International Literacy Association

What International Literacy Association does

The International Literacy Association (ILA) is a 70-year-old nonprofit professional membership organization headquartered in Newark, Delaware, serving literacy educators, researchers, and leaders across 128 countries. Founded in 1956 as the International Reading Association and rebranded to ILA in 2016 to reflect its expanded scope beyond reading to broader literacy education, ILA operates with 51-100 employees and a global community of more than 300,000 members. Its core products include three flagship peer-reviewed journals (Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy) hosted through the Wiley ILA Hub, the Literacy Today member magazine (available in print and via mobile app), the Literacy Now Blog, on-demand webinars and digital learning via PathLMS, and the ILA Store for books and merchandise. The organization also operates programmatic offerings including the ILA Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals (2017 Edition), the National Recognition accreditation-style program for teacher preparation programs (with awards at 20+ universities), the Alpha Upsilon Alpha honor society at 15+ universities, and award programs including 30 Under 30, Book Awards, and the William S. Gray Citation of Merit.

ILA generates revenue across multiple streams: tiered membership dues (standard, student/retired, and free for developing economies), individual and institutional journal subscriptions, webinar access fees ($44 per webinar for nonmembers; free for members), in-person conference registrations, book and merchandise sales, National Recognition application and maintenance fees ($500-$4,500), and list rentals to third parties. Distribution operates through a multi-channel model spanning the literacyworldwide.org website, the MemberSuite membership portal, the access.literacyworldwide.org e-commerce store, PathLMS, Wiley's ILA Hub, and the Literacy Today mobile app, with phone-based support for U.S./Canadian and international customers. Marketing and member engagement are driven by content marketing (Literacy SmartBrief newsletter, blog, magazine), digital webinars, the annual conference, social media including #ILAchat Twitter chats, and strategic partnerships (e.g., LENA, Children's Rights to Read Coalition, Wiley, state affiliates such as TALE in Texas).

Customer segments span literacy educators and classroom teachers (primary), literacy researchers and university faculty (primary), teacher preparation programs (institutional accreditation clients), and literacy leaders and administrators (secondary). ILA is governed by an elected Board of Directors and has no parent company; the organization continues to evolve its digital learning, standards-based recognition, and global advocacy programs as it celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2026.

Name

International Literacy Association

Legal name

International Literacy Association

Website

https://literacyworldwide.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The International Literacy Association (ILA) is a 70-year-old nonprofit professional membership organization serving 300,000+ literacy educators, researchers, and leaders across 128 countries with peer-reviewed journals, professional learning, standards, and recognition programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association / Literacy Education Membership Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Literacy & ELA Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

English Language Arts (ELA) Enrichment (Integrated Reading/Writing) (EDAMAJAF)

Keywords

• Literacy professional membership
• Education professional development
• Peer-reviewed literacy journals
• Teacher preparation accreditation
• Literacy research publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees with multiple tiers including standard, student/retired, and free memberships for developing economies. Members receive access to journals, Literacy Today magazine, webinars, and other member benefits.
2. Journal Subscriptions: Individual and institutional subscriptions to journals including Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, and Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. Access ILA bundle includes all three journals plus RRQ archive dating back to 1965.
3. Webinar and Digital Event Fees: Webinars are free for ILA members; nonmembers pay $44.00 per webinar. Some webinars are free for all. Certificates and recordings available to registered attendees.
4. Conference and Event Registrations: In-person events and annual conference registrations for professional development.
5. Book and Publication Sales: Sale of books, merchandise, and ILA publications through the online store.
6. National Recognition Program Fees: Application fees for ILA National Recognition program (Stage I: $500 per program; Stage II site visit: $3,000-$4,500). Maintenance fees of $500 annually.
7. List Rentals: ILA rents its mail and email lists to third parties to inform members of relevant products and services. Only postal and email addresses are rented; telephone numbers are never provided.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The International Literacy Association (ILA) is a nonprofit professional membership organization that delivers literacy education resources to over 300,000 educators across 128 countries. Its core offerings include tiered individual memberships, three peer-reviewed academic journals (Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, and Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy), the Literacy Today member magazine, a webinar-based professional learning library, and the National Recognition accreditation program for teacher preparation programs at universities.

