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Support Literacy in Cuyahoga County

The Literacy Cooperative is the lead affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) in Cuyahoga County, enrolling over 39,000 of the 66,000 eligible children. This program provides free, monthly, age-appropriate books to children under five, laying the foundation for early literacy success.

We have distributed over 2.3 million books to more than 82,000 children in our community. The program’s impact is clear. Our 2024 parent survey, conducted with the Center for Community Solutions, found:

  • 80%+ of children read more with their parents after receiving books
  • 90%+ of parents say DPIL supports kindergarten readiness
  • 94% share the program with others
  • 90% believe it has strengthened their family relationships

The evidence is compelling:

  • A 2019 Case Western Reserve University analysis found a positive relationship between kindergarten readiness and participation in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. 
  • A 2025 peer-reviewed study from the Colorado Evaluation & Action Lab confirmed that children enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library enter kindergarten with stronger early language and literacy skills than their peers who did not participate.

Join us in supporting literacy and helping every child in our community achieve their full potential.

WAYS TO GIVE

Prefer to send a check? Please mail it to:

The Literacy Cooperative
1422 Euclid Avenue
Suite 248
Cleveland, OH 44115

Include your contact information so we can acknowledge your generous gift.

By setting up a monthly recurring donation, you provide consistent and reliable support to The Literacy Cooperative, ensuring that we can continue our mission to improve literacy across the lifespan. Your monthly contribution helps us plan and sustain essential programs for children and adults alike.

  • Convenient: Automatic monthly donations from your credit card or bank account.
  • Impactful: Steady support means we can expand our reach and impact.
  • Flexible: Easily adjust or cancel your donation at any time.

Join our community of monthly supporters and make a lasting difference in promoting literacy.

Set Up Monthly Donation

Join us at our next fundraiser or support our ongoing campaigns.

Donate in honor of CLE Bee here.

Donate in honor of our Read Across America Celebration here.

Volunteers are crucial to our mission.

Explore volunteer opportunities and sign up here to make a difference in your community.

These gifts are simple and impactful. All cash contributions to The Literacy Cooperative are tax-deductible up to 50 percent of a donor’s adjusted gross income. Appreciated assets can include stocks, bonds, mutual funds and real property, which are tax-deductible up to 30 percent of adjusted gross income. Contact our Development Director McKenzae Bartels at 216-776-6182 or mbartels@literacycooperative.org to process this type of gift. 

  • Retirement Plans and life insurance: name TLC as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or a portion of retirement assets.  
  • Bequests – A bequest to The Literacy Cooperative is one of the most essential ways to provide a future gift to benefit The Literacy Cooperative. We will work with your legal professional to discuss specific bequest language for inclusion in your will or trust. 
  • Charitable Gift Annuities – A charitable gift annuity is an irrevocable gift that returns an income stream to the donor or another beneficiary over their lifetime. The donor qualifies for an income tax charitable deduction for part of the gift, while the payments to the beneficiary may receive favorable tax treatment based on the asset used to fund the gift. At the end of the gift term, the remainder of the annuity would support The Literacy Cooperative to help substantially meet future needs. 
  • Life Insurance Policies – Life insurance policies can become an excellent tool to support The Literacy Cooperative. There are a number of different ways to structure such a gift. We can work with you and your professional advisors to review these options and select the best choice based on your unique circumstances.  
  • Charitable Remainder Trusts – Charitable remainder trusts allow donors to create an income stream for themselves or other beneficiaries for a term of years, with the remainder of the trust corpus creating a gift to charity, which can include The Literacy Cooperative. Charitable remainder trusts are flexible enough to permit the use of a variety of assets, including cash, securities, and at times, even real property. We will work with you and your professional advisors to provide sample calculations, which will help you determine whether this vehicle is right for your philanthropic goals.  
  • Charitable Lead Trusts – As the opposite of a charitable remainder trust, a charitable lead trust provides payments to The Literacy Cooperative, and remaining assets would be transferred to other individuals or even back to the donor at a future date. We will work with you and your team of professional advisors to review sample illustrations to ensure you choose the best approach for your charitable goals.   
  • Your gift can have an impact on the lives of others for generations to come. Please consider how you might create a legacy through The Literacy Cooperative.

Contact our Development Director McKenzae Bartels at 216-776-6182 or mbartels@literacycooperative.org to process this type of gift. 

Our mission is to advance literacy through raising awareness, advocating for public support of literacy initiatives, and strengthening the network to improve literacy across the lifespan.

INITIATIVES

My mommy tells me she that didn’t have any books growing up. She grew up in foster care and was only able to see books at school. She reminds me daily how important books are and how she wants better for me and my development. 

We have been enjoying Imagination Library books since Helen was born. She lights up when the books come in the mail and it’s enhanced her reading experience at our library.

My husband reads to our son his Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library books before bed, and I read to him throughout the day. This program has developed a strong love of reading between my husband and my son. Now my son loves to read all on his own. Thank you Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library!

This program has positively impacted my child’s life by providing my 1-year-old with big words and interesting picture illustrations that keep her wanting to read more!

Our kids LOVE receiving Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library books. Inspired by Dolly’s love for reading, my daughter Charlotte started a book club for her and her friends to read and discuss their favorite books weekly!

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Questions about giving?

Contact McKenzae Bartels at mbartels@literacycooperative.org or 216-776-6182.