African Library Project

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.

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

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

• Children's literacy programs
• Library development services
• Book donation drives
• International book shipping
• Teacher training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Royal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Books for LesothominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Australian 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 FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Limpopo 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2004A 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Large 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1982Parastatal 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 LesothocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1967Currently 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFocused 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 UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmall 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 LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrassroots 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 EducationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonates supplementary resources such as STEM and HIV/AIDS prevention readers to ALP libraries.
• Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance LesothominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBranch 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

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AfricanLibraryP
• Facebookfacebook.com/AfricanLibraryProject

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about African Library Project