A few months ago, I came up with the idea of connecting nonprofits with female and minority owned subscription services. I knew that in order to make the donation as seamless as possible it would take finding nonprofits who were ready and willing to accept this type of in-kind gift. I also knew that I needed to find a nonprofit with chapters across the United States as to allow people to feel they are donating to a charity near them.
After much thought about what kind of subscription service would have the greatest impact I came to the conclusion that I wanted to find a nonprofit whose mission was to help with literacy in underserved communities. I reached out to Reading Partners and I chatted with their National Community Engagement Manager and she let me know that all twelve of their chapters would love to get a monthly children’s book box.
What is Reading Partners?
Our mission: Our mission is to help children become lifelong readers by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction with measurable results.
What we do: Reading Partners is a national nonprofit that mobilizes communities to provide students with proven, individualized reading support to support them reading at grade level by fourth grade. We provide volunteer tutors with research-based, structured lesson plans designed to focus on the individual needs of our students.
What we believe: Reading Partners believes that our communities do better when all students have access to high-quality learning opportunities. By providing one-on-one, individualized reading support to students who’ve been most impacted by systemic barriers, Reading Partners seeks to disrupt educational inequity and create a brighter future where all students have the critical reading skills needed to prepare them for academic, social, and civic success.
Did you know that a 2015 study by Northern Illinois University found that only 14 % of children’s books published had a non-white main character?
Which Subscription Services Do I Donate?
WAM! Book Bundle: Inspired by the literary metaphor “Windows and Mirrors”, WAM! enriches reading experiences by furnishing books that serve as “mirrors” to underrepresented children, allowing them to see themselves in stories thus becoming empowered. We also choose books that serve as “windows”, enabling children to see the world from a new perspective with hopes that it fosters understanding, empathy and acceptance for others who may appear different from them.
Jambo Book Club: At Jambo we believe that the stories we tell our children matter. From their youngest years, children learn who and what we value. We continually reinforce this conception with the stories we tell them and the characters in those stories. The Jambo Book Club believes it is important for children to read stories about children that look like them, as well as their neighbors who do not look like them. The Jambo Book Club is dedicated to ensuring that children learn that all people are important, and that all people belong.
How Do I Donate?
- Email volunteer@readingpartners.org and let them know you are interested in donating a monthly children’s book club subscription and specify which region.
- The region of your choosing will get back to you and let you know the specific address to send your donation.
- Once you have confirmed with the region that you have begun the monthly book club subscription they will send you and in-kind donation form for tax purposes.
If you need any help or have ANY questions please email me at thecuratedclassic@gmail.com
