What An Open Book Foundation does

An Open Book Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., that connects DC-area students with published authors, illustrators, and their books to nurture a lifelong love of reading. The organization partners with 86% of Title 1 schools in the District of Columbia and has served 289 schools and institutions across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia since 2011, reaching more than 110,000 students and donating more than 135,000 books. Approximately 80% of programming is delivered in Washington, D.C., with the remaining 20% in Maryland and Virginia.

The foundation's product suite centers on the Flagship School Visit Program, in which authors and illustrators deliver up to three presentations per visit and every student receives a signed copy of the featured book. This is complemented by an Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Program for visual arts, a STEM Residence Program, a New and Emerging Artists of Color Program (with stipends for debut creators), Extension Activities, and direct book donations. There is no proprietary technology platform; delivery is human-driven and event-based, with 65-70% of participating creators being authors and illustrators of color.

The organization's business model is donation-funded rather than revenue-generating. Funding sources include one-time and recurring individual donations (including the First Edition Collective monthly giving program), corporate and foundation grants (e.g., Nora Roberts Foundation, DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, Rotary Foundation of Washington DC, and a 2022 STEM Action Grant), planned giving and estate gifts, stock transfers and IRA distributions, and a 10% affiliate revenue share from Bookshop.org. All programs are provided free of charge to qualifying Title 1 schools. The team is small (1-10 employees) and led by Executive Director Heidi W. Powell.

Name

An Open Book Foundation

Legal name

An Open Book Foundation

Website

https://anopenbookfound.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

An Open Book Foundation is a Washington, D.C. 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 that connects DC-area Title 1 school students with authors, illustrators, and signed books to build literacy, reaching 110,000+ students and donating 135,000+ books since 2011.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Literacy Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Literacy & Pre-Reading (Phonics, Letter Knowledge) (EDAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Early Readers & Chapter Books Publishing (MPAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Children's literacy programs
• School author visits
• Book donation services
• Educational outreach
• Reading enrichment

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The foundation accepts one-time and recurring donations from individual donors through their online donation portal. Donors can support the organization through secure online donations.
2. Monthly Giving Program (First Edition Collective): Monthly donor program allowing supporters to make recurring contributions throughout the year to support ongoing operations and school visits.
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from corporate foundations (Nora Roberts Foundation), government arts agencies (DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities), and nonprofit partners to support programming and operations.
4. Affiliate Revenue: AOB receives 10% affiliate revenue when supporters purchase books through bookstore.org using their affiliate links. They also maintain a Bookshop.org wish list for book donations.
5. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Donors can include An Open Book Foundation in their estate planning through planned giving programs to amplify long-term impact.
6. Stock Transfers and IRA Distributions: The organization welcomes donations via stock transfers, IRA distributions and other financial instruments for tax-advantaged giving.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

An Open Book Foundation runs free literacy programs that bring published authors and illustrators into Title 1 elementary schools in the Washington, D.C. area. Its offerings include flagship school visits, multi-week artist-in-residence and STEM residencies, extension activities, and book donations curated and distributed to students served by the program.

Product overview

An Open Book Foundation operates as a single, unified literacy enrichment program rather than a modular platform. The organization's core offering consists of its Flagship School Visit Program, which serves as the primary mechanism for connecting authors and illustrators with students. This flagship program is complemented by specialized programming including the Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Program for visual arts education, the STEM Residence Program for science-focused engagement, and the New and Emerging Artists of Color Program for amplifying diverse voices. The organization also provides book donations and extension activities as integral components of its holistic approach to literacy support. All programs serve qualifying DC-area Title 1 schools, with the flagship reaching upwards of 10,000 students annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flagship School Visits
• Artist-in-Residence
• STEM Residence
• New and Emerging Artists of Color Program
• Extension Activities
• Book Donations Curated donations of children's books provided to Title 1 schools and students served by the foundation, distributed alongside its visits and residencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 110,000+ students reached since 2011
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• DC Commission on the Arts & HumanitiesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment arts agency providing grant funding and institutional support for An Open Book Foundation's literacy programming in Washington D.C. schools.
• DC Public Library FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit foundation supporting DC Public Library programs, partnering with AOB to advance shared literacy goals in the District.
• Spur LocalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization that identifies and recognizes critical nonprofits in the Washington D.C. area, providing visibility and credibility to AOB's work.
• Planet WordsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInteractive language and literacy museum in Washington D.C. that collaborates with AOB on literacy enrichment initiatives.
• Shout Mouse PresssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublishing press focused on diverse voices that partners with AOB to bring authors to underserved schools.
• Live it Learn itsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDC-based nonprofit focused on experiential learning that collaborates with AOB on educational programming.
• Loyalty BookssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent bookstore in Washington D.C. area that supports AOB's mission and may serve as a book sourcing partner.
• People's BooksupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent bookstore in Takoma, D.C. supporting AOB's literacy mission and book access initiatives.
• SankofasupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfrican heritage bookstore in Washington D.C. that aligns with AOB's mission of diverse representation in children's literature.
• Wonderland BookssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent bookstore partner supporting AOB's book access and literacy enrichment programs.
• Teaching for ChangesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization providing teaching resources and supporting AOB's mission to engage students with diverse authors and books.
• National Museum of Women in the ArtssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum partner supporting literacy and arts programming that complements AOB's educational enrichment activities.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 826 National: Network of writing and tutoring centers that support student literacy and creative writing in under-resourced communities. Comparable in serving Title 1-equivalent students with literacy enrichment, though focused on tutoring/creative writing rather than author visits.
• Reading Is Fundamental (RIF): Long-standing national children's literacy nonprofit focused on providing books and literacy resources to underserved students. Operates a similar model of book distribution and reading engagement in Title 1 and low-income schools, with broader national reach than AOB.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: Global program that mails free, high-quality age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five. Comparable in mission to expand home libraries in under-served communities, though focused on early childhood direct-mail book delivery rather than school-based author engagement.
• Book Harvest: Nonprofit focused on getting books into the hands of children in under-resourced communities through book donations, home libraries, and literacy programs. Direct peer in mission and book-access model, though based in North Carolina rather than DC.
• Reading Partners: National literacy nonprofit that mobilizes community volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring to students in under-resourced schools. Comparable target population (Title 1/low-income students) and literacy-outcome focus, delivered via tutoring rather than author visits.
• Reach Out and Read: National nonprofit that integrates books and literacy guidance into pediatric care for low-income families. Comparable mission to support early literacy among underserved families, but delivered through healthcare rather than schools.
• First Book: National nonprofit that provides new books to children in need, with publisher partnerships to distribute affordable books to programs serving low-income communities. Directly comparable mission to AOB; AOB Program Director Kerri Poore was previously Director of Publisher and Author Relations at First Book.
• Books for Kids: Nonprofit that promotes literacy by creating libraries and reading programs for underserved children, including bookstore partnerships and book donations. Closely aligned with AOB's book-access and literacy-enrichment mission.

Regional players

• Literacy Inc. (LINC): NYC-based nonprofit that builds literacy-rich environments for children in under-resourced neighborhoods, partnering with schools and families. Comparable literacy-enrichment and community-driven model, but geographically anchored to New York City rather than the DC region.

Broad incumbents

• Room to Read: Global nonprofit focused on children's literacy and gender equality in education across low-income communities, with a much larger operating footprint and broader program model. Indirect overlap with AOB's literacy-enrichment mission at a far larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AnOpenBookFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/an-open-book-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/aobfound

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about An Open Book Foundation