Turning the Page
Turning the Page is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that runs family engagement and literacy programs for underserved families in DC Wards 7 and 8 and Chicago's North Lawndale through school partnerships, supported by Carpe Librum used bookstores.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersWashington, DC, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Turning the Page does
Turning the Page is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in January 1998 and headquartered in Washington, DC, with a second operating site in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood. The organization delivers family engagement and literacy programs to underserved families in DC Wards 7 and 8 and North Lawndale, operating through partnerships with public and charter schools (13+ named partner institutions across both cities). Its programmatic portfolio includes Community Nights (in-school evening events), the Family Room (an in-school family literacy space), Mobile Meetings (parent-led home gatherings), Author Visits, Summer Learning trips, and a Parent Leadership Program that has trained 200+ parents as community change agents. Cumulative impact metrics cited include 7,000+ families served, 1,000+ Community Nights hosted, 125,000+ books distributed, and 100+ Summer Learning Trips.
The underlying 'product' is a community-rooted, school-embedded service model rather than a technology platform; supporting infrastructure consists of standard web properties, a Facebook-based Digital Resource Hub launched in September 2020 (a response to COVID-19 school closures), and Carpe Librum — a used-bookstore sub-brand with physical locations in DC and Chicago plus a Bookshop.org affiliate channel earning a 30% commission. The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack: individual donations, foundation and government grants (notably a $1.4M US Department of Education grant in 2002 and a national leadership grant from IMLS), and earned revenue from Carpe Librum book sales. Leadership is stable, with Jason King serving as President and CEO since 2000 and Kara Winerman as Director of Programs, supported by AmeriCorps VISTA members; the organization has received ongoing third-party validation including Catalogue for Philanthropy recognition and Spur Local featured-nonprofit status in 2021 and 2025.
Turning the Page firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Turning the Page
- Legal name
- Turning the Page
- Website
- https://turningthepage.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Turning the Page is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that runs family engagement and literacy programs for underserved families in DC Wards 7 and 8 and Chicago's North Lawndale through school partnerships, supported by Carpe Librum used bookstores.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Turning the Page industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Family Engagement and Literacy Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family Engagement & Home–School Partnership Programs (EDACALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Family Engagement & Take-Home Learning Materials (Home Packs, Parent Guides) (EDACAJAL)
Keywords
Where Turning the Page is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington, DC
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Turning the Page business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Carpe Librum Book Sales: Used bookstores and pop-up book sales selling donated books, CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records. Proceeds support education programming in DC focused on family engagement and literacy development. Also sells through Bookshop.org affiliate links earning 30% commission.
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the nonprofit's work engaging parents in children's education. Donation tiers include $100 for a year of books for 1 family, $500 for author-signed books for 1 author visit, and $1000 for Museum Experience program materials.
- Foundation and Government Grants: Major grants from organizations including Philip Graham Fund ($5,000 initial grant), U.S. Department of Education ($1.4 million four-year grant), Institute of Museum and Library Services national leadership grant, and various foundation support.
- Book Donations for Free Book Initiatives: Accepts donations of new children's books to support free book initiatives. Contact [email protected] for donations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time | Donation tier for family book support |
| Other | One time | Donation tier for author visit materials |
| Other | One time | Donation tier for museum program |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time | Carpe Librum gift cards |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Turning the Page product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Turning the Page is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free family engagement and literacy programming to parents and caregivers of public school students in underserved communities of Washington, DC (Wards 7 & 8) and Chicago's North Lawndale. Its core offerings include Community Nights (school-based family events combining parent workshops, child literacy activities, and book giveaways), Family Room virtual programming, Mobile Meetings phone-based parent support, Author Visits, Summer Learning museum trips, and the Parent Leadership Program. The organization also operates Carpe Librum, a used-bookstore fundraising initiative, and a Facebook-hosted Digital Resource Hub.
