December 2, 2012 | Read Time: 1 minute
To make sure the $1-billion it has committed to education causes is being carefully spent, Target monitors the programs that it supports, says Laysha Ward, president of the retail giant’s philanthropy. Some examples:
• Meals for Minds, a partnership with Feeding America that supports food pantries in schools that serve needy students, is being evaluated by American University to determine the impact of the program.
• The Heart of America Foundation, a charity that runs a Target-supported effort to renovate school libraries, provides a statement 90 days after each refurbished library opens with statistics on book-circulation rates and parent and community use of the space. The group returns a year later to view the room’s condition and note any needed improvements.
• The American Institutes for Research will evaluate a new literacy program that enlists the Minnesota Center for Reading Research and the Minnesota Reading Corps to improve reading proficiency by third grade in 18 schools in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Washington. The company is spending $6-million over three years on the program.
