Since 1992, First Book has distributed over 90 million new books to children in need. In the U.S. an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 community-based programs serve children in need. These programs serve millions of children for millions of hours each week. Yet, 80% of these programs do not have a single book for the children they serve. In addition, over 1.5 million Title I classrooms serving low-income children are poorly resourced and suffering from educational inequities. By providing a steady stream of books to existing community and school-based programs, First Book leverages the power of the entire sector – programs develop curriculum, build reading activities, and offer dramatically enriched environments.
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.