Amscot Financial Targets $1 Million in K-12 Support

with 9th Annual ‘Just a Dollar’ Campaign

Over the past eight years, Amscot customers and the company have combined to raise more than $879,000 for local education foundations in the counties that Amscot serves. 

Tampa, FL – (July 29, 2014) – Amscot Financial, a leading provider of convenient, consumer-oriented financial services, announces the launch of its ninth annual “Just a Dollar” campaign, designed to raise funds for school district-wide local education foundations in the 19 Florida counties where Amscot has branches. The Foundation for Orange County Public Schools has received $134,000 from this campaign since its inception.

Beginning Friday, August 1, and continuing throughout the month of August, Amscot Financial associates will ask each customer if they would like to voluntarily contribute a dollar to their local education foundation. Amscot will track each donation by county so contributions will directly impact classrooms, students and teachers in the communities where they are made.   Amscot will match the first $10,000 in overall contributions.

Including customer contributions and Amscot matches over the past eight years, more than $879,000 has been distributed to local education foundations via the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF), a Gainesville-based umbrella organization.

Funds raised on behalf of Florida’s county-based education foundations are used to support reading, classroom grant and scholarship programs, said Mary Chance, CFEF president.

“Amscot has proven to be a significant partner for many of our local education foundations around the state of Florida,” Chance said. “These non-profit organizations serve as conduits for private-sector investment in education. Our foundations focus their funding on areas not provided for by tax dollars and when school budgets fall short.”

Chance credits Amscot for making a continuing commitment to local education foundations.  “Year after year, Amscot encourages everyone to support education in their community. It’s an outstanding way to generate more investment in our local schools.”

“If our track record of customer generosity continues, we hope to be able to hit the $1 Million mark in total support this year,” said Ian MacKechnie, founder and CEO of Amscot Financial.  “The ‘Just a Dollar’ campaign truly demonstrates the power of one. One individual giving one dollar – repeated over and over again with the thousands of customers we see every day – adds up to tremendous positive impact in local classrooms where our customers and associates live and work.  It’s a powerful example of the ‘crowd sourcing’ phenomenon of community investment.”

Founded in 1989, Amscot Financial employs more than 2,000 associates who work at retail branches throughout the state and at the corporate headquarters in Tampa.

Amscot Financial’s service centers are open seven days a week, typically Mondays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Select Amscot locations are open 24 hours a day. The company currently operates retail locations in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Polk, Hardee, Highlands, Manatee, Sarasota, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Volusia, Brevard, Marion, Flagler, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

About Amscot Financial

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., Amscot Financial is a leading provider of convenient, consumer-oriented financial services, including check cashing, bill payment, money transfers, cash advances and money orders through its wholly owned division, Amscot International Money Order Company.  Amscot also offers the Amscot Card, a pre-paid debit card that enables owners to make purchases from any location that accepts MasterCard™. Amscot Financial currently operates more than 200 retail financial service centers throughout Florida and employs more than 2,000 employees. Amscot Financial has been recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as one of Tampa Bay’s Best Places to Work for five years. For additional information, please visit the company’s website at www.amscot.com.