PVLA Receives $5,000 Grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to Support Family Literacy

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) recently awarded the Platte Valley Literacy Association (PVLA) a $5,000 grant to support family literacy. The funds are a part of a record-setting, one-day donation in the Foundation’s history of more than $13.2 million to support adult, family, and summer literacy programs in the 48 states in which Dollar General operates.

“The Platte Valley Literacy Association is so thankful to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for their support of our Family Learning program,” says Jessica Wiig, executive director of the PVLA. “This grant ensures we have what we need to ensure our students are successful in the classroom and beyond.”

The Family Learning program started in September of 2023 as a pilot at Emerson Elementary. The program was created through a partnership between the PVLA, Central Community College (CCC) Adult Education and Columbus Public Schools (CPS). The purpose of the program is to give non-English-speaking parents the opportunity to be more involved with their child’s education while learning English. The ability to speak English provides confidence in helping their child(ren) with homework, interacting within the local community and supports employment success.

In addition, the partnership with the PVLA exposes adult students in the Family Learning program to numerous organizations and services in the community. Class time is set aside for community presentations, which have included the Columbus Police Department, Center for Survivors, the Department of Labor, and Columbus Area United Way, among others.

“For over 30 years, the Foundation has been investing in literacy and basic education programs in our hometown communities,” shared Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “Today’s grant announcement is a celebration of our unwavering commitment to student and teacher success. We are grateful to all the grant recipients for their commitment to advancing education and helping students thrive.”

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, DGLF awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs. 

The Foundation also offers a student referral program for individuals interested in learning how to read, speak English, or prepare for the high school equivalency exam. Referrals to a local organization that provides free literacy services are available online here or through referral cards found in the Learn to Read brochures that are available at the cash register of every Dollar General store.

The Foundation also plans to launch its sixth annual The Yellow Glasses Project campaign on July 21, 2025, in which customers can purchase yellow sunglasses at Dollar General stores for $2 each to benefit the DGLF.

About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $271 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 23 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. Each year, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation provides financial support to schools, nonprofit organizations and libraries within a 15-mile radius of Dollar General stores and distribution centers. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation or apply for a literacy grant, visit www.dgliteracy.org.

The Future of PVLA Funding

Photo by Pixabay

 

As a nonprofit, the PVLA is reliant on others to ensure we have the funds we need to provide services to students. For 2025, we have been lucky to secure the money we need to keep offering classes.

The vast majority of PVLA funding comes from grants, and so far this year, we have received money from the following:

• Columbus Area United Way
• Sherwood Foundation
• The Elks

What Are Grants?

In essence, grants are funds that are awarded to a nonprofit from some type of foundation, organization, or business. More often than not, the PVLA has to apply for these funds, and the awarding entity decides if our cause is worthy of money.

Grant funds are typically restricted, which means that they can only be used for a specific program or purpose.

For example, the PVLA offers a wide range of classes, including Book Club, Integration Class, Conversational English, Citizenship, etc. While all of these classes are amazing and help students become successful, they are not all covered by grant money.

Some organizations prefer to fund very specific programs. When a grantor restricts funds to specific programs, the PVLA can only spend the money on those specific programs.

And those are perfectly reasonable and accepted practices. Every entity has something different they are interested in and want to support, so they send funds to help with causes/classes they care about.

Grants can also come in the form of unrestricted funds. Typically, these are classified as “operating grants.” This money can be used for an array of things, including salaries, rent, supplies, or instructor salaries.

Whether a grant is restricted or unrestricted, they keep PVLA programs up and running.

Grants Are Not Guaranteed

One thing to keep in mind with grants is that they are not guaranteed. The PVLA has been incredibly lucky to receive the funds that we have.

We are so grateful to the foundations, organizations, and businesses that have awarded us grants so far this year. With those funds, we get to keep providing services.

Celebrate Good Times

When you see a post on Facebook or even here on the blog talking about grants that the PVLA has been awarded, we hope that you celebrate with us. A win for us is a win for our students, which in turn is a win for Columbus.

We are all intertwined, and what benefits one of us, benefits us all.

Once again, here’s a big THANK YOU to the entities that have awarded us grants so far:

• Columbus Area United Way
• Sherwood Foundation
• The Elks

The Season of Giving

Photo by Liza Summer

During the holiday season, more and more people and organizations need some help to get through.

While you may have the desire and good intentions to help others, you may also be wary of handing out your hard-earned cash because you don’t want to be inundated with asks or feel like you’re being taken advantage of.

