Our impact
Since 1966, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) has connected nearly 212 million children with nearly 430 million books and reading resources to put them on a path to reading proficiency—and create an ongoing culture of literacy. Our impact is evidenced by the communities we reach, the lives we touch, and the futures we shape.
Our 2024 impact
Every year, Reading Is Fundamental connects millions of children with pathways to the skills and stories that they carry with them over a lifetime. See what we’ve accomplished in 2024 alone.
books and reading resources distributed.
children impacted.
RIF is in 9 out of 10 elementary schools.
literacy advocates.
Impact in Action
RIF’s Middle School Family Literacy Initiative (MSFLI) - a national program bringing joy, choice, and connection to middle school readers right where it matters most: in their schools, with their families, and in their communities.
Programs that create success stories
Our research-backed programs provide books and reading resources to children in underserved communities, helping to close glaring, cyclical equity gaps. Explore program success stories from our community partners and other literacy champions on the frontlines of the literacy crisis.
An unparalleled national literacy network
RIF’s strong relationships with our partners—educators, families, and literacy advocates and volunteers in 26,000 communities—are critical to rewriting the narrative of the literacy crisis. Our presence in all 50 states, DC, and every U.S. territory means we can reach more children in the nation’s most under-resourced communities.
More about RIF
This program is a pioneer in children's literacy! It has set the standards other organizations follow and hope to achieve. Its longevity and success are due to its relevancy, insightfulness, and cultural sensitivity to generations of children.
Why reading matters
25 million children can’t read proficiently, and in the wake of the COVID pandemic, U.S. reading scores are at a 30-year low. Reading Is Fundamental and our partners are redoubling our efforts to disrupt this literacy crisis that’s threatening a generation of children.
More on the literacy crisisI have wonderful memories of volunteering with RIF as a junior high school student. I loved getting to help kids pick out their very own books to keep and take home. Now as a TK teacher I get to watch and enjoy as my own students pick out their very own books to take home and treasure. Thank you RIF for spreading the love and joy of reading for the last 60 years. Happy Anniversary!
The RIF model
Our model inspires the joy of reading in children, putting them on the path to reading proficiency. The joy of reading is a critical complement to the science of reading.
Explore our model
I just logged on [the RIF Bookstore] to order more books and I am beyond amazed. Truly, I'm in tears (happy ones of course) thinking about how many children we will impact with these books over the next several months. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support and your gracious hearts - we are forever grateful for you and this partnership.
How to help
Make a gift that connects children with books that will inspire the joy of reading today, create skilled readers tomorrow, and serve them over a lifetime.
Amplify your impact: Partner with RIF
Reading Is Fundamental has the solutions to put more children on the path to reading proficiency. But we can’t do it without the support of our generous donors, and corporate, institutional, and government partners.
