Tampa, FL – (August 1, 2007) – Amscot Financial, a leading provider of convenient, consumer-oriented financial services, announces the launch of the 2nd annual “Just a Dollar” campaign, designed to raise funds for local education foundations in the 15 Central Florida counties where Amscot has branches.

Beginning today and continuing through the month of August, Amscot financial service associates will ask every customer if they would like to voluntarily contribute a dollar to their local education foundation. Amscot will track each contribution by county and ensure that it is donated directly to the education foundation serving the county in which the branch is located. Amscot will match the contributions up to the first $10,000.

In 2006, Amscot customers contributed $49,252 to their local education foundations. With Amscot’s matching contribution, a grand total of nearly $60,000 was raised.

This year, as last year, the funds raised will be used by local education foundations to support reading and scholarship programs, said Stacy Carlson, executive director of the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations.

“Education foundations in Florida are non-profit organizations that serve as a conduit for private sector investment in education. They focus their fund-raising efforts on programs that are not supported by tax dollars,” Carlson said.

Carlson credits Amscot with proposing the ‘Just a Dollar’ program last year. “They came forward with the idea of encouraging everyone to invest a little in education in their community. It’s an outstanding way to generate more investment in our local schools.”
Ian MacKechnie, founder and CEO of Amscot Financial, said: “We are huge believers in doing what we can to build up our community, and we think our customers want to do their part as well. If we can get a lot of people contributing just a dollar, it can have a huge impact on our schools.”

Founded in 1989, Amscot Financial employs more than 1,500 associates who work at the company’s 161 retail branches and at the company’s corporate headquarters in Tampa.

Amscot Financial’s service centers are open seven days a week and are typically open Mondays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday hours are typically from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Select Amscot locations are open 24 hours a day. The company currently operates retail locations in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Polk, Hardee, Highlands, Manatee, Sarasota, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Volusia and Brevard counties.

Amscot Financial offers an array of convenience-oriented financial services, including the cashing of personal checks, out-of-state checks and government checks; cash advances; Western Union wire transfers, notary services, pre-paid debit cards and income tax preparation. Amscot Financial also offers consumers the ability to purchase money orders – with no service fees.

About Amscot Financial
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., Amscot Financial is a leading provider of income tax preparation and electronic filing services, refund anticipation loans, check cashing services, cash advance services, money transfer services and money orders through its wholly owned division, Amscot International Money Order Company.  Amscot Financial currently operates 161 tax preparation offices and 161 retail financial service centers throughout Florida and employs more than 1,500 people. Amscot Financial was recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as one of Tampa Bay’s Best Places to Work for two consecutive years. For additional information, please visit the company’s Web site at www.amscotfinancial.com.