Reading Is Fundamental

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. Since its founding in 1966, RIF reports that it has distributed over 430 million books to more than nearly 200 million children nationwide.^[6]

Reading Is Fundamental

Children of Reading is Fundamental program with Margaret McNamara and Ted Kennedy
Formation	November 3, 1966; 58 years ago (1966-11-03)[1][2]
Founder	Margaret McNamara[1]
Tax ID no.	52-0976257[3]
Legal status	501(c)(3)[4]
Headquarters	Washington, D.C., U.S.
President & CEO	Alicia Levi [5][4]
Key people	John (Jack) F. Remondi, Chair
Website	www.rif.org

History

Reading Is Fundamental was founded in 1966 by Margaret McNamara, the wife of then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. Her idea for the program came about after she volunteered to read with children at a public school in Washington, D.C., and noticed that many of them lacked access to books at home. With funding from the Ford Foundation, she launched a pilot project through the D.C. Public School system, providing free books for students to choose and keep.^[7] This included the launch of a bookmobile to increase reach outside of classrooms.^[8]

Arthur Henry White was one of the organization's co-founders, with early support from the daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb.^[9]

In 1975, RIF became an independent nonprofit organization. It quickly expanded across the United States, distributing books through partnerships with schools, libraries, and community organizations. By 1980, the program had distributed 37 million books and gained support from both public and private sources.^[7]

RIF administered significant federal funding through the U.S. Department of Education for decades, particularly under the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program.^[10] In 2011, Congress eliminated congressionally directed spending and thus congressional funding for RIF.^[11] RIF then began transforming its model to secure funding to continue its programmatic work via corporate partners, foundations, and individual donors.

Today, RIF continues to operate nationwide, delivering books and literacy programs to millions of children through ongoing corporate partnerships, foundation support, privately funded initiatives, and other federal funding sources.^[12]

Mission

RIF works to inspire the joy of reading in children.^[13] The organization focuses on building early motivation, frequency, and engagement with books to help children develop into skilled readers. Studies show that reading motivation and engagement are closely linked to reading frequency and overall literacy development.^[14] RIF’s mission emphasizes access, opportunity, and discovery through literacy-focused programs.^[15] Access to books in childhood is associated with higher literacy, numeracy, and technological skills later in life.^[16]

Overview, Programs and Impact

As of 2024, approximately 25 million children in the U.S. could not read at a proficient level. The 2024 Nation’s Report Card showed data that eighth graders tested a full year behind in reading. Reading Is Fundamental responded that early foundational skills are a contributing factor.^[17] Gaps in reading comprehension among older students often stem from missed foundational instruction, underscoring the need for early, sustained literacy support.

RIF works to improve the literacy crisis through a combination of free book distribution, digital resources, and community-based programming, funded through national and local partnerships. Its flagship program, Books for Ownership, enables children to select new, age-appropriate books to keep.^[18][19]

RIF’s Read for Success model was evaluated under a U.S. Department of Education grant. The study found that after one summer, the program effectively reduced summer learning loss: The proportion of students experiencing reading loss dropped from 80 % to 39 %, and 57 % of students showed gains in reading proficiency.^[20] Schools that participated also reported academic growth—during a single summer, Hickory (NC) Public Schools' third graders saw three months of reading comprehension gains, and fourth graders saw six months of gains.^[21]

RIF’s digital platforms include Literacy Central, which provides educators and families with thousands of free reading resources, and Skybrary, a digital library of eBooks and virtual field trip videos developed by LeVar Burton Kids and gifted to RIF in 2019.^[22]

RIF also supports national reading engagement campaigns, including a focus on September, National Literacy Month.^[23] During National Reading Month in March, RIF also emphasizes the importance of reading for fun, access to books, and recognizing inclusive (digital and online) reading formats to improve literacy, through its Rally to Read 100 initiative, reading activities, awareness campaigns, and other programming.^[24]

RIF also develops and provides literacy kits, book collections, and family engagement materials designed to promote literacy in and out of the classroom.^[25][26] By 2024, RIF had provided nearly 430 million books and reading resources to over 200 million children.^[27]

Recognition

Reading Is Fundamental maintains 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and has earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, with a 98% overall score based on accountability, transparency, and impact metrics.^[28]

Awards

Reading Is Fundamental has received numerous accolades and awards for its programs and contributions to literacy education.

• In 2025, RIF was recognized with the Contribution to Literacy by an Organization Award by the World Literacy Foundation.^[29]
• In 2023, The American Consortium for Equity in Education named RIF the Nonprofit or Community Partner of the Year, and its Reading Is Fundamental—Middle School Family Literacy Initiative earned the Best Parent Engagement Solution.^[30]
• In 2022, RIF won the Gold Halo Award with its partner Macy’s in the Best Education Initiative category for the 2021 Back-to-School Round-up Campaign.^[31]
• In 2018, RIF won the Harris Poll EquiTrend Youth Nonprofit Brand of the Year.^[32]
• The same year, they were awarded the 2018 David A. Rubenstein Award by the Library of Congress.^[33]

See Also

• Battle of the Books
• Reading Rainbow – American children's television series

External Links

• Reading Is Fundamental website
• Sybrary, powered by Reading Is Fundamental