African Library Project
African Library Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects gently used children's books through U.S. and Canadian volunteer book drives, ships them in sea containers, and establishes sustainable libraries in 13 Sub-Saharan African countries supported by teacher-librarian training.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersMount Royal, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What African Library Project does
African Library Project (ALP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 by Chris Bradshaw after a trip to Lesotho revealed severe shortages of children's books in rural Sub-Saharan African schools. Headquartered in Spring Hill, Tennessee (EIN 65-1261685) with a staff of 1–10, ALP operates a community-led literacy model in which volunteer book drive organizers in the United States and Canada collect gently used children's books, which are then consolidated into 20- or 40-foot sea containers carrying 30,000–64,000 books per shipment and delivered to recipient schools and communities across 13 Sub-Saharan African countries, including Lesotho, Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, Malawi, Ghana, and South Africa.
ALP's core service is the end-to-end library creation process: book drive collection, sea container logistics, distribution through local partner organizations (including ministries of education, universities, and NGOs such as enjuba in Uganda, DAPP in Malawi, and Wungwero Book Foundation), and complementary teacher-librarian training to ensure libraries remain operational. Each recipient school typically receives 500 to 1,200 books scaled to learner population, with supplementary content (STEM readers, HIV/AIDS prevention materials) provided through a content donation partnership with Pearson Education. ALP has earned a Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating, the Candid (GuideStar) Platinum Seal of Transparency, the Great Nonprofits Top-Rated Award, and authority to certify Presidential Volunteer Service Awards.
ALP's business model relies on donations from individuals and organizations worldwide, supplemented by per-unit international shipping fees paid by book drive organizers (recently reduced from $125 to $95 per 500-book unit thanks to an anonymous donor subsidy). The organization does not develop proprietary technology; its operational stack consists of a Squarespace website, online donation and shipping-fee payment portals, and email newsletter communications. Revenue and fundraising totals are not publicly disclosed in available sources, and growth signals indicate steady geographic and partner-network expansion rather than rapid scaling.
African Library Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- African Library Project
- Legal name
- African Library Project
- Website
- https://africanlibraryproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- African Library Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects gently used children's books through U.S. and Canadian volunteer book drives, ships them in sea containers, and establishes sustainable libraries in 13 Sub-Saharan African countries supported by teacher-librarian training.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
African Library Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Literacy Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Literature & Book Clubs / Guided Reading Groups (EDAMAJAG)
Keywords
Where African Library Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mount Royal
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
African Library Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: ALP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals and organizations worldwide. These donations fund logistics, training, and partnerships. The organization receives support through direct donations, shipping fee payments, and fundraising efforts organized by book drive participants.
- Shipping Fee Payments: Book drive organizers pay international shipping fees to transport books to Africa. The fee was recently reduced from $125 to $95 per unit (500 books) thanks to an anonymous donor subsidy.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time | 1 Unit = 500 books |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
African Library Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The African Library Project coordinates volunteer-led book drives in the U.S. and Canada that collect gently used children's books, consolidates them into 20' or 40' sea containers, and ships them to 13 Sub-Saharan African partner countries where they are distributed to recipient schools. The organization complements shipments with teacher-librarian training, supplementary educational readers (donated by Pearson Education), and ongoing support to local partner organizations and communities.
Product overview
African Library Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a unified literacy advancement platform combining book drives, international logistics, and training services. The core offering is the Book Drive Program, through which volunteers in the U.S. and Canada collect gently used children's books that are then consolidated into sea containers and shipped to 13 Sub-Saharan African countries. These shipments are complemented by Teacher-Librarian Training to ensure sustainable library operations, and supported by an International Shipping Fee Payment system for cost recovery. The organization delivers supplementary resources including STEM and HIV/AIDS prevention readers donated by Pearson Education and ALP's Teacher-Librarian Manual.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Book Drive Program A volunteer-driven program in which organizers in the U.S. and Canada collect gently used children's books (minimum 500 per library) to be shipped to Sub-Saharan African partner schools and communities, forming the foundation of new or improved libraries.
- Library Creation and Shipment Service Core logistics service that consolidates collected books into sea containers (20' or 40' long, carrying 30,000 to 64,000 books per shipment) and delivers them to 13 Sub-Saharan African partner countries for distribution to recipient schools and communities (typically 500 to 1,200 books per library).
- Teacher-Librarian Training Program Professional development training for teachers at recipient schools covering library establishment, collection management, reading-program integration, and sustainability practices to ensure donated books are actively used in classrooms and libraries remain viable long-term resources.
- International Shipping Fee Payment Required fee payment portal that enables book drive organizers to pay the per-unit international shipping cost ($95 per 500-book unit) to transport collected books to African partner countries.
- Online Donation Platform Online donation system allowing donors to contribute tax-deductible funds (501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 65-1261685) supporting ALP's mission to train teacher-librarians, strengthen partnerships, and expand library access across Africa.
