For immediate release | December 13, 2011

ALTAFF honors PSEG Foundation with Major Benefactor Award

PHILADELPHIA - The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), in conjunction with the New Jersey State Library (NJSL), honored the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) Foundation with a Major Benefactor Award.

The PSEG Foundation was honored for its outstanding contribution of $812,500 to the Live Homework Help New Jersey program, an online, real-time tutoring service for students of all ages that supported more than 67,000 children and teens in their academic endeavors.

The NJSL did not have a relationship with the PSEG Foundation prior to this grant. Knowing their areas of philanthropic interest, the NJSL approached them with this project and were funded in the very first year of the request. NJSL continued to keep them informed of statistics from the program, as well as comments from the students using Live Homework Help New Jersey. NJSL also invited them to kickoffs of the program in both Newark and Gloucester County. They gained the Foundation’s trust as an organization that could handle a grant that was available to students in more than half the state of New Jersey (population 8.6 million).

This gift is considered to be a major one, since it is the largest amount of money received by the New Jersey State Library (outside of the many generous Gates Foundation grants). Not only was the amount of funding substantial, but it was also given over the course of three years and three months to provide monetary support for Live Homework Help New Jersey. The receipt of this grant enabled NJSL to apply to other foundations for grants and receive one additional grant for $35,000 to add more public library communities to the program.

The Major Benefactor Citation is awarded by ALTAFF to recognize individuals, families or corporations that have made major gifts to libraries. The Major Benefactor Citation comes with a plaque for the library and a plaque for the donor. These plaques, along with a library celebration and a press release from the library, let the community know that gifts to the library are truly appreciated and make a real difference. For more information, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/altaff/grants_awards/benefactor.

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ALTAFF is a division of the American Library Association that supports citizens who govern, promote, advocate, and fundraise for libraries. ALTAFF brings together library Trustees, advocates, Friends, and Foundations into a partnership that creates a powerful force for libraries in the 21st century. For more information, visit www.ala.org/altaff, or contact Jillian Kalonick at (312) 280-2161 or jkalonick@ala.org.

Contact:

Jillian Kalonick