DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – To commemorate JM Family Enterprises’ 40th anniversary, two deserving non-profit organizations serving Florida's youth were each recently awarded a $40,000 grant by The Jim Moran Foundation.

The Fantasy Theatre Factory’s South Florida Youth Enhancement Program utilizes educational theater as a tool to encourage literacy. The group will use The Foundation's $40,000 grant to purchase and distribute 12,000 books for underserved elementary schools in Broward County. Volunteers will also travel to participating schools and stage performances based on popular books, aiming to bring the stories alive for students.

"Through the power of literature brought to life on stage, our program helps change students' perspectives on reading and other life skills," said Mimi Schultz, president of the Fantasy Theatre. "Reading can take us into the past, engage us in the present or fly us forward into the future – and it can all take place in our mind."

Junior Achievement of North Florida received the other $40,000 grant for JAGirl$, an entrepreneurship program geared to help thousands of economically disadvantaged girls ages 8 to 19 learn about finance management and career preparation. The program prepares girls and young women for economic success by providing hands-on experiences and educational opportunities that honor, value and celebrate their perspective and unique development.

The Jim Moran Foundation is a partner in the second phase of this initiative, which will not only expose young girls to Junior Achievement's financial literacy programs, but will also provide opportunities for participants to volunteer and teach Junior Achievement's classes in schools and in other less traditional settings.

"The Jim Moran Foundation has been integral to the success of JAGirl$," said Steve St. Amand, president of Junior Achievement of North Florida. "It is a program that will instill in these young women the work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit that can lead them to great successes."

"My husband established his foundation in 2000 so that his giving back to children and families would continue beyond his lifetime. These two grants not only recognize JM Family's 40th anniversary but also identify two important principles that Jim knew were important for young people as our future leaders -- reading to support a good education and real-life opportunities to encourage entrepreneurship," said Jan Moran, chairman and president of The Jim Moran Foundation.

These grants celebrate the 40th anniversary of JM Family, which began when visionary founder, Jim Moran, signed an agreement in Japan on October 26, 1968 to be the exclusive distributor of Toyota vehicles through the five southeastern states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina.