Room to Read
Encyclopedia
Room to Read is an international non-profit organization with its global headquarters in San Francisco, California. Founded on the belief that World Change Starts With Educated Children, the organization focuses on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, Room to Read develops literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and supports girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.
Room to Read is currently serving communities in nine countries throughout Asia and Africa.
In 2001, Room to Read co-founder and CEO Erin Keown Ganju spearheaded Room to Read’s expansion into Vietnam
. Since then, Room to Read's Operations have expanded to include Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Zambia.
Community Engagement and Local Partnerships: The organization partners with communities to achieve its goals, challenging the local population to contribute to each project either financially, or through the donation of labor.
Scale and Sustainability: Room to Read seeks to successfully demonstrate effective and cost-efficient program models so that governments and other non-profits can adopt its methodology and practices, thereby catalyzing long-term, systemic change.
Diversified and Engaged Funding Base: Room to Read's donor base is diverse in type and geographic location, raising at least 30% of its funding base through its global chapter network. It is also committed to maintaining a low overhead ratio, with at least 80% of funding going directly to programs.
School Room — Room to Read partners with villages to build schools.
Reading Room — Room to Read establishes bi-lingual libraries and fills them with donated English books and local language books purchased in-country or self-published, creating a child-friendly environment that includes posters, games and furniture.
Local Language Publishing — Sourcing content from local writers and illustrators, Room to Read publishes local language children's books in over 20 languages.
Pilot Programs — In 2009, Room to Read introduced Literacy Pilot Programs in Sri Lanka and Nepal to improve the habit of reading among students who utilize the organization's resources.
Gender Equality in Education:
Girls' Education — The GEP is aimed at providing girls with the support they need to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in the classroom and beyond. In addition to scholarships, Room to Read employs social mobilizers in each community to act as role models for the girls, as well as hosting life-skills workshops.
United States:
Aspen Valley, CO;
Atlanta, GA;
Austin, TX;
Boston, MA;
Central NJ;
Charlotte, NC;
Chicago, IL;
Cincinnati, OH;
Columbus, OH;
Dallas, TX;
Denver / Boulder, CO;
Fort Lauderdale, FL;
Greenwich, CT;
Houston, TX;
Los Angeles, CA;
Manchester, NH;
Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN;
Nashville, TN;
New York, NY;
Orange County, CA;
Portland, OR;
Ridgefield, CT;
Salt Lake City, UT;
San Diego, CA;
San Francisco, CA;
Seattle, WA;
St. Louis, MO;
Vail, CO;
Washington, DC;
Westchester, NY.
Canada:
Calgary, AB;
Edmonton, AB;
Toronto, ON;
Montreal, QC;
Vancouver, BC;
Victoria, BC.
Asia:
Hong Kong,
Seoul,
Tokyo,
Mumbai,
Pune,
Singapore.
Middle East:
United Arab Emirates
Australasia:
Adelaide,
Auckland,
Brisbane,
Canberra,
Melbourne,
Perth,
Sydney.
Europe:
Edinburgh,
London,
Oxford,
Brussels,
Paris,
Munich,
Rhein Main,
Amsterdam,
Zurich.
Room to Read is currently serving communities in nine countries throughout Asia and Africa.
History
John Wood, founder and executive chairman, launched Room to Read in 1999 after a trek through Nepal where he visited several local schools. He was amazed by the warmth and enthusiasm of the students and teachers, but also saddened by the shocking lack of resources. Driven to help, John quit his senior executive position with Microsoft and built a global team to work with rural villages to build sustainable solutions to their educational challenges.In 2001, Room to Read co-founder and CEO Erin Keown Ganju spearheaded Room to Read’s expansion into Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Since then, Room to Read's Operations have expanded to include Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Zambia.
Core operating principles
Global Footprint and Long-Term Engagement: Room to Read employs flexible program models that can be adapted locally. It focuses on developing countries with relatively stable governance where education can be prioritized, seeking strategic partnerships with governments and like-minded organizations.Community Engagement and Local Partnerships: The organization partners with communities to achieve its goals, challenging the local population to contribute to each project either financially, or through the donation of labor.
Scale and Sustainability: Room to Read seeks to successfully demonstrate effective and cost-efficient program models so that governments and other non-profits can adopt its methodology and practices, thereby catalyzing long-term, systemic change.
