Reading Is Fundamental Secure Rif Org

Leo Migdal

-Dec 12, 2025, 8:20 AM

Create reading joy this holiday season in school and at home with two author-led read-alouds to ring in the season. Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) connects children with the joy of reading to spark imaginations and possibilities, putting kids on a path of reading proficiency. Because every child deserves the chance to succeed. Reading Is Fundamental is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Reading Is Fundamental and our partners work to change the trajectory of the alarming U.S. literacy crisis, which creates barriers between our nation’s children and their opportunities.

children in the U.S. cannot read proficiently. Send a message with Reading Is Fundamental that you agree all children deserve books of their own. Sign the pledge now! Pledge: I believe all children deserve to have age-appropriate books at home and the opportunity to learn to read. Every child should be able to unlock the power of reading — it sets them up for success in school and in life!

By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive email updates from Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF). To unsubscribe, click the link at the bottom of any RIF email. By providing your mobile number, you agree that RIF may call or text your mobile phone regarding RIF programs and your support. To opt out of receiving communications, please contact us at [email protected] or 1-888-725-4801. Message and data rates may apply.

Your $4 gift can ensure a new book finds its way into a child's hands. Celebrate National Reading Month and donate to our virtual book drive today! Reading Is Fundamental works to disrupt the alarming U.S. literacy crisis by inspiring the joy of reading in children, a critical element to driving the frequency, motivation, and engagement needed to create skilled readers. We know that if we build a foundation of joy for children, then development, discovery, and opportunity follow. Help celebrate National Reading Month!

For just $4, you can help us connect young readers and their families with books that will inspire their love of learning. Here are just a few reasons to get involved. You can help children and families own books—and achieve their potential. Your donation helps more children learn how to read. Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF) is the oldest and largest non-profit children's literacy organization in the United States.

RIF provides books (print and digital) and reading resources to children nationwide with supporting literacy resources for educators, families, and community volunteers. In 1966, while reading to children at a school in Washington, D.C., Margaret McNamara, wife of the United States Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, was surprised to learn that many of the students did not have any books of their own. With the help of Lynda Johnson Robb[6] and Arthur White,[7] Kathryn Wentzel Lumley was one of the organization's co-founders.[8][9] After early organizational meetings with other educators in D.C., McNamara secured a $150,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to support pilot activities in the District of Columbia throughout 1967, including the launch of a... At the time of McNamara's death in 1981, RIF had provided "more than 3 million poor children with 37 million books."[11]

Beginning in the 1970s, RIF began to receive annual federal appropriations which enabled the organization to expand its reach and impact for children in communities nationwide, focusing on at-risk children including those from low-income... Authorized in federal legislation, RIF contracted with the U.S. Department of Education to administer the National Inexpensive Book Distribution Program[12] for more than 30 years. In 2001, Carol Rasco, the former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton and later United States Secretary of Education Richard Riley, became the president and CEO of RIF, succeeding former Bryant University president William... Trueheart who served in that role from 1997 to 2001.[13] Ruth Graves led the organization from 1975 to 1997.[14][15] In 2011, Congress eliminated congressionally-directed spending and thus federal funding for RIF.[16][17] RIF then began... Reading Is Fundamental’s (RIF’s) program and content offerings provide books and resources for families, educators, and literacy advocates to create a culture of reading in the classroom and at home.

Giving children choice and access to new, age-appropriate books to take home and own is positively tied to reading behaviors including motivation, frequency, and engagement—which lead to enhanced reading and writing performance, language development,... Of children living at or below the poverty line in America have no books at home. In some of the lowest-income neighborhoods, there is just 1 book for every 833 children. Research demonstrates that the presence of books in the home impacts academic outcomes for children. Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) addresses the critical need for book ownership through our Books for Ownership program and Skybrary digital library.

Reading Is Fundamental Secure Rif Org

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