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San Francisco CA | IRS ruling year: 1999 | EIN: 91-2003533
Organization Mission
Room to Read believes that World Change Starts with Educated Children. We envision a world in which all children can pursue a quality education that enables them to ... (More)
Room to Read believes that World Change Starts with Educated Children. We envision a world in which all children can pursue a quality education that enables them to reach their full potential and contribute to their community and the world. Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond. (Less)
Great
This charity's score is 98%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows: 85% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 5% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 11/1/2022 | 2021 | 97.47 | |
| 11/1/2022 | 2020 | 90.27 | |
| 11/1/2020 | 2019 | 92.00 | |
| 3/1/2020 | 2018 | 89.94 |  |
| 3/1/2019 | 2017 | 92.92 | |
| 4/1/2018 | 2016 | 91.42 | |
| 5/1/2017 | 2015 | 91.33 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 90.80 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 4/1/2016 | 2014 | 87.75 | |
| 6/1/2015 | 2013 | 91.17 | |
| 5/1/2015 | 2013 | 90.73 | |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 12/20/2013 | 2012 | 93.69 | |
| 2/1/2013 | 2011 | 97.18 | |
| 4/1/2012 | 2010 | 97.16 | |
| 9/20/2011 | 2009 | 97.13 | |
| Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
| 12/1/2010 | 2009 | 95.95 | |
| 3/1/2010 | 2008 | 96.06 | |
| 10/1/2008 | 2007 | 96.14 | |
| 12/15/2007 | 2006 | 96.28 | |
| 4/1/2007 | 2005 | 96.58 | |
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Room to Read is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Room to Read has earned a 97% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2021. More recent filing data is available, but it has not been factored into this score, due to COVID-19's effect on this organization.
Rating update postponed due to COVID-19's impact on this organization. View Room to Read's response.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not Applicable
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. Our analysts check the Form 990 to determine if the independent Board members are a voting majority and also at least five in number. (Less) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
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| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
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| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) Making loans to related parties such as key officers, staff, or Board members, is not standard practice in the sector as it may divert the charity's funds away from its charitable mission and can lead to real and perceived conflict-of-interest problems. This practice is discouraged by sector trade groups which point to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act when they call for charities to refrain from making loans to directors and executives. And the IRS is concerned enough with the practice that it requires charities to disclose on their Form 990 any loans to or from current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and other "disqualified persons." Furthermore, some state laws go so far as to prohibit loans to board members and officers. And although employees and trustees are permitted to make loans to charities, this practice can also result in real and/or perceived conflict of interest problems for the charity. Furthermore, it is problematic because it is an indicator that the organization is not financially secure. (Less) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference. Charities are not required to make their Board meeting minutes available to the public. As such, we are not able to review and critique their minutes. For this performance metric, we are checking to see if the charity reports on its Form 990 that it does keep those minutes. In the future, we will also track and rate whether or not a charity keeps minutes for its committee meetings. (Less) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) Providing copies of the Form to the governing body in advance of filing is considered a best practice, as it allows for thorough review by the individuals charged with overseeing the organization. The Form 990 asks the charity to disclose whether or not it has followed this best practice. If the charity has not distributed its Form 990 to the board before filing, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| Does not Compensate Board Members ... (More) The IRS requires that any compensation paid to members of the charity's governing body be listed on the Form 990. Furthermore, all members of the governing body need to be listed whether or not they are compensated. It is not unusual for some members of the board to have compensation listed. The executive director of the organization frequently has a seat on the board, for instance, and is compensated for being a full time staff member. However, it is rare for a charity to compensate individuals only for serving on its Board of Directors. Although this sort of board compensation is not illegal, it is not considered a best practice. (Less) | |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) Such a policy protects the organization, and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer or director of the organization. Charities are not required to share their conflict of interest policies with the public. Although we can not evaluate the substance of its policy, we can tell you if the charity has one in place based on the information it reports on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Conflict of Interest policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report any financial mismanagement. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. (Less) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) Such a policy establishes guidelines for handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promotes data integrity. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Records Retention and Destruction Policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) This process indicates that the organization has a documented policy that it follows year after year. The policy should indicate that an objective and independent review process of the CEO's compensation has been conducted which includes benchmarking against comparable organizations. We check to be sure that the charity has reported on its Form 990 its process for determining its CEO pay. (Less) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) | |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) Charities are required to list their CEO's name and compensation on the Form 990. Our analysts check to be sure that the charities complied with the Form 990 instructions and included this information in their filing. (Less) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) Our analysts check to see if the charity lists Board members on its website. Publishing this information enables donors and other stakeholders to ascertain the make up of the charity's governing body. This enables stakeholders to report concerns to the Board. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the Board members listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990, because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's Board members may have changed, and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. (Less) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) It is important for donors and other stakeholders to know who runs the organization day-to-day. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the leadership listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990 because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's leadership may have changed and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. In other words, since the Form 990 isn't especially timely, it can not be used to verify the leadership information published on the charity's site. (Less) | |