Product overview

The International Literacy Association operates a portfolio of interconnected professional resources for literacy educators. Its core offerings center on peer-reviewed research (three journals: Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, accessible via the ILA Hub/Wiley) and practitioner-focused content (Literacy Today magazine, the Literacy Now Blog). Professional learning is delivered through ILA Learning (PathLMS-based webinars and on-demand courses) and the Literacy Learning Library bundle. The Association also runs credentialing and recognition programs—ILA National Recognition for teacher preparation programs, Alpha Upsilon Alpha honor society, the 30 Under 30 program, and Book Awards—that build community and validate excellence in the field. A Career Center, ILA Store, and mobile app for Literacy Today extend the offering into career services, merchandise, and mobile access. Membership unlocks the full suite of resources and community benefits across 128 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alpha Upsilon Alpha: The honor society of the International Literacy Association, created in 1985 to recognize and encourage scholarship, personal and professional leadership, and service to the field of reading at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The Greek letters come from Anagnosis (reading), Upotrophia (scholarship), and Archon (leadership).

Products and services

• ILA Membership

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LENA (Language Environment Analysis)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2025LENA partnered with ILA for the 'Teaching Talk: Partnering With Families to Boost Language Growth' webinar featuring Tricia Zucker and Sonia Cabell presenting the 'Strive for Five' framework for boosting language growth in young readers (Pre-K through Grade 3).
• Children's Rights to Read CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILA, in conjunction with the Children's Rights to Read Coalition, celebrates World Read-Aloud Day with resources and activities designed to engage kids of all ages.
• WileycoreTechnology or IntegrationILA Hub, published by Wiley, hosts ILA journals including Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, and Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy for online access.
• Copyright Clearance CenterminorOthersU.S.-based organization for obtaining permissions to reproduce ILA materials. ILA directs most reprint and republication requests to CCC.
• Access CopyrightminorOthersCanadian Copyright Licensing Agency for obtaining permissions to reproduce ILA materials in Canada.
• Texas Association for Literacy Education (TALE)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTALE is ILA's Texas affiliate, hosting webinars and supporting teacher education faculty across Texas in aligning resources with new state literacy competencies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Learning Forward: Learning Forward is a professional membership association for professional learning leaders that mirrors ILA's PD/webinar focus, standards development (Standards for Professional Learning), and recognition programs, with significant overlap in target audience.
• National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS): NCSS operates an analogous professional membership model — peer-reviewed journals, annual conference, standards, and affiliate network — serving social studies educators with a comparable revenue mix and community structure to ILA.
• ASCD: ASCD is a professional educator association offering membership, journals (Educational Leadership), conferences, and PD resources to curriculum and instruction leaders — operating a similar model to ILA but with a broader K-12 leadership audience.
• National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE): NCTE is the closest direct peer to ILA — both are professional membership associations serving English/language arts and literacy educators, with overlapping journals, conventions, and standards-setting roles in the literacy education field.
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM): NCTM is a sibling subject-specific professional membership association that mirrors ILA's structure: membership dues, peer-reviewed journals, annual conference, standards documents, and affiliate chapter network, but for mathematics educators rather than literacy educators.
• American Educational Research Association (AERA): AERA is a research-focused professional membership association with a similar membership/journal/conference model to ILA, serving education researchers (including literacy researchers) with peer-reviewed journals and annual meetings.
• International Dyslexia Association (IDA): IDA is a comparable literacy-focused professional membership organization that also operates accreditation-like recognition programs (structured literacy/dyslexia therapist certification) and serves educators and researchers in reading and literacy.
• International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE): ISTE operates the same professional association playbook as ILA — membership tiers, journals, conferences, webinars, and standards (ISTE Standards) used for institutional recognition — serving educators across a different but analogous content vertical.

Broad incumbents

• Scholastic: Scholastic is a large incumbent in children's literacy and education publishing with overlapping audiences in K-12 literacy instruction, though its business model centers on publishing and book fairs rather than professional membership and accreditation.
• Wiley: Wiley is ILA's journal hosting and distribution partner (ILA Hub) and a broader incumbent in academic and professional publishing, making it both a critical partner and a structural comparator in scholarly publishing economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ilatoday
• Facebookfacebook.com/internationalliteracyassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-literacy-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Literacy Association