Product overview
Turning the Page is a family engagement and literacy nonprofit providing resource-rich programming to engage parents as active participants in their children's education. The organization offers multiple interconnected programs: Community Nights (literacy-focused family events with parent workshops and book distributions), Family Room (virtual author and museum educator events), Mobile Meetings (phone-based parent support), Author Visits (volunteer author/illustrator school visits), Summer Learning (field trip program to museums and cultural sites), and a Parent Leadership Program (advocacy training and conferences). The organization also operates Carpe Librum Bookstores, a used bookstore initiative that raises funds for programming. A Facebook-hosted Digital Resource Hub serves as the digital platform for sharing educational resources. Programs are implemented in Washington, DC (Wards 7 and 8) and Chicago's North Lawndale community, serving partner schools where over 90% of students qualify for free breakfast and lunch programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Carpe Librum: Used bookstore and pop-up shop initiative that sells gently used books, CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records donated by the community to raise funds for Turning the Page programming.
Products and services
- Community Nights School-based family engagement events combining parent workshops, child literacy activities, free book giveaways for home libraries, and free family dinners, delivered to TTP partner-school families.
- Family Room Virtual event series featuring children's book authors and museum educators, with read-alouds, virtual field trips, and parent peer-connection meetings; archived recordings available on demand.
- Mobile Meetings Phone-based parental support program in which facilitators help parents identify at-home learning resources, build teacher relationships, and create routines for their children.
- Author Visits School visits by volunteer children's book authors and illustrators who read books, lead literacy or art activities, speak to parents about writing and reluctant readers, and personally sign books distributed to families.
- Summer Learning Saturday and evening field trips to museums and cultural sites during summer months, using cities as classrooms to combat summer learning loss; families receive book packets and activity guides.
- Parent Leadership Program Parent leadership training and advocacy support including annual full-day Parent Leadership Conferences, project-based initiatives, PTA formation, budget advocacy, and community improvement projects.
- Carpe Librum Bookstores Used bookstore and pop-up shop selling donated gently used books, CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records at $7 and under to raise funds for TTP programming; includes a DC indoor location, outdoor DC pop-ups, an online Bookshop.org affiliate storefront, and gift cards.
- Digital Resource Hub Facebook-hosted resource platform for parents, teachers, and community partners to access and share educational materials, upcoming TTP event information, school-specific alerts, and supplemental content covering math, literacy, social-emotional learning, science, and more.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70% of TTP third-grade students met NWEA growth benchmarks compared to 46% of peers after three years of NL READs initiative
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Turning the Page
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Turning the Page technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Turning the Page partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Reading is Fundamental (RIF)coreProvided funds to purchase high-quality children's books for families' homes as part of Community Nights incentive program. Early partnership from organization's founding.
- DC Public LibrarycoreShared resources with participating TTP families. Library representatives visited TTP families providing access to library cards and programming information during school year and summer.
- AmeriCorps*VISTAcorePartnership started in fall 2001. VISTAs fundamental to strengthening relationships with families and school staff, developing partnerships with local organizations, museums, and universities.
- Phillips CollectionminorAwarded national leadership grant with Turning the Page in 2002 by Institute of Museum and Library Services. Enabled creation of high-quality family programs using art of Jacob Lawrence.
- Steans Family FoundationcoreLaunched collaboration with TTP in Chicago's North Lawndale in 2015. Co-founded NL Reads initiative to increase students reading proficiently by third grade.
- NL Reads InitiativecoreInitiative goal: increase percentage of students in North Lawndale who read proficiently by third grade. TTP is a key partner in this initiative.
- Illinois Action for ChildrenminorChicago partner organization in North Lawndale working on literacy and family engagement initiatives.
- Children's Literacy InitiativeminorChicago partner organization supporting literacy development in North Lawndale schools.
- Juvenile Protective AssociationminorChicago partner organization in North Lawndale focused on child welfare and family support.
- Museums (Various)corePartnerships with museums provide Summer Learning Experiences and Family Room events. Recent partners include Planet Word, Hillwood Estate, Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, and many DC museums.
- DC Public LibrarycoreOngoing collaboration including sharing TTP content with DC families for summer reading, library card access programs, and Family Room virtual events with authors.
- Chicago Public LibrarycorePartnership with Legler Regional Library and other CPL branches. Provides virtual programming, homework help, and community resources for TTP families.
- Children's Book Guild of Washington, DCcorePartnership for author and illustrator volunteers who visit TTP Community Nights. Guild members generously volunteer their time for school visits.
- Bookshop.orgminorCarpe Librum is on Bookshop.org, an independent retailer. TTP earns 30% commission on sales through affiliate link. Provides access to brand new books while supporting TTP programs.
