Deluxe Corporation Foundation Grants $500,000 to Support FastTrac(R) LaunchPad Initiative for Entrepreneurial Training

Grant Supports Kauffman Foundation's National Program to Kick-Start Job Creation for Displaced Workers; Twin Cities Program Underway at University of St. Thomas

• Press Release
• Source: Deluxe Corporation Foundation
• On 7:29 pm EDT, Thursday March 26, 2009

SHOREVIEW, MN--(MARKET WIRE)--Mar 26, 2009 -- The Deluxe Corporation Foundation (NYSE:DLX - News) is proud to announce a $500,000 grant to support FastTrac LaunchPad, an initiative to offer entrepreneurial training programs for people who have lost their jobs or entrepreneurs whose businesses are struggling in this difficult economy. With a matching grant from the Kauffman Foundation, the FastTrac LaunchPad program is rolling out nationally.

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"It is an honor to partner with the Kauffman Foundation, committing resources to help small businesses and entrepreneurs grow and thrive," said Lee Schram, president, Deluxe Corporation Foundation. "The Deluxe Corporation Foundation has a long history of giving to programs that will make a meaningful and significant difference in communities. In the current economic climate, we cannot think of a more meaningful program than FastTrac LaunchPad, supporting individuals and communities on the road back to financial stability."

FastTrac LaunchPad is an accelerated version of the established and successful FastTrac program, a hands-on business development curriculum designed to help entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to create, plan, manage, and grow a successful business. FastTrac has a proven success record and has trained more than 300,000 entrepreneurs nationwide. The new program is based on the same core instruction, but is designed to meet the needs of displaced workers and get them back into the marketplace quickly.

Locally, the FastTrac LaunchPad program will be hosted at the University of St. Thomas, Schulze School of Entrepreneurship. "We are seeing aggressive enrollment in the FastTrac LaunchPad program," said Fran Gretz, program manager, FastTrac MN. "Enrollment doubled the week the class began. We are seeing a higher percentage of displaced workers in these programs, people who are deciding to start their own businesses instead of looking for employment with larger companies in this down economy."

Nationally, FastTrac LaunchPad will be implemented by a combination of public and private organizations. State agencies in Michigan and West Virginia also are implementing the programs, along with new efforts in Kokomo, Ind., Philadelphia and New York City.

"Entrepreneurs will be the foundation of our nation's economic recovery because they start and grow businesses that create jobs. The Kauffman Foundation is dedicated to providing practical tools for entrepreneur training and development to fuel this recovery," said Carl Schramm, Kauffman Foundation president and CEO. "The FastTrac LaunchPad initiative offers an incredible opportunity for communities across the nation, local entrepreneurs and small business owners to build businesses and create jobs."

About the Deluxe Corporation Foundation

The Deluxe Corporation Foundation is a grant-giving institution that has partnered with educational, cultural and human service nonprofit organizations for more than 50 years to enrich the communities of Deluxe Corporation employees. An independent 501(c)(3) organization, the Deluxe Corporation Foundation has received funding from Deluxe Corporation to support its mission of giving back to the communities it serves.

Deluxe Corporation, through its industry-leading businesses and brands, helps financial institutions and small businesses better manage, promote, and grow their businesses. The Company uses the Internet, direct marketing, distributors, and a North American sales force to provide a wide range of customized products and services: provides marketing, Web and design services, promotional products and merchandising materials, personalized printed items (checks, forms, business cards, stationery, greeting cards, labels, and retail packaging supplies), fraud prevention services, and customer retention programs. For more information about Deluxe, visit www.deluxe.com.

About the Kauffman Foundation

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private nonpartisan foundation that works to harness the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to grow economies and improve human welfare. Through its research and other initiatives, the Kauffman Foundation aims to open young people's eyes to the possibility of entrepreneurship, promote entrepreneurship education, raise awareness of entrepreneurship-friendly policies, and find alternative pathways for the commercialization of new knowledge and technologies. It also works to prepare students to be innovators, entrepreneurs and skilled workers in the 21st century economy through initiatives designed to improve learning in math, engineering, science and technology. Founded by late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman, the Foundation is based in Kansas City, Mo. and has approximately $2 billion in assets. For more information, visit: www.kauffman.org.

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