Thankfully, there are ways to get through the “fundraising season” with your sanity intact, in addition to supporting some worthy causes and keeping some money in your account. Here’s how:

Support Programs that Are Important to You

There may be a lot of places asking for money, but you don’t have to give to them all. If you won the lottery and you need some tax write-offs, then give out as much as you can. However, since the chances of you being a lottery winner are fairly low, then you’ll want to consider supporting the programs that are most important to you.

Love animals? Support a local animal shelter.

Want to see young adults become future leaders? Support a mentor program.

Enjoy youth sports? Volunteer to be a coach or send money to help pay for new uniforms.

The list of places you can support is endless, so find something that really appeals to you.

Give Within Your Means

When supporting your favorite organization, you may want to do as much as you can to ensure they have enough funds. While this is noble, you also need to live your life and have money for the things you enjoy. Giving within your means will lower your stress levels, while also boosting your good feels.

Trust us: any amount that you donate to your program of choice will have an impact—and it will be appreciated. Sure, donors who give large amounts of money get a lot of recognition, and you can certainly donate a large amount if you want, but people who give smaller amounts are just as valuable.

Encourage Others to Support

Telling your friends and family about your favorite organization(s) and encouraging them to support is a great way to increase the number of donations that are received. Remember, a large group of individuals giving smaller donations can still have a huge impact. Spread the word and get others as excited about specific programs as you are.

Being a generous person is commendable, but this time of year can be tough. It seems like no matter where you turn, someone wants some money from you. You can be selectively supportive of your favorite programs and impact people in need. No matter what you give, it’s enough.

Union Pacific Supports Adult Education with $10,000 Community Ties Giving Program Grant

The Union Pacific Community Ties Giving Program recently awarded the Platte Valley Literacy Association (PVLA) a $10,000 grant to support adult education.

“Local grants have the power to create meaningful change within the communities our tracks touch,” says Beth Whited, Union Pacific President and Union Pacific Foundation President. “We are proud to partner with nonprofit organizations who are making an impact on the future—creating safer places for children and families; bringing economic prosperity to communities; building vibrant, inclusive areas for people to thrive; and instilling sustainable practices.”

Goals of the Union Pacific Grant

Throughout its existence, the success of Union Pacific’s business has been inextricably linked to the economic and community wellbeing of cities and towns across the nation. They take pride in knowing that they have helped communities thrive and believe the impact they have on local communities is the greatest when the support is authentic to Union Pacific’s history and reflects the diverse company they are today.

The railroad carefully aligns its local grants cause areas to the company’s unique strengths, heritage and assets. They prioritize funding for direct services and efforts that build organizational capacity focused on causes within their local operating communities. Within the specific focus areas, Union Pacific aims to support organizations and programs that strive to advance the diversity, equity and inclusion of underrepresented populations within the local areas and address issues that need to be resolved.

What the Grant Means for the PVLA

“Being awarded a grant from the Union Pacific Community Ties Giving Program is absolutely astounding,” says Jessica Wiig, PVLA executive director. “The work we do empowers our students to achieve great things beyond the classroom, and this grant from Union Pacific makes us feel not only like valued members of the Columbus community, but a larger community as well—one that is served by the UP—and that is humbling and inspiring.”

The PVLA has been proudly serving the Columbus, Nebraska, area for several decades as a United Way Agency. Their goal is to meet the educational needs of individuals in the community. They partner with the Central Community College Adult Education program to further increase educational opportunities in the area and help students gain the necessary skills to be successful in life. The funds granted to the PVLA by the Union Pacific Community Ties Giving Program will be used to resolve barriers to employment.

There are a lot of opportunities available in Columbus, and people come to the area to see if they can obtain their piece of the American pie. However, for some, there are obstacles that stand in the way. Whether that encumbrance is not speaking English, not knowing how to find jobs, or not having the right status to apply for a specific job, the PVLA is here to help.

This grant ensures that the PVLA will be able to provide high-quality instructors, equipment and materials that can help students achieve their dreams within the classroom and beyond, providing them with opportunities, skills and knowledge so that they can apply for and obtain higher paying jobs to support themselves and their families.

The United Way Fundraising Campaign is About to Begin

It’s that time of year again when the local United Way will be visiting businesses to ask for donations. For many, this can feel cringey and weird. No one wants to feel like they are being pressured into giving money.

