Fundraising Efforts Continue for Early Education and Literacy Programs
Reno – United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra (UWNNS) has reached a major milestone of raising $100 million since its inception in 1942. UWNNS and its generous community partners have worked tirelessly to fundraise in the community to aid programs affecting families in northern Nevada and the Sierra, and reaching the $100 million mark is a reason to celebrate UWNNS’s achievements to-date, as well as provide an opportunity to look into the future.
Beginning as a war fund in the midst of World War II in 1942, UWNNS determined a single-focus in 2014, concentrating its efforts exclusively on literacy for children in the area. UWNNS has the goal of doubling the number of children reading proficiently at the end of third grade by the year 2020, conscious of the research showing that literacy has a direct impact on high school graduation rates.
In order to achieve this aggressive early-grade reading goal, UWNNS provides funds to four interrelated partnerships providing services across the entire region: Nature’s Transformers (serving 2,300 children and parents in 10 northern Nevada counties and Carson City); Building Blocks to Literacy (serving 2,245 children and parents and 43 teachers across four rural Nevada counties); Reading A-Z in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs across the area (serving four counties, plus Carson City and North Lake Tahoe, and serving 540 children and their parents); and Family Reading Program (serving 860 children and parents in 10 counties as well as Carson City, South Lake Tahoe and Incline Village). To-date, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been put to work to assist the northern Nevada and Sierra community to increase early development and learning, kindergarten readiness and early literacy, early grade success and strengthening families.
“Having reached such a momentous landmark of raising $100 million to further early education and literacy in our community is truly something to celebrate,” said UWNNS CEO, Karen Barsell. “Seeing how far we have come since our beginning and the trajectory we are on to achieve our goal of doubling the number of children in our area with reading proficiency by the end of third grade, I can only imagine what the next $100 million can achieve.”
In addition to volunteer hours and personal donations, UWNNS has achieved its $100 million in charitable assets largely through workplace giving campaigns with key donors being United Parcel Service, NV Energy, Wells Fargo Bank, U.S. Bank, GE Energy and many others.
About United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra
UWNNS has successfully served northern Nevada for over 70 years. With a goal to double the number of children in northern Nevada who read proficiently at the conclusion of third grade, UWNNS concentrates on four key pillars needed to achieve the goal: early development and learning, kindergarten readiness and early literacy, early grade success and strengthening families. For more information, call 775-322-8668 or visit www.uwnns.org.
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