If you could only read as well as a third grader, what would it be like to apply for a job?

If you couldn’t speak English, what would you say to your child’s teacher on Back-to-School Night?

If you couldn’t do basic math, what would it be like to pay your bills each month?

Making a better life for yourself and your family is the American Dream. But that dream is out of reach to millions of Americans, native and foreign-born, because they struggle to read, write, do basic math, and speak English–and we’re all paying the price. It’s a problem we can’t fix without your help.

How we help

With a challenge this big, our country can’t afford not to act. We, as members of the National Coalition for Literacy, are the boots on the ground, the teachers in the classroom, the researchers, community leaders, and the voices on Capitol Hill. Together, we work to make sure every adult has the skills they need to find and keep a job, educate their kids, and work toward their piece of the American Dream.

We know fixing the problem means tackling it from the ground up and the top down. So we’re educating policymakers about the human, social, and actual costs of low literacy. We’re raising much-needed resources to bring more programs to our communities. We’re sharing research-based practices about the unique needs of adult learners, and how we can all benefit when people have the skills to participate in the 21 century workforce. And we’re working directly with adult learners as they pursue the skills they need to boost their self-sufficiency and chance at future success.

We need you

Too many adults across our nation lack the skills they need to get and keep a job, support their families, and succeed in life.  You can be a part of the solution, and we have lots of ways—big and small—that you can help. Please consider donating $10, $25, $100, or even more to our campaign. Together, we can help put more people on the path to self-sufficiency and success.

Please join NCL in bringing the American Dream within reach through your donation. Visit our Donate page and click on the green Donate Now button.