giving nationally

Borders wants everyone to share our passion for books, music, and movies, so we're spreading our enthusiasm by supporting national organizations and programs that foster literacy, education, and the fine and performing arts. We understand that what people read, listen to, and watch is an integral part of who they are and who they aspire to be.

Literacy
An expectant father reads Goodnight Moon to his unborn baby.

A 5-year-old girl battling cancer finds a Dr. Seuss book by her hospital bed.

A new citizen of the United States learns English as a second language.

A retired policeman finally has the time to read a mystery novel and can't put it down.

We find ourselves together as booksellers: committed to the idea of connecting books and readers; passionate about the importance of literacy and knowledge to our culture; dedicated to the extraordinary power of books—those who write them, read them, collect them, look after them, and treasure them.

When someone wants to read, Borders is there to help put the book in their hands. Not only does Borders encourage reading, we introduce people to innovative works from new and established authors. Our Original Voices program shines a deserving light on the unique style and voice of the best writing available today.

In addition to our in-store programs, Borders supports literacy, the joys of reading, and expression through creative writing in our affiliations with the following organizations:

First Book. An award-winning international non-profit organization that has provided more than 46 million books to children in need. For holiday 2006, Borders and Waldenbooks teamed with First Book to raise funds to help get even more books into the hands of those who need them most. Borders Group kick-started the giving campaign with a $50,000 donation and Borders and Waldenbooks customers across the nation donated over $780,000. One hundred percent of the funds were converted to Borders gift cards and distributed to hundreds of nonprofit organizations affiliated with First Book, allowing them to purchase new books for the children they serve. The program continues for Holiday 2007.

CARE. CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, whose mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. In 2005, Borders and Waldenbooks stores in the U.S. sold exclusive "Reading is Magic" wristbands and donated all of the proceeds, more than $750,000, to CARE to help fund their efforts around the world. Borders Group continued its support of CARE in 2006 with the sale of a calendar to benefit CARE during the holiday season. Borders hosted a series of events with renowned photographer Phil Borges to celebrate Women's History Month in March 2007. Across the country in Borders stores, customers were able to hear the photographer speak and view photos from his book "Women Empowered: Inspiring Change in the Emerging World." A portion of the proceeds from Borders' sale of the book were donated to CARE.

The Ann Arbor Book Festival. Borders is a sponsor of The Ann Arbor Book Festival. The annual festival on the campus of the University of Michigan promotes reading, heightens awareness of literacy challenges, and showcases the rich culture of the written word in Michigan and beyond.

PEN American Center. Borders and the PEN established the first PEN/Borders Literary Service Award, an honor that is given to a truly distinguished American writer whose critically acclaimed work helps us all to understand the human condition in original and powerful ways. In its inaugural year, Gore Vidal was the first recipient of the award and was honored in May 2006 at the PEN Literary Gala. PEN American Center is the largest of the 141 centers of International PEN, the world's oldest human rights organization and the oldest literary organization. International PEN was founded in 1921 to dispel national, ethnic, and racial hatred and to promote understanding among all countries.

Quill Book Awards. The Quills is an industry qualified "consumer choice" awards program for books, honoring the current titles readers deem most entertaining and enlightening. Borders is a strong supporter of this program.

National Coalition Against Censorship. Borders supports the Annual Celebration of Free Speech & Its Defenders. The NCAC is the oldest civil liberties coalition in the U.S. and the only national organization devoted exclusively to fighting censorship.

Dodge Poetry Festival. Each store's comprehensive selection of poetry reveals our commitment to poetry. Borders has been the official on-site and online bookseller for the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, the largest poetry gathering in North America since 1996.

The Chicago Tribune Printers Row Book Fair. Borders is an annual participant in The Chicago Tribune Printers Row Book Fair. Annually, the Book Fair offers more than 90 free literary programs including readings and book-signings by famous authors, panel discussions of cutting edge issues, non-stop poetry readings, a Writers' Marketplace and two full days of children's programming.

