4.10.2008 - 09:30am ET

(CSRwire) NEW YORK, NY - April 10, 2008 - The Reader's Digest Foundation (RDF) announced today that it will donate $100,000 to the National Hospice Foundation (NHF), which supports compassionate end-of-life care for all and bereavement programs for family members, including children. This unrestricted grant, which will be made in April, is the second in a series of ten $100,000 grants that RDF plans to make to a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout the year as part of its Make it Matter initiative. Ultimately, the Foundation will donate $1 million through Make it Matter.

The grant to NHF is given in honor of David Fajgenbaum, who is profiled in the May issue of Reader's Digest magazine in the "Make it Matter" column. Mr. Fajgenbaum lost his mother to brain cancer while he was a freshman at Georgetown University, and soon discovered the critical importance of talking with friends and fellow students about his loss. He went on to found a nonprofit organization, the National Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers Support Network (AMF – his mother's initials), which has chapters on 23 campuses nationwide, offering support and solace to students who have endured a death in their family.

Make it Matter is a program of RDF dedicated to creating opportunities and promoting efforts that encourage individuals to make a positive difference in their communities. RDF considers the public’s stories of giving back and chooses one each month that embodies the RDF mission and serves as an inspiration to others. For each Make it Matter story, RDF will donate $100,000 to a nonprofit organization that furthers the cause. Submissions from the public can be directed to www.rd.com/foundation.

"We are very glad for this opportunity to support the vital work done by the National Hospice Foundation," said Susan Fraysse Russ, executive director, Reader's Digest Foundation. "The efforts of both NHF and David Fajgenbaum, in whose honor this grant is given, are powerful reminders of the difference individuals can make in the lives of others, which is at the core of Make it Matter. We applaud their work in bringing compassion and caring to the dying, and to those they leave behind."

"Illness, death and grief touch everyone. Hospice can help patients and their families, but many people don't understand what hospice services are or how to get them. The National Hospice Foundation is committed to leading global philanthropic efforts advancing compassionate end-of-life care for all," said J. Donald Schumacher, president, National Hospice Foundation. "Our deep appreciation goes out to the Reader’s Digest Foundation for this generous grant. These funds will allow us to really 'make it matter' as we continue supporting awareness of quality end-of-life care, vital research and more."

Reader's Digest magazine is lending its support to the Foundation's program by highlighting the stories of the selected individuals in its monthly "Make it Matter" column. Many of the submissions, including those that do not lead to a grant, will be featured on www.rd.com.

Submissions for Make it Matter will be accepted by the Foundation on a rolling basis throughout 2008.

About The Reader's Digest Foundation:

The Reader's Digest Foundation, started in 1938, is dedicated to creating opportunities and promoting efforts that encourage individuals to make a positive difference in their communities, and to supporting programs designed to help young people learn, grow and enrich their lives. RDF makes grants to nonprofit organizations to support the good works of individuals in their communities and to nonprofit partners focused on youth development and education. The Foundation also partners with nonprofits to create workplace opportunities for Reader's Digest Association employees to volunteer their time and share their expertise. To learn how you can support the Make it Matter program, please visit www.rd.com/foundation.

About the National Hospice Foundation:

The National Hospice Foundation, founded in 1992, is working to lead global philanthropic efforts advancing quality, compassionate end-of-life care for all. NHF supports initiatives promoting research and quality care provision; hospice/palliative care provider education activities; public policy and advocacy efforts; consumer engagement and caregiver services; grief and bereavement programs; and the development of global hospice partnerships. NHF envisions a world where individuals and families facing serious illness, death and grief will experience the best that humankind can offer. To learn more, please visit www.nationalhospicefoundation.org.

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