Champions for Literacy

What Champions for Literacy does

Champions for Literacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 (originally as Coaching for Literacy, rebranded in 2024) and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. The organization leverages collegiate and professional sports to fundraise for childhood literacy programs and to connect athletes with young readers through volunteering. Its core program portfolio consists of three interconnected offerings: Fight for Literacy Games (the flagship, where collegiate teams host home games to raise funds and wear green for literacy awareness), Impact Players (individual athlete fundraising and volunteer engagement), and Collective Impact (NIL partnerships that provide 501(c)(3) infrastructure for Name, Image, and Likeness Collectives, enabling tax-free giving). Corporate Sponsorships (presenting sponsors, corporate catalysts, cause champions) and individual giving (one-time, monthly, non-cash via CARS vehicle donations, stock gifts) provide supporting revenue streams. The organization maintains a 100% Impact Promise: 89 cents of every dollar goes directly to literacy programming, with operating costs funded separately.

The organization operates across 31 US states, has engaged 691 athletes and 515 teams, hosted 463+ collegiate games across 7 sports, distributed $2.1 million in sports-generated literacy grants, and impacted 139,000 children. It targets K-3rd grade literacy in communities with 80% or higher populations below the poverty line. Its technology stack is composed of standard nonprofit tooling rather than proprietary platforms: donation processing via Stripe, PayPal, Square, and Fundraise Up; web analytics via Google Analytics; email via MailChimp; and remarketing via Google Ads, Facebook, and Twitter. There is no proprietary software platform; the 'product' is the programmatic structure connecting athletic events, athletes, corporate dollars, and literacy grantees.

The go-to-market model is event-driven and community-led, relying on partnerships with collegiate athletic departments (Auburn, Clemson, Memphis, Mississippi State, Iowa State, LSU, Ohio State, etc.), NIL Collectives (Bulldog Initiative, We Will Collective, Bluff City NIL), and corporate sponsors led by International Paper as Presenting Sponsor. The organization employs approximately 23 staff and is governed by a Board of Directors including co-founders Andrew Renshaw and Jonathan Wilfong, with Chairman John Wilfong (UBS Managing Director), and board members from Clemson Athletics, Microsoft, Carlyle Group, and Lead Capital Partners. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The business is operated on a donation and sponsorship model with no products or services sold.

Name

Champions for Literacy

Legal name

Champions for Literacy

Website

https://championsforlit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Champions for Literacy is a Memphis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses collegiate and professional sports partnerships to fundraise for childhood literacy programs and connect athletes with young readers, operating across 31 US states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literacy Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athletics Fundraising, Sponsorships & NIL Support (EDALAIAN), Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Childhood literacy programs
• Sports fundraising events
• Nonprofit literacy grants
• Athlete volunteer engagement
• Corporate sponsorship matching

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis, Tennessee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization accepts one-time gifts, monthly sustaining memberships, and other donations from individuals. Donors receive tax-deductible contribution reports for their giving.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners sponsor Fight for Literacy Games, Impact Player Campaigns, and other literacy programs. Partners include presenting sponsors like International Paper and various Corporate Catalyst sponsors. Sponsorship activation options include hosting events, Lead & Read programs, and Impact Player matching grants.
3. NIL Collective Partnerships: Partnerships with NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) Collectives provide tax-free giving options for donors and engage athletes in literacy impact events. CFL serves as the 501(c)(3) vehicle enabling these partnerships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Champions for Literacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a sports-based fundraising platform connecting collegiate and professional athletes, sports teams, and corporate sponsors with K-3 literacy programs in underserved communities. The organization runs Fight for Literacy Games (teams host dedicated home games to raise funds and wear green for awareness), Impact Players (individual athletes fundraise and volunteer locally), Collective Impact partnerships with NIL Collectives, and corporate sponsorship activations — distributing sports-generated literacy grants to high-need literacy programs across 31 states.

