Comcast NBCUniversal Make Million-Dollar Commitment to LIFT to Help Bridge the Digital Divide in Low-Income Communities

The partnership will expand LIFT digital literacy hubs in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

LIFT, a national nonprofit focused on lifting families out of poverty for good, and Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) announced today that they have formed a new national partnership to help bridge the digital divide in four low-income communities LIFT serves. Through a two-year commitment of $1.3 million in cash and in-kind support from Comcast, LIFT will expand its digital literacy hubs at its resource centers in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.  The new Comcast and NBCUniversal Digital Literacy Learning Hubs will enable LIFT community members to get online and access critical resources needed to get their families back on their feet.

Over the next two years, LIFT advocates will provide one-on-one and workshop-based support to 13,000 community members as they search for jobs online, access critical benefits, create household budgets and email addresses and navigate the Internet for other important resources. Through this work, LIFT will help its members use technology to bridge the digital divide – an essential part of building the personal, social and financial foundations they need to lift themselves out of poverty for good.

"We believe in the power of innovation and using technology to tackle complicated challenges facing the community members we serve, and partnering with Comcast to expand our digital literacy programming makes perfect sense," said Kirsten Lodal, LIFT’s Founder and CEO. "Thousands of people will now be able to advance their job search, secure housing and connect to critical online tools that might otherwise have been unavailable to them."

Comcast’s investment will provide technology, program and training support for the LIFT and Comcast and NBCUniversal Digital Literacy Hubs, in addition to in-kind media support on Comcast’s digital cable and online platforms. Comcast NBCUniversal is now LIFT’s top national media sponsor.

"A lack of digital literacy and understanding of how the Internet is relevant and useful are key barriers to broadband adoption in low-income communities," said Charisse R. Lillie, Vice President of Community Investment for Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast Foundation. "This new partnership with LIFT will help bridge the gap between access and education, helping tens of thousands of families nationwide cross the digital divide and unleash the power of technology to improve their lives."

Through signature programs like Internet Essentials and strategic partnerships with local and national organizations, Comcast is committed to building a world that unites people through technology and provides them with the access and education to take advantage of all the Internet has to offer. Learn more about Comcast’s commitment to expanding digital literacy at Comcast.com/community.

About LIFT

LIFT helps lift families out of poverty for good.  LIFT pairs rigorously trained Advocates with committed families to build the strong personal, social and financial foundations they need to get ahead. By setting their own goals and working hard to achieve them, families are equipped to get a decent job, a safe home and a quality education for themselves and their children. They also build a support network, confidence in what they bring to the table and the skills to manage tough times in the future.

LIFT operates resource centers in six cities across the nation where members of the community can come get help: Boston, Chicago, DC, New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Nearly 100,000 Members in six major cities have already committed to do the hard work needed to achieve their goals--and it is working.  LIFT is putting an average of $1,300 back into the pockets of struggling families so that they can make ends meet. Learn more at www.liftcommunities.org

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates 30 news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.