Advocating for global literacy is easier than you think. Change your cover photo, host a Read-a-thon, no idea is too big or too small. We've got the resources to get you started.
Becoming A Champion for World Change is Simple
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Plan an Event, Change the World. Hosting an event is a fun and rewarding way to support our work. Whether you're in school, at work, or in your community, an event can bring your family and friends together in support of changing the world. Get inspired by some of our most popular events below.
Ryan H. and our India country team at a family fun event in Delhi, India
Give the gift of literacy while improving your reading skills.
Read-a-thons are a fantastic way to reinforce good reading habits in your school while raising funds to support literacy in underserved areas of Asia and Africa.
Step 1: Spread The Word
Introduce the Read-a-thon to your school! Hold an assembly and let your fellow classmates know about your awesome event. We recommend the usual things like a Facebook Event or online event page, email friends and family, post flyers around your work/school, etc. The more creative your promotion is, the better the turnout will be.
Step 2: Find Sponsors
A key part of a successful Read-a-thon is finding support for your efforts! Ask family, friends, and neighbors to pledge a small amount for each minute you read. More sponsors equal more funds to create a world filled with educated children!
Step 3: Stay Organized
A Read-a-thon is a huge (but rewarding!) undertaking so stay organized with these tips:
Use our general tracking sheet to record your progress!
Encourage participants to draft a letter for sponsors. Include details about our work, why you’re participating, and the impact their donation will make.
If you take photos during the event, be sure to share them with us on social media by using the hashtag #WeAreWorldChange and #RoomtoRead.
Step 4: Keep The Energy Up!
Throughout your Read-a-thon, post weekly results and share your progress with all the participants! Encourage them to share these results with their sponsors so that they too, get excited about their involvement.
Step 5: Wrap It Up
This part’s important, collect and tally up the donations and submit your funds. We’ll put the funds to work supporting our mission of ending global illiteracy. Now give yourself a pat on the back, be proud to have done your part to change the world.
Take a book. Leave a book. Make a difference.
Everyone loves to give-a-book, take-a-book. But what if your book swap had the power to change the world? Room to Read's Ultimate Book Swap does just that. Organize a book swap for your community while raising funds for students in Asia and Africa. Now that is powerful.
Step 1: Make a Plan
You can host a Book Swap just about anywhere, but here are some of our favorite spots:
At home or at school
A local independent book store
Your next book club meeting
Once you pick a venue, the basic Book Swap formula works like this (variations welcome!):
1. Guests pay a small entry fee which is donated to Room to Read.
(Fun fact: each dollar is enough to put one original children’s book in a library!)
2. Each person brings a favorite book. Provide attendees with a note card to put inside the cover explaining why they love the book they brought.
3. Guests chat and enjoy refreshments, while they look through the books.
4. Each person chooses a book to bring home.
Step 2: Spread The Word
Let people know about your awesome event! We recommend the usual things like a Facebook Event or online event page, email friends and family, post flyers around your work/school, etc. The more creative your promotion is, the better the turnout will be.
Step 3: Get Swapping!
Have fun at your Book Swap and learn more about your friends’ favorite reads. If you take photos during the event, be sure to share them with us on social media by using the hashtag #WeAreWorldChange and #RoomtoRead. It’s a good idea to have some materials to share with attendees to learn about Room to Read’s impact.
Step 4: Wrap It Up
This part’s important, tally up the donations and submit your funds. We’ll put the funds to work supporting our mission of ending global illiteracy. Now give yourself a pat on the back, be proud to have done your part to change the world.
Get friends, family, and your favorite local spot to fight illiteracy!
Host a happy hour, with $1 of every drink raising funds to publish books.
Step 1: Rally The Troops
Tell friends and family about your event, and recruit support! They’ll be invaluable in helping spread the word, and you’ll need a friend or two to manage the donation jar...
Step 2: Find A Venue
The three most important rules of real estate also hold true for Beers for Books: location, location, location! Choose a local bar or restaurant that is well-located—even better if you already know the management. Try picking a night that is not busy for the venue, which makes the event a win-win. And don’t forget to tell them a little bit about the cause.
The basic Beers for Books formula (variations welcome!): For every beverage sold, the venue donates $1 to Room to Read—enough money to put one local-language book on the shelves of a school library.
Once they’ve agreed to host your event, talk about a signature beverage for the night that you can use for promotion. Can you say Marga-read-a?
Step 3: Spread The Word
Let people know about your awesome event! We recommend the usual things like a Facebook Event or online event page, email friends and family, post flyers around your work/school, etc. The more creative your promotion is, the better the turnout will be.
Step 4: Have A Party!
Enjoy all your hard work and help fight global illiteracy with a beverage! Here are a few things to keep in mind for the day of your event:
1. Arrive early to ensure that the venue is prepared to tally the number of total drinks sold during the event.
2. Put someone in charge of a donation jar at the bar entrance and have some materials to share with attendees to learn about Room to Read’s impact.
3. If you take photos during the event, be sure to share them with us on social media by using the hashtag #WeAreWorldChange and #RoomtoRead.
Step 5: Wrap It Up
This part’s important, tally up the donations and submit your funds. We’ll put the funds collected to work supporting our mission of ending global illiteracy. Now give yourself a pat on the back! You should be proud to have done your part to change the world.
Collect change. Make a change. Repeat.
Never underestimate the power of small efforts. This change drive fundraiser shows how, collectively, small and simple actions really do change the world.
Step 1: Rally the Troop
Recruit a team of change makers for your BIG CHANGE drive! To make it count you’ll need help to sort, count, and tally points.
Step 2: Decide On The Details
Success is in the details, so start planning early and decide:
Team Members + Roles
Timeframe + Location(s)
Fundraising Goal. Just $25 can fill a bookshelf with books!
Change Collection Plan (Daily or weekly pickup? Who and where?)
Any Prizes for the Winning Group
Step 3: Spread The Word
Let people know about your awesome event! We recommend the usual things like a Facebook Event or online event page, email friends and family, post flyers around your work/school, etc. The more creative your promotion is, the better the turnout will be.
Step 4: Collect The Change
Set up buckets, bowls, and barrels around at your locations. Set a deadline. Encourage healthy competition. Drop that change in the bucket. If you take photos during the event, be sure to share them with us on social media by using the hashtag #WeAreWorldChange and #RoomtoRead.
Step 5: Wrap It Up
This part’s important, tally up the donations and submit your funds. We’ll put the funds to work supporting our mission of ending global illiteracy. Now give yourself a pat on the back, be proud to have done your part to change the world.
Dress up. Have fun. Do good.
Turn a costume party into a force for good, by challenging friends to dress up in honor of global literacy.
The Four Must-haves
1. A place to throw your party.
2. An awesome invitation. Include costume ideas to get your guests in the spirit.
3. A fundraising plan. We have big, bold goals here at Room to Read and your Costume Party can support us in our efforts! Some suggestions; charge a small entry fee, hold a raffle, or have a donation jar at the entrance.
4. A show-stopping costume! Once you’ve planned your event, get started on your own costume, and show off your creative side. Be sure to snap a photo and share your look with us on social media by using the hashtag #WeAreWorldChange and #RoomtoRead.
Wrap It Up
This part’s important, tally up the donations and submit your funds. We’ll put the funds to work supporting our mission of ending global illiteracy. Now give yourself a pat on the back, be proud to have done your part to change the world.
Extra Credit
Take your Costume Party to the next level by hosting one at school or work. Ask guests to dress up as their favorite literary characters, and you can even host a fashion show to debut creative costumes!