Mission: Inspire love of reading in kids
What does the organization do? The mission of the Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF) is to inspire a love of reading and writing among low-income, at-risk, and rural children from birth through age 12 throughout Vermont and New Hampshire.
We partner with schools, shelters, libraries and others to reach children at risk of growing up with low literacy skills. Our presenters, all published authors, give inspiring presentations, tell stories and lead writing workshops with kids. CLiF also donates brand new, high quality books to schools, libraries and directly to kids. We work within communities to cultivate a pro-literacy culture.
Please provide a brief history of the organization:
In 1998, when Duncan McDougall founded CLiF, he was the only staff person and CLiF had one program providing storytelling presentations and new books to rural libraries.
Sixteen years later, CLiF has a staff of five and 50 professional presenters. We have given away more than $3 million worth of new books, served more than 160,000 kids and reached 400 communities across Vermont and New Hampshire. Our Summer Readers program, now underway, will reach 3,700 kids this summer at more than 50 low-income summer camps, childcare centers, libraries, and recreation programs.
Who do you serve?
CLiF serves kids at risk of growing up with low literacy skills. These include children living in shelters and in low-income housing communities, children of prison inmates, children of recent refugees and kids in rural areas with limited access to enrichment activities.
We operate in locations with high numbers of kids eligible for free or reduced lunch (a measure of poverty) and high numbers of kids scoring below proficient in reading and writing on standardized tests.
Share a story that inspires you from your work:
Children of inmates are at special risk of growing up with low literacy skills. We lead seminars in prisons to demonstrate to inmates the importance of sharing books and stories with their kids even from behind bars. And we model how to make it fun and easy, since nationally 70 percent of inmates have low literacy skills themselves. Then inmates can choose books, record themselves reading the books aloud, and send books and recordings home to their kids.
This program is currently in effect in prisons in Rutland and in Concord, N.H. One father said he never thought about reading with his kids while he was incarcerated. He told us, "I am not able to be there and actually read them books. Since I started attending [the CLiF seminars] we have started storytelling at night on the phone. Either I will tell one or they may but there is always a story."
This is so inspiring because it shows the program strengthens families that have an incarcerated parent and it introduces books, reading and storytelling as positive experiences in these kids' lives.
How have your programs evolved to meet your mission? Has your organization changed its mission?
While our mission is a constant, our programs have both multiplied and evolved. We've recently expanded our program delivery model so that we now work with the same kids over a year. These kids participate in 12 or more literacy-related activities and choose a personal library of new books. CLiF provides materials and support to their parents and teachers as well. Research shows this long-term, in-depth program sponsorship has a significant positive impact on the kids and communities we serve.
For example, kids enrolled in an elementary school with a CLiF Year of the Book sponsorship experience many different programs and take home up to 10 new books of their choice over the year. There are many opportunities to be inspired. So maybe a three-day comics writing workshop with a professional cartoonist hooks one kid, and she starts reading graphic novels and writing her own comics. It's about making reading and writing relevant and fun.
What are your organization's funding sources?
CLiF's funding comes entirely from individuals, foundations, businesses and social organizations. We've never received a penny of state or federal funds. Donors to CLiF are passionate about giving children the literacy experiences, resources and inspiration to help them grow up strong readers and writers.
How can the public help your organization?
There are many ways! Host an office or neighborhood book drive. Instead of birthday gifts, ask party guests to bring new children's books for CLiF. Talk to your friends and neighbors about what we do. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. If you're in the Waterbury area, you can volunteer in our library. And attend a program near you!
And you can donate. Right now we're running a Summer Readers drive where for just $5, we'll give a child your favorite book from your own childhood. You can learn more about all these opportunities at clifonline.org.
What else do you want the community to know about you?
Most CLiF events are open to the public. When visitors see kids delight in meeting an inspiring author, hearing a funny story, or see them pick out a new book and start reading it right away, they understand why our work is important and effective. Visit clifonline.org and check out our calendar. There's an event near you this summer, and they're so much fun!
Name of Executive Director: Duncan McDougall
Name of Board Chairperson: Jennifer Williams
About Sense of Service
For the past 20 years Free Press Media/Burlington Free Press has had great response from readers when we profile area nonprofits as part of our annual Giving Season campaign at the end of the year. Now we want to extend that spirit year-round to provide the public with more information about community service work and opportunities.
On a weekly basis Vermont nonprofit will, in its own words, explain what it does, why it matters to our community and why the community matters to the organization.
If you know of a nonprofit that would like to participate, contact Story Editor Clover Whitham at cwhitham@freepressmedia.com or 660-1949.