Our workforce: Room to Read’s workforce includes a geographically representative and diverse group of staff, partners, board members, volunteers and ambassadors, all actively working to advance our mission. Our programming: Since 2000, Room to Read has reached 29 countries and benefited 60.3 million children cumulatively.1 1Children benefited numbers reflect children who benefit through any of our programmatic activities within our Literacy Portfolio and Gender Equality Portfolio.
Our Reach
2025 Annual Report
From our CEO
Education begins in moments we all recognize: the weight of a book in a child’s hands, the pride of reading a sentence aloud, the quiet confidence that grows when learning feels possible. These moments are small, but their power is vast. They shape how children see themselves and the world they believe they can build.
Throughout my 17 years at Room to Read, I’ve seen how progress can stall without sustained support. Moments of possibility require systems strong enough to support them. As CEO, I feel a deep responsibility to ensure these moments don’t depend on chance but are protected by design and elevated with intention.
From our Global Board Chair
Grounded in a career evaluating growth, scale and operational strength, I am deeply aware that the most meaningful progress is built over time and made possible by dedication to continuous learning and growth. These principles are foundational to my approach as an investor; I assess opportunities based on their demonstrated capacity to endure and expand. When I was first introduced to Room to Read over a decade ago, it was clear to me that its programming met those criteria in an effort to pursue long-term, positive change. Demonstrated through patience, discipline and an unwavering focus on results, Room to Read consistently yields the maximum return of every dollar, stretching every cent to contribute to improved learning outcomes for children.
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Room to Read combines rigorous evaluation of program effectiveness with comprehensive monitoring of reach and implementation to ensure every investment drives measurable outcomes for children. As of January 2026, preliminary 2025 results show:Our Results
16.5MM children benefited in 2025, with 55MM children benefited cumulatively
Children in Room to Read programs read up to 2.5 times faster and answer up to 2.6 more comprehension questions than peers in comparison schools
45.7MM books distributed and 5,166 original and adapted children’s literature titles published cumulatively
*Children benefited through Gender Equality Portfolio (GEP) participate in a range of different types of programming based on our core competencies, including life skills and content knowledge development as well as mentorship.
615,724 adolescents benefited in 2025, with 4.4MM adolescents benefited cumulatively
32,967 adolescents have graduated secondary school school through our comprehensive Girls’ Education Program cumulatively, including 4,598 in 2025
Over 90 percent of girls enrolled in our Girls’ Education Program advance to the next grade and more than 80 percent secure work or enroll in tertiary education
Room to Read develops and implements our programming based on our four distinct core competencies. As you scroll through this report, you’ll see how each competency translated into tangible results in 2025, from measurable gains in learning to expanded access for millions of children, and how these strengths position us to deepen our impact in the years ahead.Our Successes
Among 10-year-olds living in low- and middle-income countries, seven out of 10 cannot read or understand a simple text. Limited access to high-quality books and relevant learning materials is one of the key drivers of this learning crisis. To help close critical gaps in available resources, Room to Read develops evidence-based, local-language curriculum and content, including textbooks, teachers’ guides, storybooks, nonfiction books and supplementary learning materials. In 2025, we continued to strengthen primary and secondary school curricula by integrating quality instructional approaches and research-informed content. Curriculum and Content
As one of the largest- and longest-standing partners to Tanzania’s Institute of Education, Room to Read has embedded our literacy materials within the national primary school curriculum. As of the end of 2025, these materials have benefited more than 1.7 million Grade 1 and 2 students across every one of the 18,000+ primary schools in the country. This achievement is the result of 10+ years of trusted collaboration, fueled by enduring partnerships, ultimately enabling Room to Read’s literacy model to achieve national scale and ensure quality literacy instruction for an entire generation of students.
Room to Read creates high-quality reading materials tailored to diverse learning contexts and has published children’s book titles in 61 local languages to date. We have recently expanded our publishing portfolio to include a growing range of nonfiction content designed to reflect children’s interests and lived experiences.
In Laos, for example, new nonfiction titles draw on topics familiar to students, including bamboo worms and silk productions, helping connect classroom reading to local environments and industries. These titles have generated strong engagement from both students and teachers. Similarly, in South Africa, Room to Read contributed to a groundbreaking national effort to develop bilingual nonfiction content by supporting local book authors and illustrators to create new STEM-focused expository titles.
In 2025, Room to Read launched programming in Nigeria to expand children’s access to quality reading materials in local languages. Room to Read convened workshops with educational advocates, local publishers and government officials focused on cultural adaptation, literacy benchmarks and gender inclusivity in early grade content. As a result, 25 children’s book titles were adapted into three Nigerian languages ― Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba ― with 50,000 copies scheduled for distribution to 63 schools beginning in 2026.
To support students from the most vulnerable and underrepresented communities, Room to Read is advancing efforts to strengthen inclusivity in children’s early learning across the United States. This includes supporting locally-led initiatives to increase representation in children’s literature, including the upcoming rollout of an Indigenous storybook collection.
She Creates Change, Room to Read’s multimedia initiative designed to build critical life skills among adolescents, is helping strengthen educational aspirations and self-belief. In 2025, the series was adapted for local contexts across Room to Read’s program countries to support life skills sessions in a range of learning environments. The initiative was implemented with partners in Kenya, Malawi and Pakistan benefiting 33,000 students. Preliminary assessments from Kenya and Malawi indicate that after engaging with the series, adolescents reported an increase in and expectations to achieve higher levels of educational attainment. Participants also reported gains in self-confidence and leadership skills, alongside more positive attitudes about their futures.
Room to Read extends special recognition to our generous institutional supporters, including those who contributed more than US$50,000 in 2025, and those who offered vital in-kind donations. We are grateful for the global community of dedicated individuals who contribute their time, expertise and energy to advance Room to Read’s mission.to ensure Room to Read can continue to nurture foundational learning skills in all children. Our progress in 2025 was catalyzed by the commitment of our esteemed global and regional board members, advocates, ambassadors and volunteer leaders. 
Our Community of Supporters
Our major investors Partner case studies Partner with us
Our 2025 audited financials are forthcoming and will be posted to our financials page once finalized. Financial integrity, transparency and accountability are central to Room to Read’s values. Our work is made possible by the generosity of our global partners and supporters, and we are deeply committed to stewarding those resources responsibly and reporting transparently on how funds are used. 2025 Financials
We also maintain administrative costs below industry averages to prioritize program investment. At least 85 cents of every dollar spent directly supports delivery of our literacy and gender equality programming.
