United Ways of the Pacific Northwest (UWPNW), in partnership with Washington State Department of Children, Youth, & Families and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) have teamed up with world-class super star and philanthropist, Dolly Parton, to expand Dolly Parton's Imagination Library throughout every county in Washington. Washington has 46 operating local program partners covering the 39 counties across the state.

Dolly Parton created the Imagination Library in 1995 as a tribute to her father, whose inability to read and write lead her to inspiring children around the world with the delivery of a free, high quality book mailed to children from the day they are born until their fifth birthday, at no cost to a family. 

We believe investing in our youngest Washingtonian's literacy opportunities yields the greatest return. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is the #1 early literacy program in the nation, proven to achieve equitable access to books, increase school readiness, foster a love of books and improve family engagement in reading. This quality, turn-key program provides monthly books at no cost to families, building a rich home library and promotes a culture of reading and connection. Our goal is to expand and reach all Washington children ages birth up to five years old, providing them with this powerful early learning tool.

HOW IT WORKS

The statewide program, Imagination Library of Washington, works with the national program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, as well as local nonprofit organizations in each county across the state, to ensure all books remain at no cost to families. By working alongside the Dollywood Foundation and our Local Program Partners, Imagination Library of Washington is able to maximize our impact on Washington's children through strategic resource allocation.

Since 1995, The Dollywood Foundation has been the backbone of this literacy program. The national program has many roles, including the coordination of the yearly Blue Ribbon Book Selection Committee, monthly book production, fulfillment, as well as managing the shipment processing center. Their continued support makes it cost effective for Imagination Library of Washington and our Local Program Partners to currently provide books to over 118,000+ children.

Imagination Library of Washington provides a strategic layer of support to our statewide program. As a 501(c)(3), Washington's statewide program is responsible for fostering growth, development, and sustainability in all 39 counties. Matching funding, key partnerships, training opportunities, and marketing tools provided by the state team has allowed for our rapid enrollment growth. The key to our success is our Local Program Partners. These 46 agencies are 501(c)(3) organizations who actively promote, fundraise, and manage the program on a day-to-day basis.

Although books are free to families, they are not free to the community. Each book is $2.20. Each Local Program Partner pays 50% of each book each month in their assigned county or counties, totaling $1.10. The statewide team provides a 50% match, which ensures the program is at no cost to all Washington families.

By providing books at no cost to families, the Imagination Library increases childhood literacy rates, fosters a love of books, and promotes a culture of reading among families and communities of Washington.