuals. It’s a substantially cumulative impact from an organization founded to honor and recognize Dollar General’s cofounder.
J.L. Turner left school at age 11 after his father tragically passed away to work on his family’s farm and provide for his mother and siblings. With the equivalence of a third-grade education, Turner was functionally illiterate and believed he could learn something from everyone he met. He and his son, Cal Turner Sr., founded a wholesale business in 1939 and opened the first Dollar General retail store in 1955.
In 1993, Cal Turner Jr. created DGLF to support literacy and education outreach in Dollar General’s hometowns.
“As we continue J.L. Turner’s legacy, helping increase access to quality educational instruction remains at the heart of our efforts because of its power to increase opportunities for individuals while helping advance a vibrant society,” shares Torr.
Today, nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries within a 15-mile radius of each new Dollar General store and distribution center are eligible to apply for DGLF grants to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs.
The grants support efforts to help transform literacy by investing in the collective action of expert stakeholders and their efforts to address systemic challenges, according to Torr. Additionally, funding provides professional development for teachers, family enrichment training, and free books for students to help build home libraries and reinforce literacy skills.
“The impact of literacy and education on the entire family is significant, and the DGLF is proud to help drive meaningful change,” says Torr.
Thirty years after DGLF’s founding, literacy and education resources are still greatly needed.
Torr cites findings from DGLF’s “State of American Literacy” report asserting that more than 40 million American adults score at or below the lowest levels of literacy and most high school graduates are not proficient readers.
“Low literacy in the U.S. is a silent crisis that is often overlooked,” she says. “Through our efforts, the DGLF aims to increase access to books, empower teachers, engage families and support collective impact initiatives to make a positive impact.”
In recognition of its efforts and accomplishments, the DGLF received a trio of awards in 2023 saluting its history of success. Awards include the Literacy Champion Award from the Tennessee Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, a Legacy Leadership Award from the Coalition on Adult Basic Education, and being named as a “significant contributor organization” by the World Literacy Awards.
While awards are appreciated, Torr also points to the personal impact DGLF provides that affirms its contributions toward improving literacy.
Torr shares, “While walking into a program to meet with an adult learner, a young girl, around 8 years old, came running up to me, threw her hands around me and said, ‘Thank you.’ I said, ‘For what? I just walked through the door.’ She smiled and said, ‘My mother reads to me at night now.’ ”
As DGLF looks ahead to its next 30 years, its impact and future appear to be as bright as the DG yellow skyline in Nashville.
DGLF’s 30th anniversary celebratory year included grant awards and donations to:
• Learning Ally: A donation of $1 million to support Learning Ally’s family literacy and teacher training enhancement, which equips educators with proven solutions that help emerging and struggling learners reach their full potential.
• Reading Is Fundamental: A donation of $570,000 to the oldest and largest nonprofit children’s literacy organization in the United States for the organization’s Books for Ownership program, which provides three free books for each participating student.
• The Barbara Bush Foundation: A donation of $500,000 earmarked for expanded access to literacy services for adults nationwide. Funding will support efforts to advance the National Action Plan Adult Literacy, as well as aid the Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network (ALL IN), which is a collective impact collaborative comprised of representatives from 14 national literacy organizations working to increase access to literacy services and enhance the quality of education.
• Historic adult, summer and family literacy grants: More than $13 million awarded to support adult, family and summer literacy programs across the country, which is expected to impact approximately 3.1 million individuals and help implement new literacy initiatives or expand existing programs.
• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: A $1 million donation to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to aid efforts in providing free books to children from birth to age five. With this donation, Dollar General and DGLF have provided a total of more than $2.3 million to Imagination Library programs across the United States.
• Save the Children: A $1.7 million donation to the global humanitarian organization to help ensure children in rural America have increased access to quality education and nutritious food. Since 2020, the foundation has provided Save the Children with more than $5 million in donations.
• Youth literacy grants: Nearly $2.6 million awarded to over 600 schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations to support youth literacy programs; purchase books, technology, equipment or materials; and help extend a brighter future for K-12 students.