Hurston/Wright Foundation. Borders is proud to partner with the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation for their Legacy Awards and other programs and services that the foundation offers black writers. The Legacy Awards honor innovative black writers in four categories: literary fiction, nonfiction, debut fiction, and commercial fiction. Borders was recognized with a Partnership Award plaque at the Hurston/Wright 2004 awards, "in appreciation for the generous sustaining support of the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation."

The LA Times Festival of Books. Borders is a proud sponsor of The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. One of the country's premier literary events, the festival is held each year on the last weekend of April on the Campus of UCLA. This celebration of the written word is free to the public.

The National Book Foundation. Borders also continues to support the National Book Foundation, a sponsor of such highly recognized initiatives as the National Book Awards, National Book Month, and a free summer writing camp, and other literary and educational activities.

Wordstock. Borders is a presenting sponsor of Wordstock, Portland's annual festival of the book. The annual six day festival features readings by bestselling authors, poets, panel discussions, writing workshops for teachers, a free two day book fair with hundreds of exhibitors, as well as two days of children's readings and activities.

Miami Book Fair International. Borders is a participant in the Miami Book Fair International, where we host author events with a strong focus on Libros en Espanol authors.

Music
Borders customers march to the beat of a different drummer and we're here to help them find out whether it's Elvis or Yo-Yo Ma who puts the swing in their step.

Each Borders store features multiple listening stations for customers to explore our vast selection of CDs and hear a sampling of virtually any CD in the store.

Beyond the walls of our stores, Borders supports the study, performance, and enjoyment of music through our affiliation with a variety of organizations including:

The GRAMMY® Foundation. In 2007, Borders donated over $180,000 to the GRAMMY Foundation and helped raise awareness by hosting live musical performances across the country in our stores with high school students from local communities who were part of GRAMMY Foundation programs. The GRAMMY Foundation supports music education in schools across the country through its GRAMMY Signature School and Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Ensembles Jazz programs. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with The Recording Academy® to bring national attention to important issues, such as the value and impact of music and arts education, as well as the urgency of preserving our nation's rich cultural heritage through music.

Junior Division of the Sphinx Competition. The competition is designed to promote the development of stringed instrument experience among African-American and Latino/Latina young people, giving them experience in auditions and competitions, as well as recognition of their talent in performing classical music.

JVC Jazz Festival, Newport, RI. Borders is a long-standing participant in the JVC Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island. This fifty-year old event gathers well-established and up-and-coming jazz musicians and enthusiasts together each summer.

Dunkin' Donuts Newport Folk Festival. Borders is an annual participant in the Dunkin' Donuts Newport Folk Festival. The festival is the premier music event in Newport, Rhode Island, which features outstanding talent from new and established folk artists and singer-songwriters.

Tanglewood. Borders sponsors the world's most prestigious summer music festival and summer home to the BSO through onsite music sales and individual concert sponsorships.

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Borders is the exclusive music sponsor for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which showcases a wide variety of music, including jazz, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, blues, R&B, rock, funk, African, Latin, folk Caribbean and more. Local musicians are a significant part of what makes this festival unique.

CMA Music Festival. Borders is a proud sponsor of the CMA Music Festival. Supporting the CMA Music Festival provides Borders the opportunity to reach out to country music fans across the nation and around the globe in a musical setting that offers fans the opportunity to meet some of their favorite artists during autograph sessions.

Monterey Jazz Festival. Borders sponsors the Monterey Jazz Festival, the longest running jazz festival in the world. The Next Generation Festival, which is part of that sponsorship, is a weekend devoted to the future of jazz, focusing on the top student musicians from around the globe.

Education
Borders supports educators and institutions that encourage a love of learning. Our deep selection of teaching guides and classroom tools, as well as our distribution of summer reading and award-winning title lists, make every Borders store a resource for educators nationwide. We also organize events and partnerships that affirm our appreciation of educators and that further a nationwide awareness and respect for education including:

Educator Appreciation. Borders has long recognized the contribution educators have made toward instilling an early love of reading in children. To that end, Borders stores strive to maintain close ties with area schools and libraries. In addition to offering educators a 20% discount on purchases made for classroom use, Borders stores also host annual spring and fall educator receptions as a thank-you for supporting children's programming and patronage.