Thankfully, the United Way isn’t pressuring you into giving money, but they do want you to be informed about the amazing programs and services that your donations support. As a United Way Partner Agency, the PVLA hopes that you’ll consider helping out your community. It doesn’t take much to make a big difference.

Here is what the Columbus Area United Way does:

United Way fights for education, financial stability, and health of every person in every community. We are a part of the world’s largest charity but are known as a hyper local organization for Columbus area serving the counties of Boone, Colfax, Platte, and Nance.

MISSION: To focus resources to measurably improve the education, health, and financial stability of our community.

WHAT WE DO

Columbus Area United Way is a nonprofit dedicated to impacting our community in critical areas identified by the community through community-based assessments. Columbus Area United Way focuses on the three pillars of Education, Financial Stability, and Health. The Board of Directors, through a strategic initiative, identified the following areas of focus through 2024.

Education

• Kindergarten Readiness
• Improve and maintain community public schools 4-year graduation rates

Financial Stability

• Adults improve job relevant skills
• Ensure basic needs are met

Health

• Community members educated on healthier lifestyle choice
• Decrease suicide attempts of youth

In taking this approach, we have the unique ability to convene, collaborate, and direct resources where they are most needed. CAUW conducts community needs assessments, secures critical resources to fund vital social services, provides fiscal oversight and accountability for community partners, and evaluates program results to measure and communicate community impact.

We also provide local employers, employees, and other donors a cost-effective system to address community needs while allowing other local agencies and programs to concentrate more on serving and less on fundraising.

CAUW gives people a trustworthy place to donate funds, knowing that their dollars will go to meet the greatest areas of need in the community, and money raised locally stays in the community. Our local United Way has contributed more than $8.5 million in the last 10 years alone!

WHY WE DO IT

• We want to help the 42% of single mom families that are in poverty become financially stable.
• Because 16% of 10th graders report having suicidal thoughts and they need to know they are worthy and valued. Reducing risky behaviors leads to a healthy lifestyle, which leads to overall stability.
• Studies indicate if a child is behind by third grade, chances are much greater that they will not graduate from high school. CAUW focuses on having children ready for Kindergarten and on a student’s social/emotional health during their academic years to be prepared for life.

THE VALUE OF THE UNITED WAY BRAND

• We hope to see our children succeeding, our families strengthened, and our community thriving.
• United Way is ranked #1 on Forbes 2018 list of 100 largest US charities.
• The United Way brand is recognized by 85% of the public and in 95% of US workplaces.
• 78% of employees surveyed nationally want to work for a company that gives back and are proud of their employer’s support of United Way.
• We are committed to efficiency, transparency, and accountability. CAUW conducts thorough research that supports our community investments. CAUW advocates for programming that provides impact, stability, and growth for our community members. CAUW has compassionate and knowledgeable volunteer leadership from individuals just like you.
• There are a range of studies that consistently demonstrate that there is a significant relationship between volunteering and good health, in addition to the social benefits brought about by volunteering. For example, a report by United Health Group, Doing Good is Good for You: 2013 Health and Volunteering Study, found that 76% of US adults who volunteer report that volunteering has made them feel physically healthier, and 78% report that volunteering lowers their levels of stress, leading to feeling better than adults who do not volunteer.

Where Does My Donation Go?

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

Recently, there were articles in the paper that talked about how a nonprofit was not receiving all of the donations they were supposed to receive. In fact, most of the money was going to the company that helped them raise the funds.

As a donor, that can feel really icky. It may make you wonder why you’re donating money at all. Your goal is to help people, but if they aren’t receiving the money, what’s the point of donating?

We would like to tell you that this doesn’t happen often; that most nonprofits get 100% of their donations, but we can’t. What the newspaper article talks about is actually a pretty common practice.

You are a generous person. You are doing what you can to make a difference in the world, and it can be incredibly frustrating and surprising to know that your donation isn’t doing what you thought it would do.

Here at the PVLA, we can’t speak for other nonprofits, but we can tell you where your money is going when you donate to us.

Where Your Donation Goes

The first thing to keep in mind when you donate to the PVLA is that we don’t use a middle man to help us raise funds. We either apply for grants or take donations directly. That eliminates needing to pay an outside source for fundraising services.

There is a bit of a caveat in that statement, however. The only time we may not receive the full amount of a donation is if you donate through our online site. Then, the company that processes your payment will take a small fee. However, you have the option of covering that fee, and then we get 100% of the money you donate.