| Audited Financial Statements Listed on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its audited financial statements for the fiscal year represented by the most recently filed IRS Form 990. It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. We currently rate charities on whether or not they publish their audit on their website. (Less) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its most recently filed IRS Form 990 (a direct link to the charity's 990 on an external site is sufficient). It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. (Less) | |
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 7.10% - 7.5/10 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 7.10% - 7.5/10 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio - 1.38 years - 10/10 ptsWorking Capital Ratio - 1.38 years - 10/10 pts
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency - $0.06 - 10/10 ptsFundraising Efficiency - $0.06 - 10/10 pts
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expense Ratio - 3.80% - 10/10 ptsAdministrative Expense Ratio - 3.80% - 10/10 pts
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expense Ratio - 8.60% - 10/10 ptsFundraising Expense Ratio - 8.60% - 10/10 pts
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 87.40% - 10/10 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 87.40% - 10/10 pts
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth - 7.93% - 8.93/10 ptsProgram Expense Growth - 7.93% - 8.93/10 pts
Organizations that demonstrate consistent annual growth in program expenses are able to outpace inflation and thus sustain their programs year to year. These organizations also supply givers with greater confidence by maintaining broad public support for their programs. We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Geetha Murali, Chief Executive Officer
$281,688 (0.47% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2019
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Room to Read) or EIN (912003533) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Room to Read reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Staffing
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
As the global pandemic unfolded, we took action to ensure financial stability and the safety of staff across 16 countries. We also continued to focus on educating children, despite the unprecedented scale of school closures. By April 1, staff moved to 100% remote work, external events were cancelled (representing about 15% of projected revenue), non-personnel spending was reduced by 15%, key donors were asked to donate early, and the organization secured a PPP loan and re-budgeted with a new 2020 forecast. The global Board of Directors met monthly to review cash flow projections alongside expenses for new and innovative programmatic shifts to continue children’s learning at home. Taking these quick actions enabled us to maintain operating reserves, support staff and deliver measurable impact – ultimately benefiting 4.9 million children in 2020 – more than double the number benefited in 2019. We also met global compliance requirements and obligations, including 19 external audits.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Room to Read works in public schools. With extensive school closures, millions of children did not have access to educational materials or programs. We quickly adapted based on students’ learning environments to provide: • Literacy lessons and audio/video read-alouds of children’s books through radio, TV and IVR. • IVR prompts and text messages to provide instruction to students and their parents • Physical materials to students at home - especially in areas without internet access • Digital learning tools and read-alouds through our digital learning platform, LiteracyCloud.org • Risk and response tools to identify girls at risk of dropping out and support them to stay in school • Distance mentoring and exam preparation for girls via telephone, SMS and video • Virtual trainings and professional development for teachers, authors and illustrators • COVID-related children’s books to support the social and emotional well-being of students across our program countries
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
: Staff partnered with government and school communities to reach children via no-tech, low-tech and high- tech channels. We updated research, monitoring and evaluation strategies and created new indicators for our emergency education interventions, supported by new remote data collection methods. We increased the children benefited significantly by directing more funds toward large-scale partnerships that emerged based on the urgent needs of government systems to support remote learning. Our results included: - TV literacy lessons to about 123 million households and radio lessons to 31 million households - 18 million text messages to teachers, students and families - 615,486 children with hard copies of literacy materials - 26,220 hours of virtual training/support to educators, authors, and illustrators - LiteracyCloud.org housing 1,750+ digital book titles in 30+ languages, accessed from 143 countries - 265,488 individual girls’ mentoring sessions
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
Our innovations enabled us to benefit significantly more children. We worked more closely with governments and public school systems to meet their urgent needs, and those strong relationships have given way to several ongoing projects (e.g., creating library and children’s book standards and leveraging national broadcast channels) that will deliver impact far into the future. We produced thematic book collections to help children process the changes going on around them – including a COVID-19 book series, our peace and equality book collection, and a series on climate change. We were one of three recipients awarded the 2020 David M. Rubenstein Special Response Award from the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program. The award recognizes us as a best-practice model for our outstanding work addressing the challenges presented by the pandemic and recent social unrest. We will continue to create timely and relevant children’s book collections to support the children we serve.
