At GreaterGood Network, we do our best to raise awareness of good causes and to connect people every day with simple ways to make the world a better place. It is our charitable partners who do the heavy lifting — the ones who use the funds that your daily clicks and your shopping raise to accomplish the mission.
About GreaterGood.org
GreaterGood.org is an independent charitable organization devoted to addressing the health and well-being of people (particularly women and children), animals, and the planet. GreaterGood.org distributes funds generated through the GreaterGood Network of websites to the many charitable organizations responsible for implementing programs named on these sites. 100% of the funds generated through the GreaterGood Network pass through GreaterGood.org to our partner charities. GreaterGood.org has ultimate authority and discretion with regard to the distribution of its funds. All expenditures made are consistent with the exempt purposes of GreaterGood.org.
About First Book
www.firstbook.org
First Book is a national nonprofit organization with a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. First Book has provided more than 50 million new books to children in need in hundreds of communities nationwide.
First Book Provides a Critical Resource to Children in Need
Within the U.S., access to books is essential to reading development: the only variable that directly correlates with reading scores is the number of books in the home. However, most recent data describes a profound, even shocking gap: while the ratio of books to children in middle-income neighborhoods is approximately 13 books to 1 child, the ratio in low-income neighborhoods is 1 book to 300 children.* In addition, over 80 percent of childcare centers serving low-income children lack age-appropriate books. By providing children with books they can take home and keep, First Book targets the only variable that correlates significantly with reading scores - the number of books in the home.
The children served by First Book are found in existing programs across the country such as youth centers, housing projects, pediatric clinics, daycare centers, and other community-based initiatives serving children in need. First Book improves the quality of these programs by providing high quality books and educational resources that enhance their overall effectiveness. Collaboration with First Book elevates the quality of education nationwide for the children who need our help the most.
First Book is recognized for its innovation and programmatic success. First Book's President Kyle Zimmer was named the 2006 Social Entrepreneur of the year in the U.S. by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. She was recognized for identifying and applying practical solutions to social problems by combining innovation, resourcefulness and opportunity. Fast Company and Monitor Group chose First Book as a winner of their Social Capitalist Award for using entrepreneurial genius to solve global issues for five consecutive years.
About Room to Read
www.roomtoread.org
Room to Read partners with local communities throughout the developing world to establish schools, libraries, and other educational infrastructure. The organization seeks to intervene early in the lives of children in the belief that education is a lifelong gift that empowers people to ultimately improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries, and future generations. Through the opportunities that only an education can provide, Room to Read strives to break the cycle of poverty, one child at a time.
There are more than 770 million illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds of whom are women and girls. In addition, there are over 100 million children not currently enrolled in primary school and millions of others not currently in secondary school. The need for Room to Read's educational programs spans the globe.
Since its inception in 2000, Room to Read has impacted the lives of over 1.7 million children by:
- Constructing 442 schools
- Establishing 5,167 libraries
- Publishing 226 new local language children's titles representing over 2 million books
- Donating over 2.2 million English language children's books
- Funding 4,036 long-terms girls' scholarships
- Establishing 155 computer and language labs
Over the past few years, Room to Read has received several distinguished awards, including The Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Award, the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and the Sand Hill Group Foundation's Social Entrepreneurship Award.
