Southwest Human Development receives $100,000 Pulliam grant

Southwest Human Development has received a two-year grant totaling $100,000 from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust for the expansion of its early language and literacy programs.

Southwest Human Development’s early language and literacy programs are devoted to ensuring that all children and their families have the supports needed to prepare their children to be successful in school. The grant funding expands the nonprofit’s Raising A Reader program in partnership with pediatric clinics operated by Adelante Healthcare, Banner Health, Native Health of Phoenix and HonorHealth that are also participating in Southwest Human Development’s Reach Out and Read program.

“The first five years of a child’s life are the most critical to his or her development,” said Ginger Ward, CEO of Southwest Human Development. “This grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust will give us additional resources to expand these important programs to help more than 3,600 young children and their parents or caregivers.”

Over the two-year grant period, Southwest Human Development will present 16 eight-week Raising A Reader series in Reach Out and Read clinics. The programs educate parents about the importance of developing early language and literacy skills and how they can build these skills in their young children to help them be better prepared to enter kindergarten. To complement parent education, these programs also distribute more than 100,000 high-quality children’s books to families each year.

“During her career, Nina Mason Pulliam shared her financial success and business leadership skills with many charities. She had a keen awareness of challenges that face our community and would take great pride in the outstanding work being done by organizations like Southwest Human Development,” said Trustee Chair Carol Schilling. “Through her Trust, we continue to build on her legacy, which clearly reflects her heart for philanthropy. We are happy to partner with Southwest Human Development in their important work in this community.”

The grant to Southwest Human Development represents one of 42 awarded to organizations by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust during the second of two grant cycles this year.

Learn more about Southwest Human Development’s early literacy programs and services.