As part of the Accenture Corporate Citizenship investment program, Accenture(a) has announced a US$200,000 grant by the Accenture Foundation to Room to Read, an organization that provides educational opportunities for under-privileged children in developing countries, specifically India, Nepal, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The grant will be disbursed over one year. In addition to financial support, Accenture will provide strategic counsel to Room to Read in a number of different business-related areas. Accenture employees will also have the opportunity to donate their time and resources in parallel with the grant.

Accenture's grant will enable the expansion of the Room to Read program in India, including:

• Establishing the first 50 libraries to launch Room to Read's program in Uttaranchal province, one of India's most disadvantaged provinces, giving 20,000 children their first access to libraries.
• Implementing the Room to Grow Girls' Support program in Uttaranchal by providing 50 girls with the security and support system they need to attend and complete secondary school. In addition to school fees, this program provides girls with: school uniforms, books, stationery, backpacks, transportation (bike or bus fares), medical check-ups and expenses, and the support of a social worker who understands the cultural and community pressures on young girls.

The Accenture grant will also enable the expansion of existing programs, including:

• Expanding the Life Skills Program in South East Asia to include four language labs and three computer labs, benefiting 3,000 children in Vietnam and Cambodia.
• Launching the first Hindi-language children's publishing program, including commissioning local artists and authors to develop culturally relevant children's books in local languages.

"The vision and mission of Room to Read mesh well with Accenture's commitment to relevant, high-impact corporate citizenship that makes a real difference in the way the world lives and works," said Vernon Ellis, Accenture's international chairman and chairman of Accenture's Corporate Citizenship Council. "The organization is visionary in its drive and ambition - and is one in which we felt Accenture could make a real, distinguishable difference. We're pleased to be supporting Room to Read."

"Accenture's commitment is crucial to our mission and allows us to accelerate the pace at which we can bring educational change to the parts of the world that need it the most," said John Wood, Founder and CEO of Room to Read. "Room to Read was founded on the belief that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and helping people take control of their own lives. Through the generous support of Accenture and its people, we can make a difference in countries that do not have the resources to educate all of their children and, as a result, have literacy rates that are staggeringly low by world standards."

Accenture's Corporate Citizenship investment program is designed to leverage resources and technology in order to enhance education and enterprise and to bridge cultural divides. The Room to Read grant is one of several investments from the program this year, and reflects two of our key aims of supporting education programs and building relationships with young visionary organizations where Accenture's contribution can make a significant difference.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills, and technologies to help clients improve their performance. With approximately 100,000 people in 48 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$13.67 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2004. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

(a) References to Accenture include Accenture Ltd and its subsidiaries as well as independent charitable organizations that bear the Accenture name.