Governor's Early Literacy Foundation

Program Overview

Governor's Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) is an independent and non-partisan 501(c)3 serving all 95 counties in Tennessee. GELF equips Tennessee children with books and literacy tools that increase literacy and encourage lifelong learning for long-term success. Its mission is to strengthen early literacy in Tennessee.

GELF pursues its mission through six key programs:

• Birth-5 Book Delivery, delivering books each month to children from birth to age five through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (serves approx. 285K children monthly and has delivered 53.5M+ books);
• K-3 Home Libraries, delivering quality books and literacy resources to combat learning loss (serving approx. 250K children, school librarians, and teachers in 2024);
• Caregiver Engagement, equipping caregivers to be deeply engaged as a child's first teacher (serves 180K+ caregivers);
• Book Buses, establishing mobile libraries to provide children access to high-quality literacy resources (serves approx. 70K annually);
• Storybook Trails, creating outdoor experiences for families to interact through literacy and physical activity (serves approx. 630K individuals annually);
• Statewide Early Literacy Education Collaborative of Tennessee (SELECT), an initiative to unite TN's early literacy organizations to improve outcomes for the millions of children we collectively serve (currently involves approx. 500 individuals representing 300 partner organizations).

More information about GELF's programs and impact can be found on its website: www.governorsfoundation.org.

Cost Info