Legacy of Literacy
Former First Lady Barbara Bush chose literacy as her life’s work based on a simple, but powerful belief: “If more people could read, write, and comprehend, we would be that much closer to solving so many of the problems that plague our nation and our society.”
In 1989, Mrs. Bush established the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, bringing national attention to the importance of literacy and the powerful role families play in learning. She understood that parents are their children's first and best teachers, and that helping parents and children learn together can create lasting change—benefiting not just individuals and families, but their communities and our nation as a whole.
Established in 2025, the Barbara Bush Fund for Family Literacy at the George & Barbara Bush Foundation carries forward her lifelong commitment by investing in high-quality family literacy initiatives across the country, particularly in areas with the greatest need. Through strategic grantmaking, the Fund supports effective community-based organizations working to improve literacy outcomes for children and families, expand access to family literacy programming, and create pathways to educational success and economic mobility. The Fund also supports promising new initiatives and efforts to elevate family literacy through research, public awareness, and collaboration across the field.
We are proud to write the next chapter of Mrs. Bush's literacy legacy, carrying forward her vision of a more literate America for generations to come.