- ALP Newsletter Subscription Email newsletter subscription service providing supporters with regular updates on ALP activities, sea container shipping deadlines, volunteer spotlights, partner news, and literacy initiatives.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 800 school libraries created and improved by single partner in Lesotho over two decades
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use African Library Project
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
African Library Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
African Library Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Books for LesothominorAustralian organization in beginning stages of partnering with ALP. Mission is to collect and sort books and establish strong libraries in Lesotho schools over five years.
- Lisika Unite FoundationminorLimpopo province rural community-based literacy and Arts organization founded in 2017, registered in 2018 as a public benefit organization. Dedicated to strengthening partnership within civil society and between government to achieve South Africa's national goals for basic education.
- Michael Lapsley Foundation (MLF)coreA registered NGO established in March 2004 focused on community and rural library support, humanitarian donations, and advocacy for the disabled. Works in partnership with Members of Parliament, Metropolitan Municipal District Assemblies, Traditional Authorities, and corporate institutions who sponsor libraries in communities across Ghana.
- Development Aid from People to People (DAPP Malawi)coreLarge NGO established in 1995 by Humana People to People. Focuses on fighting HIV/AIDS epidemic, hunger through farmer education, vocational skills training, and teacher training for rural primary schools. Has a teacher training college in Blantyre rural district. Works with ALP through its teacher training college.
- Malawi Institute of Education (MIE)coreParastatal organization established in 1982 to improve and maintain quality of education in Malawi. Responsible for developing curriculum, teacher training and development, and organizing distribution of required learning materials to schools.
- US Peace Corps LesothocoreCurrently has 130+ volunteers serving in Lesotho. Over 2,480 Americans have served as Peace Corps volunteers in Lesotho since 1967. Volunteers work with schools and communities to facilitate ALP application process, set up library management systems, train local teachers on using books as resources, and help organize libraries.
- Lesotho Ministry of Education and Training (MOET)coreFocused on ensuring education is accessible to all through free primary education initiatives. Provides textbooks and writing materials for primary school children, allows secondary students to borrow books, integrates students with special needs, and requires equal quality education for all. Facilitated field visits and ribbon-cutting ceremonies during African Partners Summit.
- Rongo University and Kibabii UniversitycorePublic universities in Migori County and Bungoma County, Kenya respectively. Provide high-quality education through teaching, research, and community service. Support local communities by promoting development of school and community libraries situated in farmers cooperatives and hospitals.
- Botswana Ministry of Education and Skills Development (BMOESD)coreOfficial government body responsible for public education in Botswana. Provides pre-primary, primary, secondary, vocational, tertiary, and special education through schools throughout the country. Decentralized structure with twelve regional district offices.
- Wungwero Book Foundation (WBF)coreSmall NGO based in southern Malawi founded by two professional librarians. Dreamed of bringing books to rural areas of Malawi. Formed a coalition of organizations to work with ALP.
- University of Malawi, Chancellor College LibrarycoreThe largest of four government-run colleges in Malawi. Library staff actively works to put books into the hands of Malawian primary and secondary students through partnership with ALP.
- Enjuba (Uganda)coreWorks to lift Ugandans out of poverty by improving literacy and fostering collaboration, communication, and critical thinking among children. Uses teacher training, spelling bees, Afro-centric children's book publishing, and library development. Hosts annual spelling bee reaching 1.5 million children in 1,500 schools. Has distributed over 200,000 books in 4 years.
- Firm Foundation Education Trust (FFET)coreGrassroots Community Based Organization (CBO) in the economically challenged West Nile Region of Uganda. Focuses on promoting literacy by establishing school libraries and organizing reading activities. Works closely with headteachers and district education offices.
- Pearson EducationminorDonates supplementary resources such as STEM and HIV/AIDS prevention readers to ALP libraries.
- Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance LesothominorBranch of Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance, a leadership development program with global reach. Participated in African Partners Summit in Lesotho.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
African Library Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
African Library Project social profiles
Digital presenceAfrican Library Project compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
African Library Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
African Library Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
African Library Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
African Library Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about African Library Project
What does African Library Project do?
The African Library Project coordinates volunteer-led book drives in the U.S. and Canada that collect gently used children's books, consolidates them into 20' or 40' sea containers, and ships them to 13 Sub-Saharan African partner countries where they are distributed to recipient schools. The organization complements shipments with teacher-librarian training, supplementary educational readers (donated by Pearson Education), and ongoing support to local partner organizations and communities.
Is African Library Project a public or private company?
African Library Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was African Library Project founded?
African Library Project was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is African Library Project based?
African Library Project is headquartered in Mount Royal, United States, in the North America region.
How does African Library Project make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are shipping Fee Payments.
Does African Library Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for African Library Project.
What industry is African Library Project in?
African Library Project's product category is International Literacy Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAF, Libraries, Archives & Special Collections, with a secondary code of EDAMAJAG, Literature & Book Clubs / Guided Reading Groups. Its NAICS code is 51921 and its SIC code is 8200.