Giving Back
Sallie Mae employee volunteers for Reading Is Fundamental
In honor of the philanthropic commitment of Sallie Mae employees nationwide, The Sallie Mae Fund offers programs to energize communities where employees live and work. The Fund encourages and rewards personal community commitment by making grants to organizations where employees volunteer. Since 2001, Sallie Mae’s employees have led efforts to bring nearly $18.6 million to non-profit organizations through employee contributions programs.
Combined with employee volunteer efforts, The Fund supports programs that foster improved academic performance and college awareness, such as Reading Is Fundamental and Junior Achievement.
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)
RIF, the nation's oldest and largest nonprofit children's literacy organization, motivates children to read by making it a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. For nearly 20 years, The Fund has supported RIF programs with grants totaling more than $1 million. In addition, Sallie Mae employees have given thousands of volunteer hours in their local communities. Since 2001, The Fund has donated more than 164,000 books through RIF’s book distribution program, and currently supports 18 programs in 10 states.
Junior Achievement (JA)
JA is the world's largest organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise. The Fund provides grants to JA to support its financial literacy programs for students in need. Sallie Mae employees are trained to participate in JA programs and employee volunteers bring individual and collective expertise into the classroom to help K-12 students learn the value of education and prepare for their future. Employees at six Sallie Mae locations participate in Junior Achievement programs.
