The Reading Partnership

What The Reading Partnership does

The Reading Partnership is a registered Canadian charity (No. 727408932 RR 0001) founded in 2011 by Ontario-certified teacher Camesha Cox, headquartered in Scarborough, Ontario. The organization delivers free, evidence-informed, play-based literacy programs for children ages 0-12 and their caregivers, with an explicit focus on Black families and other equity-deserving communities. Its core product is the 10-week Reading Partnership for Parents (RPP) curriculum, delivered in-person (RPP Live), virtually (RPP Online/RPOD), and through an affinity variant for Black families (RPBP). Adjacent programs include 360° Stories (an 8-session writing and publishing program for ages 9-12 that has produced 13 anthologies and 193 young authors since 2019), Kids ReadTO (virtual book club), Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (monthly free book delivery for ages 0-5 in East Scarborough), and Train-the-Trainer (which certifies community organizations across Ontario, Nova Scotia, and now Ghana to independently deliver RPP). Program registration and digital learning run through the TRP Hub platform at hub.readingpartnership.com.

The business model is a non-profit, donation-and-grant-funded operating structure with all programs free to end-user families. Revenue streams span individual donations (via website and CanadaHelps), corporate sponsorships (notably TD Bank's Ready Commitment and United Way Greater Toronto), government grants (Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Government of Canada), and foundation grants (TD Ready Challenge). Go-to-market is community-led, combining direct family recruitment through schools and community organizations with a Train-the-Trainer partner network that extends delivery without proportional headcount expansion. As of 2024 the organization operates with approximately 10 staff and a Board chaired by Neil Price (Executive Director of LogicalOutcomes), reporting it serves over 2,000 families annually across Canada plus a pilot cohort in Accra, Ghana.

Strategic positioning rests on three pillars: a proprietary curriculum and publishing pipeline that has produced measurable outputs (anthologies, research reports); deep community roots in Toronto's Kingston-Galloway/Orton Park neighbourhood and a network of certified delivery partners; and an equity-focused mission that has attracted institutional funding and recognition including the 2021 TD Ready Challenge grant and the 2024 Toronto Community Champion Award. The 2024-2027 strategic plan and 2025 international pilot in Ghana via the Ghana Library Authority signal a shift from direct community delivery toward a partner-enabled, evidence-backed scaling model.

Name

The Reading Partnership

Legal name

The Reading Partnership

Website

https://readingpartnership.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Reading Partnership is a Canadian registered charity that delivers free, evidence-informed, play-based literacy programs for children ages 0-12 and their caregivers, with a focus on Black and equity-deserving communities, operating through direct delivery, school partnerships, and a Train-the-Trainer network across Canada and a Ghana pilot.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Literacy Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Remedial Reading & Literacy Intervention (EDANAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Literacy & Reading Intervention Programs (EDAGAAAD), Literacy & Reading Intervention Technology (EDAJAMAF), Library, Reading Motivation & Independent Reading Programs (EDAMAJAO), Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO)

Keywords

• Literacy programs
• Early childhood education
• Family literacy services
• Nonprofit literacy programs
• Play-based learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Scarborough

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations from Individuals: Individual donations from supporters, accessed through website donation page and CanadaHelps platform.
2. Government Grants: Funding from government sources including Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism Ontario, and Government of Canada.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Support from corporate partners including TD Bank (TD Ready Commitment), United Way Greater Toronto, and other organizations.
4. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations such as TD Ready Challenge (North America-wide competitive grant).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Reading Partnership delivers free, evidence-informed literacy programs for children ages 0-12 and their caregivers, including the in-person and virtual Reading Partnership for Parents (RPP), the self-paced Reading Program On-Demand (RPOD), the 360° Stories writing and publishing program, the Kids ReadTO virtual book club, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library free book delivery, and a Train-the-Trainer program that enables schools and community organizations to independently deliver RPP. Programs use a play-based, culturally responsive methodology, are delivered at no cost to families, and are accessed primarily through community locations, school partnerships, and the TRP Hub online platform.

Product overview

The Reading Partnership operates as a literacy nonprofit offering a portfolio of evidence-informed programs for children ages 0-12 and their families. The core offering includes Reading Partnership for Parents (RPP) - a play-based program teaching children ages 4-6 to read, available in-person, online, and as an affinity program for Black families; Reading Program On-Demand (RPOD) - a self-paced online version of RPP; 360° Stories - a creative writing and publishing program for ages 9-12; Kids ReadTO - a virtual book club for ages 9-12; Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - free monthly book delivery for ages 0-5; and Train-the-Trainer - enabling community organizations to deliver RPP programs independently. Programs are delivered through the TRP Hub learning platform and reach families across Canada with an international pilot in Ghana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Reading Partnership for Parents (RPP): An evidence-based program helping caregivers teach children ages 4-6 to read through 10 weekly play-based lessons.
• Reading Program On-Demand (RPOD)
• 360° Stories
• Kids ReadTO
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
• Train-the-Trainer

