City National Bank Accepting Applications for Literacy Grants Totaling Up to $100,000

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- City National Bank today announced that it is now accepting applications for grants to support literacy and financially-based literacy projects at public and private elementary, middle and high schools in five states. Administered through City National's award-winning Reading is The way up® literacy program, this year's program will again award up to $100,000 in both literacy and financial literacy grants.

This year also marks the 10^th consecutive year that City National has been awarding literacy grants as part of its Reading is The way up literacy program. Since the literacy grant program began in 2004, City National has awarded over $800,000 in literacy grants to teachers in California, Nevada, New York, Tennessee and Georgia.

"We are very proud of our literacy grant program and the hundreds of teachers and literacy based projects we've helped fund over the past ten years," said Carolyn Rodriguez, vice president and manager of Reading is The way up for City National. "We recognize how difficult it is for teachers to fund some of the extra things they would like to do both in and out of the classroom, especially in today's environment with all of the budget cutbacks in education. Literacy is one of the key building blocks to educating our children."

Any full-time teacher, librarian or administrator at schools in the five states where City National has offices is eligible to apply. Educators interested in applying for a literacy grant can access an online application by visiting www.readingisthewayup.org.

Grants will provide up to $500 for the recipients to create, augment or expand literacy projects that are judged to be creative and engaging, and that may help improve student achievement.  Awards can also be used for books, videos, CDs, DVDs, computer software or hardware, or in other ways so long as the recipient shows that the project for which funds are sought will support literacy and financial literacy. Applicants from the same school may apply individually or as part of a team.  Each team may receive up to $1,500.

City National's Reading is The way up literacy program, which began in 2002, will award the grants. Applications will be accepted beginning October 13 running through December 5, 2014, and awardees will be notified early next year. Grant funds must be expended by December 31, 2015. For more information about the Reading is The way up Literacy Grants Program, visit www.readingisthewayup.org or send an e-mail to rwu@cnb.com.

About Reading is The way up®

Originally established to help improve the education of California's future leaders, City National in April 2002 launched the multi-faceted Reading is The way up initiative to restock the state's school library system. The program has since been expanded to include all areas where the bank has a presence. Since its inception, the award-winning program has:

• Donated more than 225,000 books to California, Nevada, New York, Nashville, Tennessee, and Atlanta, Georgia school libraries.
• Awarded over $800,000 to teachers at elementary, middle and high schools for creative literacy projects.
• Received the 2005 President's Volunteer Service Award, the 2005 Corporate Philanthropy Award from the Los Angeles Public Library, the 2006 Corporate Award from the Getty House Foundation, the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Corporate Citizen Award, and honored as the 2007 Corporate Visionary Partner by the Wonder of Reading.
• Received the 2013 Innovations Reading Prize Award presented by the National Book Foundation.
• Received the 2013 Outstanding Corporation of the Year Award presented by the Clark County School District-Community Partnership Program in Las Vegas, NV.
• Received the 2013 Angel Light Foundation Award for excellence in community service and educational outreach presented by the Angel Light Academy in Orange County, CA. 

The Reading is the Way Up Fund is a 501(c)(3) administered by the California Community Foundation. For more information, visit www.readingisthewayup.org.

About City National

City National Corporation CYN has $30.8 billion in assets. The company's wholly owned subsidiary, City National Bank, provides banking, investment and trust services through 77 offices, including 16 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville and Atlanta. City National and its investment affiliates manage or administer $65.8 billion in client investment assets, including $47.1 billion under direct management.

For more information about City National, visit the company's Website at cnb.com.