Reach Out and Read Colorado

What Reach Out and Read Colorado does

Reach Out and Read Colorado is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 (per company history; firmographic data lists 1994) that operates the only pediatric literacy model endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The organization's core product is the Reach Out and Read Program, in which healthcare providers at 334 partner medical offices across all 64 Colorado counties distribute developmentally appropriate books to children from birth to age 5 during routine well-child visits and counsel caregivers on the importance of daily reading. The model is evidence-based, with peer-reviewed research showing participating families are 250% more likely to read to their children and demonstrating measurable gains in children's language scores. Since inception, the organization has funded 3.9 million books and currently supports 338,000 well-child visits and 130,000 children annually.

The portfolio is layered around the core in-clinic prescription model. Program enhancements include Back To Birth (additional books at 1-week, 2-month, and 4-month visits, launched 2021), the Read Me Again gently used book program (65,000 books collected in 2025), and Family FTW — a bilingual text-message service launched in partnership with Mental Health Center of Denver and Colorín Colorado. The organization also distributes books through 40 public health immunization clinics, mobile food pantries via Food Bank of the Rockies and Weld Food Bank, and community preschool book drives. Resources for families and clinic coordinators (age-based book recommendations, parent guides, literacy activities, provider training materials) are hosted on the organization's website and supported by a clinic locator across all 64 counties.

Reach Out and Read Colorado is funded through a diversified donation model rather than program fees. Revenue streams include individual donations (monthly Literacy Leaders, one-time gifts, Colorado Gives Day participation), Social Impact Partner corporate sponsorships (minimum one-year clinic-level commitments), planned giving/legacy gifts via FreeWill, cryptocurrency donations through The Giving Block, donor-advised funds, and stock gifts, processed via DonorPerfect. The organization employs approximately 12–15 staff including a CEO, Director of Programs, Director of Development, Director of Marketing & Communications, regional coordinators, and program/operations staff, and is governed by a board chaired by the VP/Chief Analytics Officer at Children's Hospital Colorado. It is an independent affiliate of the national Reach Out and Read network, operating exclusively within Colorado.

Name

Reach Out and Read Colorado

Legal name

Reach Out and Read Colorado

Website

https://reachoutandreadco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Reach Out and Read Colorado is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that distributes developmentally appropriate books to children ages 0–5 during pediatric well-child visits through 334 partner medical offices across all 64 Colorado counties, training 2,070 healthcare providers and serving 130,000 children annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Literacy Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Reading Comprehension & Close Reading Enrichment (EDAMAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Literacy & Reading Intervention (Phonics, Fluency, Comprehension) (EDAKADAA)

Keywords

• Pediatric literacy program
• Early childhood literacy
• Clinic-based book distribution
• Well-child visit program
• Family literacy resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization relies on donations from individuals, including monthly giving (Literacy Leaders program), one-time gifts, and stock gifts. Donors can give online, schedule book donation drop-offs, or participate in Colorado Gives Day.
2. Social Impact Partnership/Corporate Sponsorship: Organizations and corporations commit to support a specific clinic (or multiple clinics) for a minimum of one year, covering site operations, materials, and training. Partners gain brand exposure and community social responsibility benefits.
3. Planned Giving/Legacy Gifts: Donors can include Reach Out and Read Colorado in their estate plan through bequests with cash, securities, or other assets.
4. Cryptocurrency Donations: Accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrency through The Giving Block platform, which is immediately converted to US Dollars.
5. Donor-Advised Fund: Accepts donations through donor-advised funds which offer unique tax benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Reach Out and Read Colorado operates a pediatric literacy model that integrates book distribution and reading guidance into well-child medical visits. At regular checkups for children from birth to age 5, healthcare providers at partner clinics share a new developmentally and language-appropriate book with the child and counsel caregivers on the importance of reading aloud together. The organization partners with 334 medical offices and 40 public health immunization clinics across Colorado, training over 2,000 healthcare providers in the model.

