Capital One® & The Heart of America Foundation®

Thank you, Capital One! We can't say it enough. Since 2001, Capital One® and The Heart of America Foundation® have partnered to distribute over 1,114,740 million books, valued in excess of $9.5 million, to children in need throughout the country.

Together, we have touched the lives of over 472,480 children by providing them with the tools they need to read, succeed and make a difference. We are truly grateful for your time and support and for helping us to instill a love of reading among so many children.

In addition to the long standing collaboration with Capital One’s annual Literacy Celebration, for the past five years Capital One and The Heart of America Foundation® have joined efforts to improve 38 elementary school libraries through our READesign® Library Makeover and READesign® Reading Corner programs. In 2011, our partnership revitalized libraries and other reading areas in Alexandria and Monroe, LA; Richmond and Henrico County, VA; Washington, DC; Bronx, Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn and Mt. Vernon, NY; Jersey City, NJ; and Dallas, TX.

We thank you for making a difference in the lives of children in need. Together, we can provide them the tools to read, succeed and make a difference!

Did You Know?

The most successful way to improve the reading achievement of low-income children is to increase their access to print. Communities ranking high in achievement tests have several factors in common: an abundance of books in public libraries, easy access to books in the community at large and a large number of textbooks per student. (Newman, Sanford, et all. "American's Child Care Crisis: A Crime Prevention Tragedy"; Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2000.)

The gap is widening between the reading skills of the highest and lowest performing students. The best students are reading better while the worst students are falling further behind. (National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Fourth-Grade Reading, 2003)