Reading Is Fundamental Analysis

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)

Reading is Fundamental is a largest NGO in United States that aims at improving the literacy rate of America. The organization was founded in 1966 by a former teacher Margaret MCNamra. The NGO is targeting the age group of children and adults. It serves from birth to high school education in helping America eradicate illiteracy.

The NGO was started from a pilot project of distributing books by Margaret MCNamra. It grew within few months reaching to 60 of the public schools. The program grew so effectively in two years that government started funding the program due to its effectiveness towards literacy. With the help of federal funding, the NGO expanded vastly. Today, 75% of the funding is done by federal government.

Colgate, Target, Fifth avenue etc are its corporate supporters.

Recruiters give trainings and assistance to the volunteers for the development of program in local, regional and national level. The boundaries of organization have become borderless making it a global body. The NGO is also serving in UK and Argentina.

Books for Ownership:

‘Book for ownership’ is a program of RIF that has led the foundation of the NGO. In 1976, Margaret MCNamra who was a former school teacher shared a few used books with some unprivileged kids and let them own the books. The excitement of kids on the ownership of books makes Margaret MCNamra realize that there are many children in America who remain illiterate just because they cannot afford to own a book. She was shocked by the fact that many people in America do not even own a book. This event becomes the trigger point which ultimately resulted into the foundation of NGO.

So, ‘Books for Ownership’ is the first program on which the NGO was started. It is the largest and oldest and most well known program. Previously, it was known as National Book Program

It is putting books in the hands of readers to nurture the youth of America. It is doing its best to spread its books ownership program across borders. At local, regional and national level, it has expanded because of the help of its stakeholders. Reading is passed to generations only if they see the grownups involved in reading. Reading is a skill that all parents and teachers want to see in their kids. But due to many roadblocks, this skill is not being transferred to every student of society. To break these hurdles, RIF is making it present everywhere. It is expanding and involving more partners in the process. It is helping America to be one of the literate nations of the world. Without education, we cannot guarantee the future of children.

Today, it is a principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later professional training and in helping him to adjust normally to its environment. In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed if he is denied the opportunity of education. (Salerno, 2006-2007)

Program