Donating children's books is a powerful way to make a positive impact on young lives; here, Flipsy.com lists some of the best opportunities for donating children's books.
To foster a love for reading is one of the greatest gifts you can bestow upon a child. Studies have proven a strong correlation between childhood literacy and lifelong success, yet many children do not have access to the books their budding brains need to develop the language, critical thinking, and creative skills required to excel in academics and adulthood.
Consider these facts:
- 1 in 4 children in America grow up without learning how to read (Begin to Read)
- 2/3 of children who cannot ready proficiently by the end of fourth grade will eventually spend time in jail and/or on welfare (Begin to Read)
- 85% of children who go to juvenile court are functionally illiterate (The Register-Herald/DoSomething.org)
- By 3 years of age, there is a 30-million-word gap between children from the wealthiest families and the poorest families (Reading Is Fundamental)
- 34% of children entering kindergarten lack the basic language skills needed to learn how to read (Reading Is Fundamental)
- Children who are proficient readers by third grade are 4 times more likely to graduate high school on time (NMU.edu)
- Children raised in homes with access to a 500-book library are propelled an average of 3.2 years further in education than those raised in bookless homes; those additional years are spent earning associate and bachelor degrees, which increase annual average incomes by $7,213 to $21,185, respectively (Science Daily)
You can make a difference and help children gain new skills that lead to lifelong opportunities by donating children's books to charity. Here are some of the best charities for children's book donations.
Milk + Bookies
This unique initiative puts kids in charge by helping them host their own book drive parties in which they collect donated books and give them to disadvantaged kids in their own communities.
Project Night Night
Accepts new book donations and distributes them to homeless children via care packages that also include a blanket and stuffed animal.
Pajama Program
Donate your children's books, and Pajama Program will distribute them along with a set of comfortable pajamas to disadvantaged children across the U.S.
Books for Kids
Collects donated books to promote child literacy with a focus on low-income and at-risk preschool-aged children. Be sure to read their book donation guidelines before donating.
Reader to Reader
Accepts book donations and distributes them to under-sourced school and public libraries in the United States.
Books for America
Donates your used books (in excellent condition) to educational programs, shelters, and schools in the United States.
First Book
First Book accepts monetary donations to purchase and distribute books to programs serving children from low-income families.
Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read accepts monetary donations to put children's books in hospitals and doctor's offices. Physician partners send a new book home with children at each regular checkup from the age of six months to five years.
Kids Need to Read
Accepts monetary donations to purchase children's books for underfunded schools, libraries, and literacy programs in the U.S., with a focus on disadvantaged children.
United Through Reading
Helps maintain bonds between children and remotely-stationed military parents. The program records parents reading donated books and gives the recordings to their children. United Through Reading was a 2015 recipient of the American Prize Library of Congress Literacy Award.
Room to Read
Accepts monetary donations to create reading programs for underprivileged children in Asia and Africa.
Reading is Fundamental
Accepts monetary donations to purchase and distribute new books to children nationwide.
African Library Project
This program lets you start a book drive to open a library in Africa. The website says 1,000 gently-used children's books plus a $500 monetary donation will open one library.
Darien Book Aid
Accepts book donations to give for specific requests, including those made by Peace Corps volunteers, libraries, and schools worldwide.
Better World Books
Better World Books sells your donated books online, then uses a portion of the proceeds to fund non-profit literary organizations. Books that are not sold online are donated directly to non-profits or recycled.
Local and regional charities
In addition to these national and global charities, hundreds of local and regional charities will accept children's book donations. Conduct an online search for "donate children's books to charity in [YOUR CITY/STATE]" to find them.
Donating children's books to charity is one of the easiest ways to make a significant difference in the lives of disadvantaged children. The charities listed here will help you put books in the hands of children who need them most.
