Ready Readers

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2024-25, ready readers shared the joy and power of literacy with more than 20,000 children in our region through weekly storytimes, neighborhood events, and community partnerships. We distributed 172,623 high quality new books to children, families, and teachers, a 21% increase from the previous year. While our work is always centered on children, it is powered by volunteers and literacy champions; we trained and supported 279 volunteer readers, 134+ warehouse volunteers, and 30 neighborhood reading captains.through our storytime program, we reached 16,948 children in 1,256 classrooms throughout the region. Our volunteers read high-quality children's books every week for 30 minutes to a classroom of young children, designed to build and strengthen early literacy foundations, engage children in valuable discussion experiences, and develop strong, trusting relationships with trauma-informed adults.. The reader visits the same classroom at the same time each week, forming strong bonds with the children, the teachers, and the center. In addition to weekly reading sessions, each child receives 7 high-quality, new books throughout the year. Classrooms select programming that best fits their needs while most classrooms request in-person volunteer readers, some request virtual sessions and others request only books and curriculum supports. Ready readers also gives classroom teachers the same 7 books, with story time activities to incorporate literacy throughout their curriculum. Ready readers provides state-approved, professional development workshops for teachers participating in the storytime program, as well as other centers and locations (ex: community colleges, educational conferences, etc.). Additionally, ready readers works with community partners to offer free, literacy-based field trips to classrooms in our storytime program. Through our community work, ready readers collaborates with community partners and began the neighborhood reading captains program in 2023. Neighborhood reading captains live in the neighborhood they serve, and are trained and compensated to provide trusted resources, opportunities, and events to strengthen the foundation of literacy in homes. Ready readers currently has 30+ captains serving 8 neighborhoods in the region. Areas of service will continue to be identified based on neighborhood need, assets, and in consultation with the nrc advisory council.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 69.3%; rating input score 69
• Program expense ratio: 70.6%; rating input score 71
• Fundraising efficiency: $4.57 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 81.3%; rating input score 81; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 2.5%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.07; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.5%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 13.5% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 15.7% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings