Recently, $25 million in federal funding for RIF was eliminated. The amount is about 80% of RIF’s total operating budget.  The Be Book Smart campaign offered a timely opportunity to help RIF increase private funding while giving back to local communities. Since 2004, RIF’s partnership with Macy’s has raised nearly $21 million to support children’s literacy through customer-supported fundraising campaigns, in-store events, and volunteer activities. 

For the third year in a row, more than 1 million Macy’s customers sprung into action to support Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s largest children’s literacy nonprofit. From June 24 to July 31, Macy’s customers donated $3 through the Be Book Smart campaign to provide a book for a child, and Macy’s donated 100 percent of every $3 to RIF for a total donation of $4.9 million. The organizations partnered with the goal of giving 1 million books to children. 

“RIF is overwhelmed by the generous support of Macy’s and the millions of customers who shopped during the Be Book Smart campaign,” said Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO of RIF. “As we look to our future, we are pleased to call Macy’s our partner and appreciate their ongoing commitment to RIF and our efforts to improve children’s literacy in the United States.” 

Earlier this year, federal funding for RIF was eliminated from the budget which accounts for 80 percent of the organization’s overall operating budget. Macy’s annual campaign offered a timely opportunity to help increase private funding for the organization while giving back to local communities.  

“Giving back to local communities is a cornerstone of our business,” said Martine Reardon, executive vice president of marketing for Macy’s. “Reading Is Fundamental has a long history of inspiring children to read and achieve by providing books to own at home. Macy’s passionately supports children’s literacy, and we thank our customers for adding their generous contribution to the RIF organization.”

Since 2004, RIF’s partnership with Macy’s has raised nearly $21 million to support children’s literacy through customer-supported fundraising campaigns, in-store events, and volunteer activities. Last year, Macy’s supported RIF programs that provided 3.6 million free books to more than 1.2 million children and donated 350 multicultural book collections to RIF programs throughout the country.

For more information, visit RIF’s website at www.rif.org.

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