Once you make a donation, how the money is used depends on whether or not restrictions have been placed on the gift.

When it comes to grants, those are typically allocated to a specific purpose, so the money can only be spent on certain things. This blog post gives more information about grants.

When it comes to donations from individuals or private donors, it’s possible for you to allocate your money to a specific program or endeavor. If you do that, the PVLA can only spend the money according to your wishes.

 
However, if you don’t specify how you want your money spent, then it might go into the General Fund. That means the money can be spent at the discretion of the executive director and/or the board of directors. Your money may be used for cleaning supplies or classroom supplies, potentially even to pay instructor salaries. It will be used where it’s most needed.

The Benefits of General Funds

Hearing that your donation might go into the General Fund might sound disconcerting. You might be thinking that buying cleaning supplies isn’t a good use of your money.

That’s fine. It’s your donation, so if you want it to be used in a specific way, let us know.

However, there are benefits to having money in the General Fund.

Sure, buying cleaning supplies doesn’t sound overly helpful or generous, but it does make a difference. Students deserve to come to a clean learning environment, and money is needed to buy those supplies.

Using General Funds to pay for overhead costs, including salaries or bills, is also beneficial. If bills aren’t paid, then we lose our building. If people aren’t paid, then there’s no one here to run the nonprofit.

General Funds are the lifeblood of what we do. Yes, it’s nice and beneficial to have funding for programs, but we also need to keep the lights on—and that’s what the General Fund does.

Having unrestricted funds is just as important as getting grants. We need money for a variety of expenses that are part of running our nonprofit.

All Donations Welcome

Making a donation to a nonprofit is an incredibly generous thing to do, and it does help others. However, we get that it can be upsetting and disheartening to know that the money isn’t going where it’s supposed to go or that the full amount isn’t making an impact.

However, here at the PVLA, all donations make a difference and make an impact on students—whether they are grants allocated to a specific program or unrestricted gifts that may find themselves in the General Fund.

You don’t even have to donate a huge amount to make an impact. If you read this blog post, you’ll see that even $1 can make a difference.

Again, we can’t speak for all nonprofits. There are places that don’t see all the money they raise, but when you donate to us, we use that money to ensure our students are taken care of in a variety of beneficial ways.

What Does it Mean to Get Grants?

Photo by 金 运 on Unsplash

If you follow our Facebook page, then you’ve probably noticed a lot of posts about grants that the PVLA has received. You might be thinking: Wow! Good for them!

You might also be thinking: What’s up with all these grants? What exactly is a grant?

And these are reasonable questions. This post will help clear up any confusion. 😊

What Are Grants?

In essence, grants are funds that are awarded to a nonprofit from some type of foundation, organization, or business. More often than not, the PVLA has to apply for these funds, and the awarding entity decides if our cause is worthy of money.

Grant funds are typically restricted, which means that they can only be used for a specific program or purpose.

For example, the PVLA offers a wide range of classes, including Book Club, Integration Class, Conversational English, Citizenship, etc. While all of these classes are amazing and help students become successful, they are not all covered by grant money.

Some organizations prefer to fund very specific programs, such as Tyson Foods awarding a grant specifically for the Introductory ESL class.

Or the Nebraska Presbyterian Foundation specifically sending money for the Integration and Citizenship classes.

When a grantor restricts funds to specific programs, the PVLA can only spend the money on those specific programs.

And those are perfectly reasonable and accepted practices. Every entity has something different they are interested in and want to support, so they send funds to help with causes/classes they care about.

Why So Many Grants?

And that brings us to why the PVLA has so many grants. With each one being allocated to a specific program, we need to make sure we have the funds necessary to pay instructors and provide students with up-to-date learning materials.

That’s why we have received so many grants recently. Each one takes care of a different program and ensures our nonprofit has what it needs to provide for students.

Having that many grants is a good thing. It means that others are invested in our mission and want to see the PVLA and our students succeed.

Grants Are Not Guaranteed

One thing to keep in mind with grants is that they are not guaranteed. The PVLA has been incredibly lucky to receive the funds that we have, and the money is used exactly for what it’s supposed to be used for.

We are so grateful to the foundations, organizations, and businesses that have awarded us grants so far this year. Again, it shows that these other places are just as invested in our mission as we are. With those funds, we get to keep providing services.

Celebrate Good Times

So, when you see a post on Facebook or even here on the blog talking about grants that the PVLA has been awarded, we hope that you celebrate with us. A win for us is a win for our students, which in turn is a win for Columbus. 

