1. What is the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation?
Since 2004, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation has been dedicated to putting books in the hands of Canadian children at high-needs elementary schools. This is part of our commitment to transforming the lives of children across the country by inspiring in them a love of reading. Together with Indigo, its customers, and its employees, we have committed $35 million to over 3,500 high-needs schools, impacting more than 1 million children.
2. Why does the Foundation choose to focus on high-needs elementary schools?
We know that the quality and quantity of books available to children can vary greatly based on a variety of factors, including a family’s socio-economic background and location. Every child needs access to new and engaging books to develop the literacy skills that are critical for educational success and to inspire a love of reading. Due to insufficient funding for elementary school libraries, many children cannot access these new and engaging books.
The Foundation works to provide books to these schools with the goal that all Canadian children have access to the resources they need to develop strong literacy skills. By providing support to high-needs elementary schools, we are equipping teachers, librarians, and principals with the resources that are critical for promoting educational success and inspiring a love of reading for years to come.
3. How do you determine what elementary schools are high-needs?
The Foundation defines a high-needs school as a Canadian publicly funded elementary school that receives at least 80% of its funding from the provincial or federal government, that has a library budget of less than $30 per year per student, and where the school’s leadership identifies themselves as needing additional support for their school library and books more generally.
4. How does the Foundation support these schools?
The Foundation provides support in three forms: direct funding, educational resources, and creating public awareness of the challenges that persist. Through two signature programs: the Indigo Love of Reading Literacy Fund Grant and the Indigo Adopt a School Grant, the Foundation distributes roughly $1.5M annually to elementary schools and community organizations. In addition, the Foundation provides educators and families with tools and resources to help support young readers on their literacy journey in the form of reading guides, lesson plans, and more. Finally, we leverage our national platform to spark dialogue around and support for Canada’s literacy crisis.
5. What is the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Literacy Fund Grant?
Through the generosity of Indigo, its customers, and its employees, the Foundation grants over $1 million in library support to high-needs elementary schools across the country each year. Since 2004, hundreds of high-needs elementary schools have transformed their libraries with the receipt of a Literacy Fund grant. These Literacy Fund grant recipient schools receive funding over a multi-year period. For each program year, the grant recipient school receives 10% of the grant in the form of cash to spend on special projects that they believe will further promote literacy at their school, such as visits by special guest speakers and other literacy-related events. The grant recipient school receives the remaining 90% of the grant in the form of credit for the purchase of new books at Indigo, Chapters, and Coles, which are provided at a 30% discount. Providing grants in this way allows the Foundation to efficiently track and manage grant spending, ensuring all funds are being utilized for their intended charitable purpose. This also allows schools to avoid incurring any shipping costs, including to rural and remote schools, which helps stretch grant dollars even further. In instances where this approach does not meet the specific needs of a grantee, accommodations can always be made.
6. What is the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Adopt a School Grant?
Each year, the Adopt a School Fundraiser and Granting program unites Indigo, its employees, its customers, and their communities in raising money to rejuvenate local high-needs elementary school libraries across Canada. Each Indigo, Chapters or Coles store partners with a local high-needs elementary school to support through in-store and online fundraising. 100% of the funds raised throughout the fundraising period are then granted to the schools for the purchase of new books.
7. How can my school apply for the Literacy Fund Grant/Adopt a School program?
Staff members of high-needs Canadian elementary schools are invited to apply for our programs during the application period which runs from January to March every year. For more information on eligibility, key dates, and application resources, indigoloveofreading.org/grants. Please note that your school board will need to be made aware of your application before submitting.
8. What’s your basis for claiming that 30% of students lack basic literacy skills?
The 2023-2024 Ontario EQAO study and the 2022 PISA study read in aggregate indicate that roughly 70% of students are meeting provincial reading standards in Grade 3 and the remaining approximately 30% of students fail to meet such standards. Unfortunately, there is no Canadian national reading standard for which children are tested nationally, so we rely on aggregated sources.
9. What is your basis for claiming that many elementary schools in economically disadvantaged communities in Canada can afford only 1 new library book a year for every 3 children?
The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation supports approximately 300 high-needs Canadian elementary schools each year. Many of these schools report that without the Foundation’s support, their library budgets are very limited and they are able to purchase only 1 new library book a year for every 3 students. The information provided by these schools is supported by Dr. Ken Haycock, author of the report The Crisis in Canada’s School Libraries, who has studied extensively the history of public school library funding from the 1970s through today. His research shows that Canadian schools budgeted to buy three books per child per year in 1970, whereas today’s school budgets allow for less than one-third of a book per child.
10. How is the Foundation funded?
The Foundation is funded through a combination of donations made by Indigo, its employees, leadership, vendors and customers. Indigo contributes 1% of the net proceeds from all children’s books to the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation each year. 100% of customer donations go directly to the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation and it’s mission to address the literacy crisis in Canada by promoting children’s literacy in underserved communities.
11. Do schools receive a discount on books?
Anytime a high-needs schools or non-profit grantees purchases books at Indigo, Chapters, and Coles, they receive a 30% discount and free shipping on all purchases.
12. How do Indigo employees support the Foundation?
The Foundation’s relationship with Indigo employees is an essential part of what makes the Foundation impactful. Indigo employees are involved in all aspects of the Foundation’s programming, including fundraising for major programs, volunteering time to support with the application intake process, and various administrative tasks.
Indigo employees share their passion for literacy and the importance of supporting high- needs elementary school libraries with Indigo customers and, more generally, their communities. They also play a key role in supporting the schools that receive funds from the Foundation, for example, providing recommendations to educators as to what books may inspire a school’s students to become passionate readers.
13. How can I make a donation?
The Foundation relies on the generous donations of Indigo customers, Indigo employees and members of the public who are committed to literacy. We welcome your donations at all Indigo, Chapters, and Coles stores, or online through our safe and secure online fundraising page.
14. Can I get a tax receipt for my donation?
Donations made in Indigo, Chapters, and Coles stores are eligible for tax receipts upon request by emailing the Foundation team at loveofreading@indigo.ca with a copy of the original receipt and the following customer contact information: donor’s full name, complete Canadian mailing address, and email address. For donations made online at indigoloveofreadingfoundation.givecloud.co/ , tax receipts will automatically be provided if the donation is $20 CAD or more and will be provided upon request if the donation is less than $20 CAD. To request a tax receipt, please email the Foundation team at loveofreading@indigo.ca with a copy of the original receipt and the following contact information: donor’s full name, complete Canadian mailing address, and email address.
15. Does Indigo Books & Music Inc. receive any tax benefits from customer donations made to the Foundation?
No, Indigo does not receive any tax benefits from the collection and remittance of customer donations to the Foundation.
16. What is the Indigo 1% pledge?
Indigo has pledged to donate 1% of the annual net proceeds from the sale of every Kids and Baby book purchased at Indigo the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. Indigo has been a foundational partner of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation since its inception and to date has been the largest single donor.
17. Where can I access more information on the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation?
To learn more about our impact, please see our annual impact report. For up to date financial information please see below.
