The Scripps Howard Fund's ninth annual "If You Give a Child a Book …" campaign will invest a record-breaking $1.5 million in childhood literacy. This year's campaign will provide over 260,000 new books to children at low-income schools across the United States.

For every $6 donation, the Fund gives one book to a child in need.

The campaign's primary focus is on reaching underserved and vulnerable children living in poverty, with a special focus on distributing books to kids in kindergarten through third grade, when they are still learning to read.

The "If You Give a Child a Book …" campaign is supported by The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) and its employees, the communities it serves and Scripps family members. This year, the campaign also received a 25,000-book donation from Scholastic, which will benefit nonprofits that support childhood literacy.

Through the Fund's partnership with Scholastic, Scripps' local stations and national networks distribute the free books during book fairs. The Scholastic Book Fairs allow children to choose books they can take home. The Fund's goal is to ensure every student in partner Title I schools receives 10 books each year.

"The number of books in a child's home is one of the greatest predictors of a child's success," said Meredith Delaney, president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Fund. "Our goal is to invest in these children year after year – allowing them to build their own libraries at home."

On Sept. 4, the Fund announced it would match that day's donations, which led to more than $170,000 raised from community members in a single day. With the funds raised through this year's campaign, the total number of books distributed since 2016 will surpass 1.5 million.

The Scripps Howard Fund invested more than $8.7 million in charitable gifts in 2023 for journalism education, childhood literacy and community giving.