ReadAloudorg

What it reported doing in 2024

The Read Aloud 15 MINUTES National Campaign continues to successfully focus on three pillars of activity.1. Read Aloud 15 MINUTES National Awareness Campaign. The awareness campaign has been the focus of ReadAloud.org since 2012. The Read Aloud 15 MINUTES National Campaign goal is for 250 million Americans to recognize the need to read aloud 15 minutes every day, beginning at birth, ensuring that all American children are kindergarten-ready by age 5. We reached thousands of Americans this year with a very strong focus on public awareness events in South Carolina as follows: Participated in all day carnivals at Beyond Our Walls and Windwood Farm engaging all participants to read aloud from birth. Conducted weekly read-alout sessions for pre-K and kindergarten students at Charleston Development Academy and for members of Reading Buddies at Windwood Farm Boys Home.Read aloud to children at Beyond Our Walls' 6-week summer camp and holiday events, gifting books at every session.Partnered with Charleston Friends of the Library to receive, categorize and distribute books to underserved children; in 2025, at least 5,000 like-new books were gifted.Regularly distributed books to Little Free Libraries to increase community access to reading materials. Participated in the MLK, Jr. Parade, distributing books, wristbands, and prizes to children. Attended Jean's Angels Event at Danny Jones Recreation Center, distributing books and prizes to over 200 children.Read Aloud 15 MINUTES specializes in the delivery of read aloud educational content directed at parents, grandparents, caregivers, educators, and health professionals. The materials provided are directed at improving the early brain development in children from birth to age 8. Read Aloud 15 MINUTES conducts several campaign pulses annually, with March designated as Read Aloud Month. The campaign supplies educational content, such as marketing materials for social and traditional marketing channels, posters, bookmarks, worksheets, and parent handouts digitally (see https://www.readaloud.org/downloads.html) to its local, regional, and national partners. Partners are responsible for distribution to their constituents of parents, employees, customers, clients.2.The Read Aloud 15 MINUTES National Campaign encourages parent and professional engagement and behavioral change through sponsorship of the Read Aloud 15 MINUTES 21-Day Challenge primarily during March Read Aloud Month. The 21-Day Challenge is how ReadAloud.org translates the awareness of the importance of reading aloud into action. The goals are for 250,000 children and 5,000 organizations to participate in the 21-Day Challenge. We held our first 21-Day Challenge Parent Night at the Boca Grande Preschool in November 2019. 3.ReadAloud.org participates in medical, behavioral, and social research in support of better understanding the importance of reading aloud to children from birth to age 8. ReadAloud.org participates in the discussion, planning, and funding of research that furthers the understanding of brain development as it relates to reading aloud. ReadAloud.org was proud to work with Dr. John S. Hutton, MS, MD, former pediatrician and clinical researcher in the Division of General and Community Pediatrics and Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center in a longitudinal study demonstrating through MRI and subjective evaluation the impact of reading aloud on the brain. Business Model and Organizational StructureReadAloud.org and the Read Aloud 15 MINUTES National Campaign employs a unique business model intended to minimize infrastructure expense and maximize the exposure of the three pillars of the organization through the use of partnerships with business, government, and NGOs interested in early childhood development. By partnering with local, regional, and national organizations, many of whom are focused on distribution of books, and parent and classroom education; as well as after-scho

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 80%; rating input score 80
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.06 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 33.3%; rating input score 33; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -441.3%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.85; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 56%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -3.5% per year; rating input score 0; 41st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -9.5% per year; rating input score 0; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 6.7% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings