The Patterson Foundation Strengthens National Campaign for Grade-Level Reading With $250,000 Contribution

January 27, 2021 – Sarasota

The Patterson Foundation has contributed $250,000 to support the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading’s work to ensure that more children in asset-limited families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career and active citizenship. Since 2013, the Foundation has contributed more than $1.75 million to strengthen these efforts as an Anchor Funder. In addition to these contributions, the Foundation continues to provide strategy and consulting support for the national Campaign. This catalytic contribution will support the national network of communities working to build better futures for some of the nation’s most vulnerable children by ensuring all children read on grade-level by the end of third grade. The GLR Campaign includes more than 350 communities in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and two provinces in Canada.

“The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading has built a vast network of 350+ communities working to move the needle on reading proficiency for children across the country,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. “Being able to witness the impact of this nationwide movement in The Patterson Foundation’s home region continues to inspire and motivate as we strive to connect, learn from and share with each other.”

One of the major obstacles in the pathway out of poverty is the failure to read proficiently by the end of third grade. Currently, 80 percent of children from asset-limited families are not reaching this critical milestone. The GLR Campaign seeks to disrupt this cycle of generational poverty by mobilizing communities to engage a broad base of stakeholders to improve school readiness, attendance and summer learning opportunities. It also emphasizes strategies to help parents serve as their children’s first teachers while connecting families with health resources to reduce societal challenges associated with reading on grade-level. 

“The Patterson Foundation (TPF) has been a stalwart supporter of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) for much of the past decade and currently is the only national funder investing in both a regional and a local campaign as well,” said Ralph Smith, managing director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. “CGLR is the grateful beneficiary of TPF’s game-changing ‘more than money’ approach to philanthropy that has afforded us access to TPF’s partners, networks and reservoirs of talent. Moreover, Debra Jacobs, TPF’s CEO, allowed us to recruit her to serve as a Senior Philanthropic Advisor to CGLR. And perhaps I have confessed once or twice to knowing that she is a superb executive coach.”

Beyond this support, The Patterson Foundation works with the Florida Grade-Level Reading Campaign and serves as the lead partner of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, which promotes grade-level reading efforts in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties. The Suncoast Campaign has consistently received recognition for its work, including multiple Pacesetter Honors, one of the highest awards presented by the GLR Campaign, and the prestigious All-America City Award.

To learn more about The Patterson Foundation, visit www.thepattersonfoundation.org. Visit www.gradelevelreading.net for more information about the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. 

About The Patterson Foundation
The Patterson Foundation strengthens the efforts of people, organizations and communities. The Foundation focuses on issues that address common aspirations and foster wide participation, along with ways organizations learn and share as they evolve.

For more information, please visit www.thepattersonfoundation.org and connect with @ThePattersonFdn on Twitter. 

About the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Launched in 2010, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is a collaborative effort of funders, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states and communities across the nation to ensure that many more children from low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career and active citizenship. Since its launch, CGLR has grown to include more than 350 communities, representing 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and two provinces in Canada — with 5,000+ local organizations and 510 state and local funders (including 200+ United Ways).

To learn more, visit gradelevelreading.net and follow the movement on Twitter @readingby3rd.