Women's Storybook Project of Central Texas

What Women's Storybook Project of Central Texas does

Women's Storybook Project of Texas (WSP) is a private nonprofit founded in 2003 by Judith Dullnig and headquartered in Austin, Texas. WSP operates a women's prison program that connects children with their incarcerated mothers through literature: volunteers travel to 10 Texas Department of Criminal Justice female prison units, where incarcerated mothers record themselves reading children's books; the recordings, paired with physical books, are mailed to the women's children, supporting a four-month program cycle that can serve a mother and up to four children. The stated mission is to reduce re-incarceration by strengthening the mother-child bond, citing an outcome that children who maintain contact with an incarcerated parent are up to six times less likely to return to prison. WSP has recorded 21,046 mothers and mailed 46,801 book-and-recording packages since inception, supported by 759 active volunteers contributing 72,596 cumulative volunteer hours.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally low-tech and human-mediated: in-prison audio recording sessions, a curated book library, package assembly, and postal mail distribution, supplemented by standard nonprofit SaaS (DonorSnap for donations, DonateStock for securities gifts, ChatSimple chatbot, and SMS for volunteer and event communications). WSP earns no commercial revenue from program participants; the operating model is donation-funded. Funding streams include individual one-time donations at $10, $50, and $100 tiers (single child package, volunteer transportation to one prison, full four-month program respectively), a 'Story Starter' monthly recurring subscription, corporate and event-driven contributions, and grants from named funders including the Kislak Family Foundation and Hope Presbyterian Church's Generation to Generation Fund. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: annual fundraising luncheons in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston; Open Book Party gatherings; an annual Amplify Austin 24-hour giving campaign; and volunteer recruitment through churches, civic organizations such as the Junior League of Austin and Austin Junior Forum, and word-of-mouth.

Customer segments are bifurcated between program beneficiaries (incarcerated mothers in Texas prisons and their children, plus the adjacent BAMBI cohort of pregnant inmates at Santa Maria Hostel) and program supporters (donors, foundation funders, and 759 active volunteers). Strategic partnerships include a long-standing operational agreement with TDCJ, the Library of Congress Literacy Award relationship, Kislak Family Foundation funding, religious and civic partners (Hope Presbyterian Church, Westlake United Methodist Church, Junior League of Austin, Austin Junior Forum), a community partnership with Independent Identity for cross-event participation, and a 2025 expansion to Collin County Jail in McKinney. Leadership comprises Executive Director Jill Gonzalez and Founder Judith Dullnig, who transitioned out of the executive director role while remaining involved with the organization.

Name

Women's Storybook Project of Central Texas

Legal name

Women's Storybook Project of Texas

Website

https://storybookproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women's Storybook Project of Texas is a 2003-founded Austin-based nonprofit that sends volunteers into 10 Texas female prisons to record incarcerated mothers reading books, then mails the recordings and books to their children, funded by individual donations, foundation grants, and community fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prison Literacy & Family Reunification Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Correctional Institutions (92214)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Corrections & Reentry Adult Literacy (Justice-Involved Learners) (EDAAAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reentry, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Programs (Education, Vocational, Case Management) (BPAKANAH), Adult Corrections (Prisons & Jails) (BPAIAFAD)

Keywords

• Prison literacy program
• Family reunification services
• Incarcerated mother support
• Nonprofit correctional programs
• Volunteer reading program

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual and corporate donations from supporters. Donation tiers include $10 for one child receiving a book and recording, $50 for volunteer transportation to one prison monthly, and $100 for a complete program package for a mother and up to 4 children for the four-month program.
2. Grants and Foundation Support: Funding from foundations such as Kislak Family Foundation and Hope Presbyterian Church's Generation to Generation Fund. The organization has also received recognition from Library of Congress for literacy initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Women's Storybook Project of Texas operates a women's prison program in which volunteers travel to Texas female prisons to record incarcerated mothers reading children's books aloud. The four-month program produces personalized audio recordings and accompanying physical books that are mailed to the mothers' children, strengthening the mother-child bond and supporting the organization's goal of reducing re-incarceration among female offenders.