Not Currently Scored
Room to Read cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Learn More
Room to Read reported its two largest programs on its FY 2021 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Literacy Program
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Girls' Education Program
Room to Read has earned a 100% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 ptsConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 pts
100% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
Room to Read benefits primary and secondary school-aged children in communities experiencing deep educational and economic inequities, where investments in education accelerate positive change for children, families and communities. We partner with local community organizations, governments and publishers to provide and implement learning solutions at scale. We work with librarians, educators and community mentors to ensure they have resources to support children with a quality education. Since our founding in 2000, Room to Read has worked in 21 countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Grenada, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, United States, Vietnam and Zambia.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
SMS text surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Paper surveys, Community meetings or town halls, Other means
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
Room to Read has seen that asking for and implementing feedback from those we serve builds a great level of trust, developing avenues of growth for Room to Read to partner with constituents and contextualize our work based on local needs. We’ve seen this benefit through increased collaboration with government organizations. For example, the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) incorporated Room to Read’s programming into national curriculum after successful feedback implementation from both sides. Working groups, hosted by TIE, allowed Room to Read to identify gaps in TIE’s existing curriculum model and also incorporate feedback on how to customize program components for nationwide rollout by TIE.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don't have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program provides adolescent girls with a life skills curriculum that teaches them to self-advocate, make key life decisions and create a gender-equal world. In meeting with parents in the communities we serve, Room to Read received feedback that these lessons could be beneficial for sons as well as daughters. We also heard from local government partners that solving issues in communities and expanding gender equality programming would be difficult if lessons only served half the students in a classroom. Responding to feedback, Room to Read deepened our commitment to gender equality and in 2021 launched a pilot Life Skills for Equality Project that offers life skills curriculum and programming specifically for adolescent boys.
Equity Practices - No Data Available - UnscoredEquity Practices - No Data Available - Unscored
This organization has not provided information regarding the Equity Practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Room to Read has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableMission - 10/10 ptsMission - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read is creating a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality. We are achieving this goal by helping children in low-income communities develop literacy skills and a habit of reading, and by supporting girls to build skills to succeed in school and negotiate key life decisions. We collaborate with governments and other partner organizations to deliver positive outcomes for children at scale.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Room to Read envisions a world in which children can pursue a quality education that prepares them to be fulfilled and make positive change – in their families, communities and the world.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals - 20/20 ptsGoals - 20/20 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Scale our reach to benefit at least 40 million children by 2025 and increase the number of girls benefited through our Girls’ Education Program and broader gender portfolio by 400%.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Enhance operational excellence and digital transformation, strengthening Room to Read’s operational infrastructure to significantly increase our reach and impact.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Three: Influence system-level change in countries where we demonstrate comprehensive approaches and integrate program components at the national and subnational levels for long-term, sustainable impact.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
To facilitate professional development, Room to Read recently established leadership groups consisting of senior leaders (Directors, VPs and Chiefs) around the world. These groups meet regularly for cross-departmental collaboration and team-building activities, as well as targeted individual coaching sessions and group coaching from external experts on topics such as formulating effective questions and answers; annual planning and budgeting; and diversity, equity and inclusion. Our Executive Leadership Team has led group sessions and participates actively in workshops. The new leadership development program has created improved understanding of goals across departments and geographies and has also provided a forum for a broad cross-section of leaders to weigh in on organizational challenges and opportunities.
Mobilizing for Mission - 15/15 ptsMobilizing for Mission - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
Strategic Partnerships & Advocacy: We partner closely with governments and public school systems to advocate for education approaches that create systemic change. We work with bilateral and multilateral organizations to leverage our core competencies for broader benefit. Community Building: We work through our local teams and with high-caliber, local NGOs to develop program content and expand reach. We partner with local publishers to co-publish and distribute high quality children’s books in the market and school systems. We work with communities to build support for literacy and gender equality at the local level. Our chapter network leads fundraising and activism in 30+ locations around the world. Thought Leadership & Brand Awareness: We conduct research evaluation in our program areas and speak as a thought leader in the international development and education space. We focus on marketing strategies that illustrate the impact of our work and engage our audiences.
Adaptability Story - 30/30 ptsAdaptability Story - 30/30 pts
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
The global pandemic created the greatest education emergency of our lifetimes, impacting the learning progression of 1.6 billion children. Room to Read took immediate action to ensure that education remains accessible, despite school closures throughout our program countries. We adapted our programs to provide human connectivity via the methods that are most accessible to the children we serve by providing: Literacy lessons and read-alouds of children’s books through radio and TV; Interactive Voice Response prompts and text messages with instruction for students and parents; Physical materials and parental guidance distribution for students at home without internet access; Risk and response tools to identify and offer support to girls at risk of dropping out; Distance mentoring and exam preparation for girls via telephone, SMS and video; Virtual trainings and professional development for teachers, authors and illustrators; COVID-related children’s books to support the social and emotional well-being. Room to Read staff partnered with government and school communities to reach children via no-tech, low-tech and high-tech channels. We updated research strategies and created new indicators for our emergency education interventions, supported by new remote data collection methods. We directed more funds toward large-scale partnerships based on the urgent needs of government systems. Our innovations enabled us to benefit 4.9 million children in 2020, which is twice the number of children reached in 2019. In 2020, our results led to more than 123 million households receiving literacy lessons through TV broadcast, and more than 31 million through radio broadcast. 18 million text messages were sent to teachers, students and families while more than 26,000 hours of virtual training and support were offered to educators, authors and illustrators. We distributed learning materials through any local infrastructure available, including by camel and boat.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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