Madison Reading Project

What Madison Reading Project does

Madison Reading Project (MRP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 in Madison, Wisconsin by Rowan Childs, operating from a Book Center at 2939 S. Fish Hatchery Rd. in Fitchburg, WI. The organization's mission is to provide free books and literacy resources to children from birth through age 18, with a particular focus on low-income households and historically marginalized communities in Dane and Sauk Counties. MRP addresses the documented gap that two-thirds of children from low-income households have no books at home by distributing brand-new, diverse, and identity-affirming books rather than used ones, with cumulative output exceeding 353,400 books mailed since inception and 131,000+ books distributed in 2024 alone.

MRP's service delivery rests on a multi-program platform anchored by three core offerings: (1) the Big Red Reading Bus fleet — two mobile book buses (including Wisconsin's first all-accessible Book Bus 2.0 launched in May 2024) that travel to neighborhoods, schools, and community events; (2) Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, for which MRP serves as the official Literacy Champion in Dane and Sauk Counties, providing monthly mailed books to enrolled children from birth to age five; and (3) the Books for Educators program, which delivers 25+ brand-new diverse books to roughly 1,000 K–12 classroom teachers annually. Supporting programs include Free Book Fairs, My First Pages, Family Literacy Programs, Pride & Less Prejudice (LGBTQ+-inclusive titles), and Classroom Libraries. The underlying technology is relatively lightweight — a mobile fleet plus an enrollment/fulfillment database for the Imagination Library — with no proprietary AI, app, or platform product.

MRP is funded entirely through philanthropic channels: individual donations (one-time and monthly), corporate sponsorships at Bestseller/Chapter/Prologue tiers, foundation and government grants (Madison Community Foundation, Baker Tilly, National Book Foundation, Roots & Wings Foundation), signature event revenue (Read(y) to Wear fashion show raised $150,000 in 2025 vs. $85,000 in 2023; Community Book Drive raised $53,255 in 2025 from 286 donors; LPGA Golf Outing), legacy/planned giving through the Neverending Story Society, and Bookshop.org affiliate commissions. All books and programs are free to recipients; suggested giving is benchmarked at $5 per book. Distribution is partnership-driven across 100+ school and community organizations, including 14+ school districts, with go-to-market executed through community-led outreach, signature events, social media, earned local media, and word-of-mouth referrals from educators.

Name

Madison Reading Project

Legal name

Madison Reading Project

Website

https://madisonreadingproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Madison Reading Project is a Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that distributes free, brand-new, diverse books and literacy programs to children from birth through age 18 in Dane and Sauk Counties, operating mobile book buses, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and educator classroom-library programs funded entirely through donations, grants, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Literacy Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Library, Reading Motivation & Independent Reading Programs (EDAMAJAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Literacy & Reading Intervention Programs (EDAGAAAD), Literacy Intervention & Dyslexia Support Programs (Gen Ed) (EDAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Children's literacy programs
• Free book distribution
• Early childhood literacy
• Nonprofit literacy services
• Community reading programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly financial contributions from individuals. Monthly giving program specifically supports keeping the Big Red Reading Buses on the road year-round.
2. Corporate Sponsorships & Partnerships: Annual sponsorships at Bestseller, Chapter, and Prologue tiers; event sponsorships for Read(y) to Wear, LPGA Golf Outing, and Community Book Drive; in-kind donations.
3. Foundation & Government Grants: Grant funding from foundations including Madison Community Foundation, National Book Foundation, Baker Tilly, and others. $50,000 Madison Community Foundation grant supported the book bus initiative.
4. Special Events Revenue: Revenue from signature events: Read(y) to Wear raised $150,000 in 2025, $85,000 in 2023; LPGA Golf Outing; Community Book Drive donations ($53,255 raised in 2025 from 286 donors).
5. Bookshop Affiliate Revenue: Commission revenue from book purchases made through the organization's Bookshop.org affiliate link, where a portion of each sale supports MRP while also supporting independent bookstores.
6. Legacy / Planned Giving: The Neverending Story Society enables donors to include Madison Reading Project in estate planning and wills, creating a long-term endowment fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Madison Reading Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that gives free, brand-new, identity-affirming books to children ages birth through 18 across Dane and Sauk Counties, Wisconsin. Its three flagship programs are the Big Red Reading Bus (a mobile book bus fleet that brings books directly to neighborhoods, schools, and community events), Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (a free monthly mailed book program for children from birth to age five), and Books for Educators (providing 25+ diverse books to K-12 classrooms). All books and programs are offered at no cost to recipients, funded entirely through donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and signature fundraising events.

