TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ --

Individual customers - donating $1 a time - contributed $106,807 in August, a 31 percent increase over the same period a year ago. Combined with Amscot's match of $10,000, a total of $116,807 will be distributed to local education foundations throughout Amscot's service area. Over five years, Amscot and its customers have contributed more than $395,000 to education foundations in communities where Amscot operates branches.

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Amscot Financial, a leading provider of convenient, consumer-oriented financial services, announces the successful conclusion of its 2010 'Just a Dollar' fund-raising campaign. In the month of August, customers contributed $106,807, donating $1 a time. Their contributions, combined with Amscot's match of $10,000, mean that $116,807 will be distributed among local education foundations to support students, teachers and public schools in the counties Amscot serves.

This is the campaign's fifth year. The five-year total, including Amscot's matches, amounts to more than $395,000 contributed to local education foundations.

"The funds raised will be used by local education foundations to address areas of critical concern to teachers and school administrators," said Mary Chance, executive director of the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, (CFEF).

"In such tight economic times, we're seeing many of our local education foundations focus on some of the basic needs of our students," Chance said. "Many times, when a family is facing an economic crisis, the first people who are going to notice is a teacher with a student in their classroom.

"On behalf of our member education foundations, I offer my thanks to Amscot Financial and to every customer who contributed a dollar," Chance added. "This goes to show that when a lot of people pitch in just a little, we can accomplish great things."

Ian MacKechnie, founder and CEO of Amscot, said: "We are extremely pleased with hard work by our associates and by 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 is The Money Superstore(TM), offering 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, free money orders income tax preparation. Amscot Financial also allows customers to make bill payments to more than 200 different utilities, municipal governments, cable and telephone companies.

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(TM). 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.

SOURCE Amscot Financial