We are all intertwined, and what benefits one of us, benefits us all.

Once again, here’s a big THANK YOU to the entities that have awarded us grants so far:

Tyson Foods

Columbus Area United Way

Our local Walmart

Nebraska Presbyterian Foundation

Dollar General

The Season of Thanks

It’s that time of year when people count their blessings. They take a look at their life and give thanks for the events and people who have had a big impact.

Here that the PVLA, we have so much to be thankful for. From a new director to being able to participate in Taste of Columbus, 2023 had a lot going on. Through it all, we still did what we had to to ensure that students were being taken care of and being empowered to reach their educational goals.

 

Individuals Who Make it Happen

One of the biggest things we are thankful here at the PVLA are the donors who either give their time or resources to help students. From Snack Sponsors to volunteer tutors to volunteer instructors, individuals giving what they can makes a huge impact on the lives of students.

It may not seem like a lot for students to have a cup of coffee or grab a small treat, but it means the world to them. They are working hard to improve their lives (and the lives of their families), so being able to take a break and refuel is essential.

Having instructors and tutors who freely give their time to make sure students understand a particular topic or have information to learn a new one is life-changing—literally. The topics they are learning in a class or one-on-one lessons could be exactly what they need to pass a test or apply for a better job. Without individuals willing to help out, students wouldn’t be filled with the knowledge they need to improve their lives.

 

Partnerships with the Community

Individuals play a huge role in supporting students, but we couldn’t do much without the community. Our partnership with CCC Adult Education provides the technology and classroom space, as well as the instructors and materials, that keep our students learning with the most up-to-date information.

The United Way allocates the vast majority of funding that ensures we can pay our high-quality instructors and obtain materials and technology for the classrooms.

Our newest partnership with Columbus Public Schools to offer Family Learning allows us to reach a whole new set of students and provide them with language skills that will help them and their families be successful in life.

The Family Learning classes, as well as our Integration Class, has also opened up partnerships with community members to speak directly to students about the services they have to offer. There are so many amazing individuals who have volunteered their time to talk about their jobs and their passions to ensure that our students know more about the Columbus community.

There are also the partnerships with manufacturers here in town. These companies go out of their way to schedule Outreach Classes to ensure their employees have the skills that can help them be successful at work and beyond. Whether they are learning English or conversational Spanish, these businesses are breaking down barriers and making all of their employees feel valued inside the company walls and in the larger community.

 

More to Come

This year has been incredibly busy with the development of new classes and partnerships and maintaining classes that have been in existence for a long time. The PVLA has been around since the 1980s, and we continue to thrive and survive because of the support of individuals and members of the community.

We are so thankful for our donors, whether they give of their time or money. This year may be drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean we’re done. There are still so many ways for you to support the PVLA and its mission, and there’s a whole new year to get involved and see what we have planned for our students.

Thank You!

A New Way to Support the PVLA

Here at the PVLA, we are always looking for ways to best serve the community. In most cases, that applies to the classes we offer, but it goes beyond that. To best serve our students, we need to ensure we have enough funds.

When it comes to donations, no amount is too small. From $5 to $500, any money we receive benefits students. To ensure our donors can get us those funds, we have a new online giving page.

Whether you want to give a general donation or want to become a Snack Sponsor, you can now achieve your goals quickly and easily through our giving site.

Don’t worry: if you prefer to send in paper checks, you still have that option as well. However, we hope you’ll at least check out our new giving site and let us know what you think!

The Generosity of Others

Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash

There is nothing more exciting than opening the mailbox and finding a check waiting for you. Even if you were expecting the money, it still brings a smile to your face and makes the world seem a little brighter. If you weren’t expecting the money, then seeing a check is even more exciting and memorable.

A few weeks ago, here at the PVLA, we were surprised with a grant check for $5,000 from an anonymous donor. We had applied for the money, but it was uncertain whether we’d get it. Until the check is in our hands, we never take anything for granted (play-on words done purposefully 😊).

The money has been allocated to support our programming, which means it will have a direct impact on our students and instructors.

Without grant allocations, the PVLA wouldn’t be able to do what we do. We rely on the generosity of others, and we are always impressed with how many people share our vision of helping adult students become successful.

Here’s to the amazing donors in the world that share our vision of empowering individuals to reach their educational goals!

Photo by Lip on Unsplash