Product overview

Madison Reading Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a single unified literacy mission with multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include the Big Red Reading Bus (mobile book distribution), Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (free monthly books for children birth-5), and Books for Educators (classroom library support). These programs are supported by fundraising initiatives like the annual Community Book Drive and Read(y) to Wear fashion show. Additional programs include Free Book Fairs, My First Pages early literacy, Family Literacy Programs, Pride & Less Prejudice LGBTQ+ inclusive books, and Community Access outreach. The organization serves children ages birth to 18 in Dane and Sauk Counties, Wisconsin, prioritizing historically marginalized communities and families experiencing low-income.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Big Red Reading Bus Mobile book bus service that delivers free, brand-new, diverse books directly to children and families throughout Dane and Sauk Counties, with stops at community events, schools, parks, and underserved neighborhoods; the fleet includes the all-accessible Book Bus 2.0 launched in 2024.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (Dane and Sauk Counties) Free monthly book gifting program for registered children from birth to age five in Dane and Sauk Counties, with one high-quality, age-appropriate, personalized book mailed to each enrolled child's home each month.
• Books for Educators Annual program providing public K-12 educators in Dane and Sauk Counties with 25+ brand-new, diverse, identity-affirming books for their classrooms, paired with the Clear the Book List / #ClearTheList initiative matching community donors to educator wishlists; serves approximately 1,000 educators per year.
• Free Book Fairs Community events where children can select and keep free books of their choice at no cost, creating positive reading experiences and enabling kids to build their personal home libraries.
• My First Pages Early literacy program providing resources and books to support young children's reading development from birth, offered alongside Imagination Library enrollment across Dane and Sauk Counties.
• Family Literacy Programs Resources and programming designed to support family reading habits and literacy development within the home environment, including take-home materials and ongoing family engagement.
• Community Access Program Program connecting families and children with free books and literacy resources through community partnerships and outreach locations such as shelters, healthcare facilities, and community centers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 353,400+ new books mailed to children via Dolly Parton's Imagination Library since program inception
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Dolly Parton's Imagination LibraryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Madison Reading Project serves as the official Literacy Champion for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in both Dane and Sauk Counties, Wisconsin. Through this partnership, registered children from birth to age five receive one high-quality, age-appropriate book each month, mailed directly to their home, personalized with the child's name.
• Wisconsin State JournalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWisconsin State Journal partnered with MRP to sponsor the Read Like Mad community reading game and collaborates annually on the Empty Stocking Club toy/book distribution event, providing media coverage and promotional support.
• Magic 98coreGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter-level annual sponsor and media partner.
• The Capital Times (Cap Times)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter-level annual sponsor and media partner.
• Books4SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal bookseller and literacy collaborator offering book packs and titles at reduced prices for MRP's wishlists and community book drive.
• Empty Stocking Club (Wisconsin State Journal)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual partnership where MRP gives away approximately 10,000 books over two days at the Empty Stocking Club Toy Depot event each December.
• UW Badgers / Wisconsin AthleticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWisconsin Athletics partnered with MRP for the Big Book Bus Palooza event at the Kohl Center, promoting literacy and inclusivity.
• Overture Center for the ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverture Center partnered with MRP to hold a January book drive in conjunction with The Rainbow Fish stage production.
• LPGA Amateur Golf Association of Madison, WIcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of the annual LPGA Madison Golf Outing benefiting Madison Reading Project.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• First Book: National nonprofit that distributes new, diverse books and resources to children from low-income families, primarily through Title I schools and educator networks. Direct comparability in free-book distribution to educators serving high-need populations.
• ParentChild+: Early-literacy nonprofit operating home-visiting programs that gift books to young children in underserved communities. Mirrors MRP's age-0-to-5 emphasis and equity-driven distribution approach.
• Reach Out and Read: Pediatric-literacy nonprofit that provides free books to children through healthcare providers. MRP partners with Meriter Hospital for the same kind of clinical-distribution play, making it a strong mission-aligned peer.
• Reading Is Fundamental (RIF): One of the largest US children's literacy nonprofits, distributing free books through school-based programs and educator partnerships. Mirrors MRP's Books for Educators and Free Book Fair model at national scale.
• Book Harvest: Durham, NC-based nonprofit that distributes free books to children through community partnerships, mobile distribution, and educator programs. Operates an essentially identical model to MRP (mobile distribution + classroom libraries + community outreach) at small-city scale.
• 826 National: National network of youth writing and literacy centers serving K–12 students. Comparable in mission (free literacy programming for youth, partner-driven model) although more focused on creative writing/authoring than book distribution.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: National book-gifting program MRP serves as the official Wisconsin Literacy Champion for. Operates the same monthly mail-to-home model at the national level, making it the closest programmatic peer even though at vastly larger scale.
• Raising A Reader: National early-literacy nonprofit focused on birth-to-age-5 family literacy through book rotation and parent engagement. Closely comparable to MRP's My First Pages and Imagination Library programming in age cohort and family-centric design.

Broad incumbents

• Room to Read: Global literacy and gender-equality nonprofit operating at much larger scale with similar book-distribution and educator-support programs across 20+ countries. Comparable mission-to-mission but multiple orders of magnitude bigger.

Regional players

• Read Indeed: Minnesota-based children's literacy nonprofit that collects and distributes books to kids in need, similar community/school-partner distribution model. Comparable small-nonprofit book-distribution operator in a neighboring Midwestern state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MSNReadingProj
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiE3x7Af0bLzWC08wCCqHgg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/MadisonReadingProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/madison-reading-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/madisonreadingproject
• Pinterestpinterest.com/childsrowan/madison-reading-project-ideas-for-non-profits
• TikToktiktok.com/@madison.reading.project

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Madison Reading Project