Product overview

Champions for Literacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a platform connecting sports teams and athletes with childhood literacy programs. The core portfolio consists of three interconnected programs: Fight for Literacy Games (flag flagship team-based program), Impact Players (individual athlete fundraising and volunteer initiative), and Collective Impact NIL (partnership with NIL Collectives). These programs are supported by corporate sponsorship opportunities and multiple giving mechanisms including one-time gifts, monthly donor memberships, and non-cash donations. The organization maintains a national schedule system for game events and provides donor management through third-party integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fight for Literacy Games Flagship program that enables collegiate sports teams to host a home game as a Fight for Literacy Game. Teams wear green to promote literacy awareness and distribute books. Coaches and players participate in raising funds for local literacy programs serving K-3 students.
• Impact Players Program engaging athletes of all levels to raise funds for and volunteer with literacy programs where they live and play. Athletes fundraise for local literacy programs and participate in volunteer opportunities.
• Collective Impact (NIL) Partnership program with NIL Collectives offering tax-free giving options for donors. CFL assists with literacy activation planning, donor receipting, and media capture for collectives.
• Corporate Sponsorships Corporate partnership opportunities including event sponsorship, Lead & Read programs, and Impact Player campaign matching grants. Brands work with CFL to create impact stories with local literacy programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 139,000 children impacted by literacy programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

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

• International PaperflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor for Fight for Literacy Games. Corporate Catalyst partner providing major funding support. International Paper supports CFL operations and literacy grants across multiple universities including Auburn, Iowa State, LSU, and Louisiana Tech. Long-term partner since 2014 with significant impact on literacy programming.
• Orion Federal Credit UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Catalyst sponsor supporting Memphis-based programs. CMO Casey Condra serves as advocate, noting CFL brings real assets to the table that brands can associate with in digital and in-person space.
• Readers Become LeadersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdditional sponsor supporting Fight for Literacy Games and literacy programming.
• Bulldog Initiative (Mississippi State NIL Collective)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIL Collective partnership enabling tax-free giving and athlete engagement in literacy events. CFL provides the 501(c)(3) vehicle for donations while Bulldog Initiative engages Mississippi State athletes in literacy impact events. Partnership benefits both student-athletes and students served by literacy programs.
• We Will Collective (Iowa State NIL Collective)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIL Collective partnership supporting Iowa State University's Fight for Literacy Games and Impact Player campaigns. Corporate Catalyst support from International Paper and Landus Cooperative.
• Bluff City NIL (Memphis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NIL Collective partnership supporting Memphis-based literacy programs including Knowledge Quest, Memphis Teacher Residency, and Streets Ministries.
• The Haven AgencycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNIL Collective partner featured in collective impact programs, engaging athletes in literacy volunteer opportunities and fundraising campaigns.
• Simmons BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner through Memphis Advisory Board, serving as Community Regional Executive sponsor supporting local literacy initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• First Book: Nonprofit that delivers books and educational resources to children in low-income communities, often via school and program partnerships. Comparable in operating model — channeling donations into literacy materials for high-need K-3 populations through institutional partners.
• Reading Partners: Nonprofit mobilizing volunteers to provide one-on-one literacy tutoring to K-3 students in under-resourced schools. Comparable in literacy mission, K-3 beneficiary focus, and volunteer-activation model similar to CFL's Impact Player concept.
• Classroom Champions: Nonprofit pairing professional and Olympic athletes with K-8 classrooms for mentorship and social-emotional learning. Closely comparable to CFL's Impact Player / athlete-volunteer engagement model and the use of athlete platforms to advance educational outcomes.
• Athletes for Hope: Athlete-founded nonprofit collective enabling professional and Olympic athletes to engage in philanthropy. Comparable in athlete-driven fundraising infrastructure and serves as a complementary partner/peer in the athlete philanthropy ecosystem.
• Reading Is Fundamental: The largest U.S. childhood literacy nonprofit, providing books and literacy resources to underserved children. Directly comparable to CFL's mission of mobilizing resources to advance K-3 reading outcomes through a national nonprofit platform.
• Reach Out and Read: Pediatric literacy nonprofit that partners with clinicians to provide books and reading guidance during well-child visits. Directly comparable in mission, beneficiary age range (K-3), and partnership-driven program model.
• Raising A Reader: National early-literacy and family-engagement nonprofit focused on birth-to-age-8 reading routines, with affiliate network delivery model. Comparable in mission, K-3 focus, and partnership-based program delivery.

Emerging players

• TeamMates Mentoring Program: School-based youth mentoring program co-founded by a former NFL player and a Nebraska school administrator; pairs adult mentors with students. Comparable in sports-rooted origin story and youth-development mission, though primarily mentoring rather than literacy-focused.

Broad incumbents

• Right To Play: Global nonprofit using sport and play to educate and protect children in disadvantaged communities. Comparable in 'sport as vehicle for social outcome' philosophy, though operates internationally and across multiple program verticals rather than literacy-specific.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: Large-scale childhood literacy program gifting free books to children from birth through age five. Comparable in early-childhood literacy mission and national donor-funded nonprofit structure, but materially larger and not sports-engaged.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/championsforliteracy

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

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 Champions for Literacy