First Book provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books.

First Book works through existing volunteer community programs, corporate and non-profit partners and a variety of literacy efforts to provide a steady stream of new, free or low cost books to elevate educational programming and improve access to reading materials.

Unlike any other organization focused on literacy, First Book grants unprecedented access to new books to programs serving children in need.

But it all started in 1993 when Kyle Zimmer, a corporate lawyer by day, tutored children at an inner-city soup kitchen by night. She discovered that the children she tutored had no books to read. That year, Kyle left her day job, and she and two friends founded First Book to provide new books and resources to the children who needed them the most. They delivered 12,000 books to local communities in the Washington DC area the first year.

While learning more about literacy issues nationally, Kyle discovered that fully 80% of preschool and after-school programs serving low-income populations have no age-appropriate books for the children they serve. Millions of children spend thousands of hours every week in programs and schools that are starving for resources necessary to improve educational quality.

By providing new books to children in preschools and after-school programs, mentoring and tutoring programs, shelters and day care centers and beyond, First Book provides resources to empower teachers and administrators. With access to high-quality books, educational materials and more, these caring leaders can better teach, plan curriculum and impart a love of learning, elevating the quality of the programs and opportunities available to children in need.

Now, nearly 18 years later, First Book has delivered more than 90
million books to programs serving children in need across the United States and Canada. Learn more about the honors and awards received by First Book.

Noted pollster Louis Harris has conducted an independent study to determine the effectiveness of the First Book model. This study, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Education, surveyed 2,564 individuals over a 14-month period. The results of this study are compelling:

Advisory Board: a committee of local First Book volunteers representing a broad spectrum of the community who join forces to provide new books to children in need participating in local literacy programs.

ABs in Action: a monthly online newsletter sent to all Advisory Board volunteers and posted on the Advisory Board Online Resource Center.

Description of Position

The primary responsibility of the Advisory Board Chair is to convene and facilitate a local group of volunteers who raise funds that are used to distribute book grants to local literacy organizations. This position ensures that the Advisory Board meets regularly, formulates yearly fundraising and book granting goals, and achieves a high level of sustainability. The Advisory Board Chair serves as the liaison between the Advisory Board and First Book’s national office, facilitates Advisory Board meetings and provides leadership to the Board.