Tampa, FL – (September 9, 2009) – Amscot Financial, a leading provider of convenient, consumer-oriented financial services, announces the successful conclusion of its 2009 ‘Just a Dollar’ fund-raising campaign. In the month of August, customers contributed $79,113, donating $1 a time. Their contributions, combined with Amscot’s match of $10,000, means that $89,113 will be distributed among local education foundations in the counties
Amscot serves.

This is the campaign’s fourth year. The four-year total, including Amscot’s matches, amounts to more than $279,000 contributed to local education foundations.

The funds raised will be used by local education foundations to support reading and scholarship programs, said Mary Chance, executive director of the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, (CFEF).
           
“In such tight economic times, you often expect charitable giving to go down, but this is a 10 percent increase over last year’s campaign,” Chance said. “We are thankful to each and every Amscot customer who donated a dollar. It’s an investment in their community that will go a long way.”

In June, CFEF named Amscot as its 2008-2009 “Outstanding Partner” in recognition of the company’s commitment to raising money for local education foundations.

Ian MacKechnie, founder and CEO of Amscot, said: “We are extremely pleased with the response by our customers. We believe it reflects the importance of education in their lives. They know how vital education is and they’ve chosen this gesture to help strengthen education in their local community.”

Founded in 1989, Amscot Financial employs more than 2,000 associates who work at the company’s 174 retail branches and at the company’s corporate headquarters in Tampa. 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 pay bills to more than 40 different utilities, local governmental agencies and other service providers. For more than 20 years, Amscot has enabled customers 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, prepaid debit cards, check cashing services, cash advance services, bill payment services, money transfer services and money orders through its wholly owned division, Amscot International Money Order Company.  Amscot also offers the Amscot Card, a pre-paid debit card that allows owners to make purchases from any location that accepts MasterCard™. Amscot Financial currently operates 174 tax preparation offices and 174 retail financial service centers throughout Florida and employs more than 2,000 people. Amscot Financial has been recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as one of Tampa Bay’s Best Places to Work for four consecutive years. For additional information, please visit the company’s Web site at www.amscotfinancial.com.