Diversified and Engaged Funding Base: Room to Read's donor base is diverse in type and geographic location, raising at least 30% of its funding base through its global chapter network. It is also committed to maintaining a low overhead ratio, with at least 80% of funding going directly to programs.
Programs
Literacy:School Room — Room to Read partners with villages to build schools.
Reading Room — Room to Read establishes bi-lingual libraries and fills them with donated English books and local language books purchased in-country or self-published, creating a child-friendly environment that includes posters, games and furniture.
Local Language Publishing — Sourcing content from local writers and illustrators, Room to Read publishes local language children's books in over 20 languages.
Pilot Programs — In 2009, Room to Read introduced Literacy Pilot Programs in Sri Lanka and Nepal to improve the habit of reading among students who utilize the organization's resources.
Gender Equality in Education:
Girls' Education — The GEP is aimed at providing girls with the support they need to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in the classroom and beyond. In addition to scholarships, Room to Read employs social mobilizers in each community to act as role models for the girls, as well as hosting life-skills workshops.
Chapter network
Room to Read currently has active fund raising chapters in:United States:
Aspen Valley, CO;
Atlanta, GA;
Austin, TX;
Boston, MA;
Central NJ;
Charlotte, NC;
Chicago, IL;
Cincinnati, OH;
Columbus, OH;
Dallas, TX;
Denver / Boulder, CO;
Fort Lauderdale, FL;
Greenwich, CT;
Houston, TX;
Los Angeles, CA;
Manchester, NH;
Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN;
Nashville, TN;
New York, NY;
Orange County, CA;
Portland, OR;
Ridgefield, CT;
Salt Lake City, UT;
San Diego, CA;
San Francisco, CA;
Seattle, WA;
St. Louis, MO;
Vail, CO;
Washington, DC;
Westchester, NY.
Canada:
Calgary, AB;
Edmonton, AB;
Toronto, ON;
Montreal, QC;
Vancouver, BC;
Victoria, BC.
Asia:
Hong Kong,
Seoul,
Tokyo,
Mumbai,
Pune,
Singapore.
Middle East:
United Arab Emirates
Australasia:
Adelaide,
Auckland,
Brisbane,
Canberra,
Melbourne,
Perth,
Sydney.
Europe:
Edinburgh,
London,
Oxford,
Brussels,
Paris,
Munich,
Rhein Main,
Amsterdam,
Zurich.
Results
Since its inception in 2000, Room to Read has impacted the lives of over 5 million children in the developing world by:- Constructing 1,442 schools;
- Establishing 11,246 libraries;
- Publishing 553 new local language children's titles;
- Distributing over 9.4 million children's books;
- Funding 10,590 long-term girls' scholarships;
- Establishing 179 computer and language labs.
Awards and recognition
- Fast CompanyFast Company (magazine)Fast Company is a full-color business magazine that releases 10 issues per year and reports on topics including innovation, digital media, technology, change management, leadership, design, and social responsibility...
/ Monitor GroupMonitor GroupMonitor Group is a global management consulting firm headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States and with 27 offices in 26 major cities around the world. It provides strategy consultation services to the senior management of organizations and governments...
"Social Capitalist Award" - four-time winner; - Charity Navigator four-star rating - four-time winner;
- SkollSkoll FoundationThe Skoll Foundation is a social entrepreneurship foundation based in Silicon Valley, California, with a mission to drive large-scale change by investing in, connecting, and celebrating social entrepreneurs and other innovators dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing problems...
Awards for Social Entrepreneurship; - Attended Clinton Global InitiativeClinton FoundationThe William J. Clinton Foundation is a foundation established by former President of the United States Bill Clinton with the stated mission to "strengthen the capacity of people throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence." The Foundation focuses on four critical areas:...
- Academy for Educational DevelopmentAcademy for Educational DevelopmentAED, formerly the Academy for Educational Development, is a 501 nonprofit organization that focuses on education, health and economic development for the "least advantaged in the United States and developing countries throughout the world." AED currently operates more than 250 programs in the...
(AED), one of six 2007 "Breakthrough Ideas in Education"; - Reader's DigestReader's DigestReader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
's 'Best of America 2008'.
Media highlights
- CNN: "Leaving Microsoft - CNN's Asieh Namdar Speaks With Author John Wood About Leaving His Career and Tackling the World's Literacy Problem", January 23, 2008
- CBS News: "Changing Children's Lives, One Book at a Time", July 9, 2010