Products and services

• Reading Partnership for Parents (RPP) An evidence-based program that helps caregivers teach their children ages 4-6 to read through 10 weekly play-based lessons. Delivered in-person (RPP Live) or virtually (RPP Online), with an affinity variant for Black families (RPBP). Each enrolled family receives a free Literacy Kit ('Lit Kit') with materials designed by professional educators.
• Reading Program On-Demand (RPOD) Self-paced online adaptation of the RPP program, offering 10 on-demand lessons available at all times. Includes access to learn-along videos, content, and instructions for Lit Kit activities, with optional coaching sessions for additional support and flexibility for busy families.
• 360° Stories An 8-session intensive writing and illustrating program delivered in partnership with schools for youth ages 9-12. Participants work alongside community-based authors and illustrators to produce and publish their own stories in a professionally-bound anthology, culminating in a book launch celebration.
• Kids ReadTO Virtual book club for children ages 9-12, delivered through six weekly meetings led by trained facilitators. Features guided reading activities, discussions, games, author visits, and a free copy of the featured title, plus a D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) Diary Activity Book for reflection.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Partnership program delivering free, high-quality age-appropriate books monthly to children from birth until age five in East Scarborough, Ontario. Books are sent directly to families' doors at no cost, featuring customized titles including 'The Little Engine That Could' upon enrollment and 'Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!' upon graduation.
• Train-the-Trainer Program that equips schools and community organizations to become Program Delivery Partners (PDPs) and independently implement RPP programs. PDPs receive training on the proven RPP methodology, including tools and support for engaging parents/caregivers in children's literacy development.
• TRP Hub Learning Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 49% of Grade 3 students not meeting provincial reading standards in KGO when founded (2011)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ghana Library AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Ghana Library Authority's National Children and Mobile Library to deliver Reading Partnership for Parents program in Accra, Ghana. This is TRP's first international program pilot, working with families in Nima community through the National Children and Mobile Library facility.
• Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation (CCLF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborative research partnership to understand barriers Black Canadian communities face in children's literacy. Jointly published 'Teaching Our Children to Read' report in 2024, exploring the reading journey of Black children in Canada.
• Black Health AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Research partner in 'Teaching Our Children to Read' initiative, bringing expertise in health disparities and community engagement to understand literacy barriers facing Black families.
• Dolly Parton's Imagination LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership to bring free, high-quality books monthly to children ages 0-5 in East Scarborough. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library supplies all books while TRP manages local program delivery and troubleshooting.
• StoryPlanetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Program partner for 360° Stories, supporting the writing and publishing program for youth ages 9-12. Contributes to anthology production and author development.
• Scarborough ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Program partner for 360° Stories, bringing arts programming expertise and community connections to youth creative writing and publishing initiatives.
• KGO Literacy Improvement Collective (KLIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Community coalition formed with KGO community members to develop neighborhood-based literacy improvement strategy. Produced the Literacy Now! report in 2018 examining literacy landscape in KGO.
• Program Delivery Partners (Ontario and Nova Scotia)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity organizations and schools trained through Train-the-Trainer program to independently deliver Reading Partnership for Parents programs in their own communities, expanding national reach.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Frontier College: Canadian literacy non-profit delivering literacy programs and tutoring across Canada, including remote and Indigenous communities. A direct Canadian peer on geography and literacy mission, though TRP targets a younger age range.
• ABC Life Literacy Canada: Canadian non-profit focused on adult and family literacy. Comparable to TRP on Canadian footprint and family literacy programming, though serving a broader including adult learner segment.

Direct peers

• Reach Out and Read: US-centered non-profit delivering early literacy intervention through pediatric clinics and family engagement. Similar to TRP's parent-mediated, ages 0-6 reading intervention model anchored in trusted community touchpoints.
• Reading Is Fundamental: Long-standing US literacy non-profit providing free books and literacy resources to children. Overlapping mission with TRP on book distribution, family engagement, and serving under-resourced communities.
• Room to Read: Global non-profit that develops literacy programs and publishes children's books in low-income communities. Closely comparable to TRP on cross-border literacy intervention, child-focused publishing, and a Trainer-of-Trainers delivery model.
• First Book: Non-profit that provides free or low-cost books and educational resources to children in low-income communities. Comparable to TRP on book access mission and creator/publisher partnerships.
• LINC (Literacy Inc): NYC-based community literacy nonprofit working with parents, schools, and community organizations to build reading skills. Comparable to TRP on community-driven, parent-mediated literacy intervention in underserved neighborhoods.
• Raising A Reader: National non-profit focused on rotating book distribution and parent engagement to build home literacy environments. Directly comparable to TRP's Reading Partnership for Parents and Imagination Library programs.
• National Center for Families Learning: Non-profit operating family literacy programs across the US with a strong focus on community-rooted, evidence-based curricula. Comparable to TRP on family literacy model and community organization partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• ProLiteracy: Large US-based adult literacy organization with a broad portfolio of programs and policy advocacy. A broader incumbent in the literacy non-profit space, serving as a comparator for institutional scale and funder relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCr3tGgTsbiB7FEaER_4xEbw
• Facebookfacebook.com/TRPnow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-reading-partnership
• Instagraminstagram.com/trpnow/?hl=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 The Reading Partnership