Target Awards $13.7M To Schools Nationwide

Minneapolis MN - In its second donation of 2007, the Target Take Charge of Education school fundraising program awarded more than $13.7M to schools nationwide. Take Charge of Education dollars are donated to schools twice each year, and schools can use the undesignated funds for anything they need from technology to books and school supplies to grants. Since the program's inception in 1997, Target has donated more than $200M in total to schools across the country.

With the Take Charge of Education school fundraising program, families, teachers and community members have an easy way to designate an eligible K-12 school of their choice nationwide and have Target donate an amount equal to one percent of their REDcard (Target Visa Credit Card and Target Credit Card) purchases made at Target and Target.com. Target also donates 0.5 percent of Target Visa Credit Card purchases made everywhere else Visa credit cards are accepted.

"To listen to a teacher or school administrator talk about ways in which their schools have benefited from Take Charge of Education over the past 10 years inspires and motivates us and our guests to support this program and continue to see its impact grow across the country," said Laysha Ward, vice president, community relations, Target. "Giving back to communities is important to Target and allows our team members to create meaningful relationships with their local schools, while also inviting guests to help us make a real difference every day."

Schools receive Take Charge of Education payout checks in March and September. Currently, more than 102,000 schools are enrolled in the program and more than 1.7 million Target cardholders nationwide have participated in the past year.

"Eagle Point has been participating in Take Charge of Education since the program began in 1997, and we have received nearly $15,000 from Target donations over the last 10 years," said Sue Jetzke, a third grade teacher at Eagle Point Elementary School in Oakdale, Minn. "Without those funds, we would not have the ability to take field trips or provide artist-in-residence and other all-school programs – all things that our children need to learn, grow and reinforce the classroom experience."

Cardholders and school representatives can visit Target.com/tcoe, call 1-800-316-6142 or log on to kiosks at Target stores to enroll, select a funding destination or check the status of particular payouts. Members of the media may contact Rebecca Maas at (646) 218-6003 to learn more about money designated for local area schools.

SOURCE: Target