Product overview

Reach Out and Read Colorado operates as a nonprofit pediatric literacy organization offering a unified core program that integrates book distribution and reading guidance into well-child pediatric visits. The main offering is the Reach Out and Read Program, where healthcare providers prescribe books during regular checkups for children from birth to age 5. This core is supplemented by program enhancements including the Back To Birth early intervention and the Read Me Again gently used book program. The organization also provides digital family engagement services through Family FTW (a text message-based resource delivery system) and maintains extensive resource libraries including age-based parent guides, children's book recommendations, and literacy activities. Partner clinics access training materials, book ordering systems, and implementation support through Site Coordinator Resources, while families can locate participating clinics through the Clinic Locator. The portfolio functions as a single integrated literacy model rather than a modular platform, with all components supporting the same goal of early literacy promotion through pediatric care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reach Out and Read Program The primary pediatric literacy program where healthcare providers at partner clinics share developmentally appropriate books with children and counsel caregivers on reading aloud during regular well-child visits from birth to age 5.
• Back To Birth Program enhancement that adds books at the 1-week, 2-month, and 4-month well-child visits in addition to the standard Reach Out and Read schedule, serving children from day one of life.
• Read Me Again Program Program that collects gently used books from community partners and preschools for redistribution to children who need books for their home libraries.
• Family FTW (For The Win) Text message-based service delivering literacy activities, storytime videos, family activities, and caregiver self-care resources in English and Spanish twice weekly.
• Clinic Locator Interactive map and directory enabling families to find Reach Out and Read Colorado partner medical offices across all 64 Colorado counties.

Quantifiable outcome

• Families participating in Reach Out and Read are 250% more likely to read to their children
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Food Bank of the RockiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring books to mobile food pantries, allowing families to receive nourishment for their minds as well as their bodies alongside food assistance.
• Weld Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership to distribute books through food bank locations, expanding access to literacy resources for food-insecure families.
• Mental Health Center of DenvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Family FTW (For The Win) text message-based service delivering literacy activities and resources to families in English and Spanish.
• Colorín ColoradocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Family FTW program providing bilingual (English/Spanish) early literacy resources via text message to families.
• Children's Hospital ColoradocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor healthcare partner supporting the Reach Out and Read program, with providers trained in the model.
• Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of PediatricscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState chapter partnership supporting evidence-based literacy promotion in pediatric care.
• CDEC (Colorado Department of Early Childhood)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government partner supporting early childhood literacy initiatives.
• Primrose Schools at Colorado StationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPreschool partner collecting gently used books for the Read Me Again program, featured in 9News segment.
• Denver HealthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor healthcare system partner with multiple clinic locations prescribing books through Reach Out and Read.
• The Links, Incorporated Colorado Springs ChapterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner organizing children's book drives in partnership with Reach Out and Read Colorado.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• ParentChild+: Early childhood home-visiting program that promotes school readiness through parent-child reading; partial overlap with Reach Out and Read's mission of building early literacy through trusted adult relationships.
• Words Alive: San Diego-based family literacy nonprofit offering book distribution and parent education programs; comparable regional peer in mission and population served, though smaller geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Raising A Reader: National early literacy nonprofit that partners with pediatric clinics, libraries, and community organizations to distribute books and train caregivers — directly aligned with Reach Out and Read's pediatric-channel model.
• First Book: Distributes free and low-cost books to children in low-income communities, including through healthcare and community partnerships — comparable mission of expanding book access to children from low-income families.
• Reading Is Fundamental (RIF): Long-established national children's literacy nonprofit providing books and literacy resources to underserved children; operates a similar book-distribution-plus-education model targeting school readiness gaps.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: Provides free books by mail to children from birth to age 5 — directly comparable early-literacy book distribution model that Reach Out and Read Colorado explicitly references as a partner program for Colorado families.
• Book Trust: Nonprofit that lets children from low-income families choose and keep new books through school-based programs; comparable book-ownership mission targeting literacy gaps in underserved children.
• National Center for Families Learning (NCFL): National family-literacy nonprofit integrating literacy resources into family services and community programs; a Reach Out and Read Colorado board member is currently NAEYC-affiliated, signaling ecosystem overlap.
• Reach Out and Read (National): National parent nonprofit of the same pediatric literacy model; Reach Out and Read Colorado is an independent state affiliate implementing the identical evidence-based program in pediatric clinics nationwide. Most directly comparable peer given shared mission and model.

Broad incumbents

• Room to Read: Global literacy nonprofit operating at much larger scale across multiple countries; comparable mission of early-grade literacy intervention, though broader in geographic scope and program mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ReachOutReadCO
• Facebookfacebook.com/ReachOutandReadColorado
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reach-out-and-read-colorado
• Instagraminstagram.com/reachoutandreadcolorado

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Reach Out and Read Colorado