- Mid-Atlantic Equity ConsortiumminorPartner for Family Room virtual programming during COVID-19, featuring educational webinars with museum educators and STEM activities.
- Local Organizations (DC)minorPartners for Carpe Librum pop-up locations including WashREIT, Capitol Riverfront, Georgetown Main Street, Rose Park Farmer's Market, Adams Morgan BID, Van Ness Main Street, SW BID, Logan Circle Main Street.
- Chicago Loop AllianceminorHelped find spaces for Chicago Carpe Librum locations including Block 37 location open for over three years.
- Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of CommerceminorProvided placemaking grant through SSA 27 in Spring 2021 for Chicago operations.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Turning the Page competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: Large-scale global book-gifting program mailing free books monthly to children from birth to age five. Overlaps with TTP's book-distribution mission but operates at massive scale and lacks TTP's school-based family-engagement programming.
- Room to Read: Global literacy nonprofit operating large-scale school libraries, book publishing, and girls' education programs in low-income countries. Overlaps with TTP's literacy and parent-engagement mission at a much larger global scale.
Direct peers
- Reading Is Fundamental (RIF): National 501(c)(3) that provides free books and literacy resources to children in underserved communities. RIF is also a current TTP partner (provides funds for children's books) and is the most direct peer given overlapping book-distribution and family-engagement missions.
- Raising A Reader: National family-literacy nonprofit that partners with schools and libraries to help families develop home-reading routines. Highly comparable to TTP's home-library building and parent-engagement programming.
- ParentChild+: National nonprofit using home-visiting model to support early literacy and parent engagement for families in under-resourced communities. Comparable to TTP's Mobile Meetings/family-partnering approach but delivered via in-home visits rather than schools.
- Reach Out and Read: National nonprofit that partners with pediatricians to give books to children and coach parents on reading aloud. Shares TTP's family-literacy and parent-engagement focus, but delivers through healthcare providers rather than schools.
- LitWorld: Literacy nonprofit advancing reading and writing skills for children worldwide, with strong parent and community engagement programming. Comparable to TTP's parent-engagement focus and underserved-community targeting, though more globally focused.
- First Book: Nonprofit social enterprise that provides new books and educational resources to children in low-income communities. Overlaps with TTP's book-distribution mission and target population but operates at greater national scale.
- Book Harvest: Durham, NC-based nonprofit providing books to children and building home libraries in underserved communities, with a strong parent-engagement component. Operates a used bookstore similar to Carpe Librum; very comparable operating model to TTP.
- National Center for Families Learning: National nonprofit focused on family literacy and two-generation education programs in underserved communities. Directly comparable mission and target population to TTP, with broader geographic reach.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Turning the Page social profiles
Digital presenceTurning the Page compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Turning the Page financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Turning the Page leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Turning the Page funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Turning the Page 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 Turning the Page
What does Turning the Page do?
Turning the Page is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free family engagement and literacy programming to parents and caregivers of public school students in underserved communities of Washington, DC (Wards 7 & 8) and Chicago's North Lawndale. Its core offerings include Community Nights (school-based family events combining parent workshops, child literacy activities, and book giveaways), Family Room virtual programming, Mobile Meetings phone-based parent support, Author Visits, Summer Learning museum trips, and the Parent Leadership Program. The organization also operates Carpe Librum, a used-bookstore fundraising initiative, and a Facebook-hosted Digital Resource Hub.
Is Turning the Page a public or private company?
Turning the Page is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Turning the Page founded?
Turning the Page was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Turning the Page based?
Turning the Page is headquartered in Washington, DC, United States, in the North America region.
How does Turning the Page make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Carpe Librum Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, foundation and Government Grants and book Donations for Free Book Initiatives.
Who are Turning the Page's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Room to Read. Direct peers are Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), Raising A Reader, ParentChild+, Reach Out and Read, LitWorld, First Book, Book Harvest and National Center for Families Learning.
Does Turning the Page have an API?
No public API is recorded for Turning the Page.
What industry is Turning the Page in?
Turning the Page's product category is Family Engagement and Literacy Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACALAB, Family Engagement & Home–School Partnership Programs, with a secondary code of EDACAJAL, Family Engagement & Take-Home Learning Materials (Home Packs, Parent Guides). Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8200.