Product overview

Women's Storybook Project of Texas operates as a women's prison program that connects children with their incarcerated mothers through the joy of literature. The organization's core offering is the Mother-Child Story Recording Program, where volunteers travel to Texas female prisons to record mothers reading stories to their children. Supporting programs include the WSP Book Club, Open Book Party hosting events, volunteer opportunities, merchandise sales, and the BAMBI initiative for pregnant inmates. The four-month program mails books and audio recordings to children, strengthening family bonds and reducing re-incarceration rates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mother-Child Story Recording Program
• WSP Book Club
• Open Book Party
• Volunteer Program
• WSP Merchandise
• BAMBI (Babies and Mothers Bonding Initiative)

Quantifiable outcome

• 21,046 mothers who recorded stories from 2003-2023
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

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

• Library of CongressflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025WSP is a past awardee of the Library of Congress Literacy Awards. Representatives attend regional meetings for award winners and honorees, participating in information-sharing and collaboration with other literacy organizations.
• Collin County Jail (McKinney)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025WSP is expanding its program to include sessions at Collin County Jail in McKinney. Volunteer meet-and-greet events have been held in Dallas to recruit supporters for the new jail sessions.
• Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003TDCJ partners with WSP to enable the program to operate in women's prison units across Texas. This partnership allows volunteers to visit correctional facilities and record incarcerated mothers reading stories for their children.
• Santa Maria Hostel (Houston)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through BAMBI (Babies and Mothers Bonding Initiative), a TDCJ program housed at Santa Maria Hostel offering women who are pregnant in prison the opportunity to be with their child for 12-24 months during incarceration.
• Independent IdentityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent Identity creates quality lives for adults with autism and developmental disabilities. Their students have participated in community events with WSP, such as holiday carol gatherings, demonstrating cross-organizational community engagement.
• Austin Junior ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn organization that collaborates with nonprofits supporting women, children, and the elderly in the Austin area. WSP volunteers have discovered the organization through AJF, and AJF owns the Daniel H. Caswell House used for events.
• Junior League of AustinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Capitalines Magazine published by the Junior League of Austin. WSP volunteers have joined through JLA membership, and the organization is recognized in JLA's community philanthropy work.
• BookSpringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustin-based literacy organization that attended the same Library of Congress regional meeting, representing the region alongside WSP.
• Consuela StylesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFashion and lifestyle brand founded in Austin that awarded Executive Director Jill Gonzalez with a Certificate of Awesomeness through their It's Not About the Bag Program, providing recognition and promotional support.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Inside Books Project: Austin, Texas-based nonprofit that sends free books and educational materials to people incarcerated in Texas prisons. Operates in the same geography with a closely overlapping mission of using literature to support incarcerated individuals and their families.
• Chicago Books to Women in Prison: Chicago-based nonprofit that sends free books to women incarcerated across the U.S. Direct peer focused on women in prison, matching WSP's female-specific focus, though operating from a different region without the recording/child-component.
• Books to Prisoners: Seattle-based nonprofit that provides free books to prisoners across the U.S. on request. Direct peer in the prison-literacy category, with a similar book-and-reading model serving incarcerated populations, though operating regionally rather than partnering directly with facilities.
• Free Minds Book Club: Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that runs book clubs and writing programs for incarcerated youth and returning citizens, with a pen-pal component connecting them to community volunteers. Direct peer in the prison-literacy-plus-mentorship space, though focused on youth rather than parents.

Broad incumbents

• Sesame Workshop: National nonprofit behind Sesame Street that publishes dedicated resources ("Sesame Street and Incarceration") for children of incarcerated parents. Overlaps in audience (children of incarcerated parents) and literacy/outcome mission, but at vastly larger scale as a media-and-programming organization.
• The Osborne Association: New York-based nonprofit operating reentry, family-connection, and prison programs for over 100 years, including services for children of incarcerated parents. Comparable mission around family bonds and reintegration, but operates as a much larger incumbent with multi-service programming.
• Prison Fellowship / Angel Tree: Large national prison ministry that runs the Angel Tree program, which delivers Christmas gifts and connections to children of incarcerated parents. Comparable in targeting children of incarcerated parents for family-connection outcomes, but operates at a much larger national scale with broader programming.

Others

• Reach Out and Read: National nonprofit that partners with pediatricians to give books to children and encourage reading at well-child visits. Adjacent in promoting early-childhood literacy, but does not serve incarcerated-parent families specifically and operates through healthcare channels rather than correctional ones.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WSPTexas
• Facebookfacebook.com/WomensStorybookProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/storybookproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/womensstorybookproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Women's Storybook Project of Central Texas