First Book

See our Gifts
Overview

First Book provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. Studies reveal that the critical factor determining whether a child becomes a reader is access to reading materials--specifically, the presence of books at home. Yet in low-income neighborhoods, there is only one book for every 300 children. Since 1992, First Book has worked to reverse that trend by distributing over 80 million new books to children in need.

Mission

To give new books to kids in need.

Program

First Book works through existing community programs to provide a steady stream of new free or low cost books and improve access to reading materials. First Book reaches these programs through an innovative, powerfully designed, three-part network:

Local Advisory Boards – First Book’s central, community-based model that brings together diverse local leaders to mobilize communities and supply existing programs with new books for the children they serve.

First Book National Book Bank – the first-ever online centralized system that enables publishers to donate large quantities of new books to the nonprofit sector for distribution to children from low-income families.

First Book Marketplace – a web-based venture that offers high quality, award-winning books to community programs serving disadvantaged children at 50-90% below retail prices.

Impact

First Book has provided more than 80 million new books to children in need in thousands of communities nationwide. While innovative in its approach, First Book is conservative in its economic life; the organization’s financials reveal that over 97% of revenue is devoted to implementing its far-reaching programs.

CEO

Kyle Zimmer

Countries

United States, Canada

Contact

1319 F Street, NW

Suite 1000

Washington, DC 20004

Phone: (202) 393-1222

www.firstbook.org

EIN: 52-1779606


Spark A Reader

Two brand new books

First Book

Regular price $5.00

This gift will provide the magic of two new books to a child in need, and help create a foundation of literacy in her life.


Fund Better Futures

200 books for children

First Book

Regular price $600.00

Your gift of 200 new books will strengthen the reading ability of a classroom of children in need.


Nurture Imagination

25 fun-filled books

First Book

Regular price $75.00

Your gift will provide 25 children in an afterschool program with brand new books.


Open Young Minds

40 new books

First Book

Regular price $120.00

Your gift will bring 40 children brand new appealing and age-appropriate books to take home and keep.


Fill A Bookshelf

20 children's books

First Book

Regular price $60.00

Your gift will put 20 brand new books in the home of a child in need.


Fill Backpacks

Books for 20 students

First Book

Regular price $360.00

Your gift will put brand new books directly in the backpacks of 20 preschoolers in need for them to take home.


Spread the Magic

Books for afterschool

First Book

Regular price $180.00

Your gift will bring brand new books directly to afterschool programs that support children's literacy and education.


Share Stories

12 bedtime stories

First Book

Regular price $36.00

Your gift will bring the magic of a bedtime story directly to a child in need once every month for a year.


Teach the Joy

5 books for children

First Book

Regular price $15.00

Your gift will put five brand new books directly into the hands of children in need.


Equip A Classroom

Provide books for children

First Book

Regular price $90.00

Your gift will allow a classroom of children to learn from brand new books.


Give Home Libraries

Entire Classroom of Children with Brand New Books

First Book

Regular price $720.00

Your gift will directly stock the homes of an entire classroom of children in need with libraries of their very own brand new books.


Inspire Dreams

15 Brand New Volumes

First Book

Regular price $45.00

Your gift will place 15 brand new volumes into the hands of children who need them most.