First Lady Announces Near Completion of Fundraising Goal for Dolly Imagination Library

Maureen Braun hosted the second annual First Lady's Breakfast on Tuesday.

Maureen Braun. Photo provided.

INDIANAPOLIS - Today, First Lady Maureen Braun hosted her second annual Indiana First Lady’s Breakfast.

This year’s event, held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, supported the First Lady’s fundraising initiative for Dolly Parton’ s Imagination Library of Indiana, bringing together community leaders, sponsors and supporters committed to expanding early childhood literacy opportunities for Hoosier children.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Indiana provides free, high-quality books each month to children from birth to age five, helping families build strong reading habits early in life.

“Books are more than just paper and ink; they’re a doorway for imagination and curiosity to enter your life,” First Lady Braun said. “Indiana’s childhood literacy rates are improving across the board, and students who had previously been left behind are now rising up. Mike and I are so proud of these accomplishments in education and look forward to building on that progress.”

During her keynote address, the First Lady thanked supporters for their commitment to improving literacy and announced that the fundraising effort launched in 2025 is now 90 percent of the way to its goal for funding cycle running from July 2025 through June 2027.

First Lady Braun also highlighted recent literacy gains across Indiana. From 2024 to 2025, the state’s literacy rate increased by nearly five percentage points — the largest increase in state history. While most states see only one to two points of movement in a given year, Indiana has now recorded four consecutive years of improvement.

Governor Mike Braun thanked supporters during the program and highlighted the First Lady’s leadership in advancing early childhood literacy.

“I like to remind people that Maureen was the first entrepreneur in our family,” said Governor Braun. “She’s a skilled leader who brings people together, and it’s no surprise to me that her initiative with the Imagination Library has been such a success.”

Today, 87.3 percent of Indiana third grade students demonstrate proficient reading skills on the state’s IREAD assessment, and more than one-third of Indiana elementary schools have reached the state’s goal of 95 percent reading proficiency.

Indiana has also climbed in national rankings. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the Nation’s Report Card, Indiana rose from 19th to 6th in fourth-grade literacy, the highest ranking in state history.