Reading Is Fundamental


Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. is the largest non-profit children's literacy organization in the United States. RIF provides resources such as books, STEM-themed classroom activities, professional development for educators, and parent engagement materials.

History

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 Lady Bird Johnson and Arthur White, Margaret McNamara's 1966 experience led to the formation of , a nonprofit children's literacy organization dedicated to making reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life.
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 bookmobile to increase reach outside of classrooms. Following the success RIF had in Washington, the Ford Foundation increased RIF's grant to $285,000 in August 1968, enabling RIF to launch ten model programs across the country. At the time of McNamara's death in 1981, RIF had provided "more than 3 million poor children with 37 million books."
In 2001, Carol Rasco, the former senior adviser to United States Secretary of Education Richard Riley, became the president and CEO of RIF. The communications department encouraged her to start blogging to help the organization attain its goals of improving its outreach. In 2011, Congress approved and President Barack Obama signed a bill that cut all federal funding for RIF. During the budget cuts, several newspapers across the United States published Rasco's commentary on the situation.
In 2015, RIF celebrated its 50th anniversary and released the results of Read for Success, a two-year research study funded by a grant from the Department of Education. Read for Success is centered around motivating children to read by providing access to high-quality classroom book collections, summer books for students to choose and own, enriching STEAM-themed classroom activities, professional development for teachers and parent engagement.
Rasco left in 2016, succeeded by Alicia Levi.
, RIF has given 415 million books to more than 40 million children.

Programs

RIF has 400,000 volunteers across the U.S. states and territories, who provide 4.5 million children with 15 million books and literacy resources. RIF's largest priority is providing books and companion literacy resources for underprivileged children from birth to age 10.
RIF's flagship program is Books for Ownership, which also supplies children with free paperback books. By 1989, the RIF had distributed 100 million books.