DALLAS, TX – July 5, 2012 – Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) announced today that it will be contributing $15 million to the Step Up For Students Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
As the nation’s second-largest beverage alcohol distributor of premium wine and spirits, RNDC’s generous tax redirection will provide 3,356 scholarships for children in Florida to attend the school that best meets their individual learning needs while receiving dollar-for-dollar tax credits for their donation.
Created in 2001 by the Florida legislature, the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program allows corporations to redirect up to 90 percent of their Florida alcoholic beverage excise tax to the Step Up For Students Scholarship Program. During the 2011-12 school year, Step Up For Students awarded more than 38,000 scholarships to underprivileged students in Florida.
“On behalf of the thousands of students benefitting from a Step Up For Students scholarship, we are so thankful for Republic National Distributing’s generous contribution that will fund nearly 3,400 scholarships for low-income students throughout the state,” said Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up For Students. “The impact that RNDC will make is profound and we are humbled by their generosity and partnership.”
Built on the strong foundations of long-term, well-established family-owned companies that can be traced back to 1898, RNDC is dedicated to investing its success back into the communities that it serves through organizations like Step Up For Students. RNDC’s philanthropic resume also includes various causes among the arts, history, education, religion, welfare, civic, medical, youth development and industry-related charities.
“We are proud to announce our partnership with Step Up For Students and together we will deliver an educational opportunity to low-income students and their families in Florida,” said Tom White, Region President, RNDC. “Charitable giving is at the core of our corporate culture and we eager to participate in Step Up For Students, which recognizes the power of a quality education that is tailored to the unique needs of today’s children, especially those who are less fortunate.”
About Step Up For Students
Step Up For Students is a nonprofit organization responsible for administering the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program. The scholarship program is available to students who qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch and provides tuition assistance to the private school of their parents’ choice or transportation help to an out-of-district public school. Scholarships are funded by corporations that receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for their contributions. For more information, visit www.stepupforstudents.org.
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