Read To Grow, Inc.
Read to Grow is a Connecticut-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that distributes free books and early literacy resources to families with children from birth through adolescence via hospital partnerships, schools, community organizations, a statewide Bookmobile, and direct mail.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersBranford, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Read To Grow, Inc. does
Read to Grow, Inc. is a Connecticut-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 06-1572185), founded in 2000 by Roxanne Coady, owner of RJ Julia Booksellers, originally as the Books for Babies Fund. The organization distributes free children's books and literacy resources to families across Connecticut from birth through adolescence, operating four interconnected programs: Books for Babies (literacy kits and guidance for newborns and prenatal families, anchored by a founding partnership with Yale New Haven Hospital), Books for Kids (direct-to-family book mailings and bulk donations to childcare centers, schools, libraries, and community organizations), the Bookmobile (a mobile library launched in September 2022 that visits neighborhoods, schools, and community events), and Popcorn & PJs (a virtual storytime series featuring renowned authors). The organization has distributed more than 2.8 million books and served more than 1.59 million families since founding, with Books for Kids distributing 139,000+ books annually and 30+ hospitals and 6,400+ community partners actively engaged.
The delivery model is community-led and partnership-driven rather than technology-led. Books for Babies kits are distributed directly in hospitals and prenatal clinics; the NICU Early Literacy Project (Tiny Tales), launched in 2020 with Connecticut Children's Hospital, places books in NICU isolettes for premature infants; and the Bookmobile extends reach into underserved neighborhoods. The Books for Kids program mails free books to Connecticut families on request, with childcare centers, schools, and community organizations able to pick up books at the Branford office free of charge or pay a $15 delivery fee for shipment within the state. The technology stack is minimal: a multilingual website (English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic) built on standard web tooling, Constant Contact for email outreach, Bloomerang for donations, and SignUp.com for volunteer scheduling — there is no proprietary platform, no mobile app, and no public API.
Read to Grow operates as a donation-dependent nonprofit with no publicly disclosed revenue. Revenue streams consist of monetary donations (one-time and recurring online contributions), book donations (new and used children's books), and organized community book drives. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors (President Monette Ferguson, Ph.D.; Vice President Carla M. Horwitz, Ed.D.; Treasurer Jane Lee, M.B.A.; Secretary Jennifer Groves Fusco, J.D.), with Roxanne Coady serving as Founder and Board Member Emerita. There is no parent company, no private equity or institutional investor backing, and no public funding rounds; the organization is staffed by approximately 15 people and supported by 280+ active volunteers. The organization holds a 2025 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency.
Read To Grow, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Read To Grow, Inc.
- Legal name
- Read to Grow Inc.
- Website
- https://readtogrow.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Read to Grow is a Connecticut-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that distributes free books and early literacy resources to families with children from birth through adolescence via hospital partnerships, schools, community organizations, a statewide Bookmobile, and direct mail.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Read To Grow, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood Literacy Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family & Parenting Education (Family Literacy, Parenting Skills) (EDAAAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Health Education & Parent Coaching (Sleep, Safety, Illness Management) (EDACAMAN)
Keywords
Where Read To Grow, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Branford
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Read To Grow, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Monetary Donations: The organization relies on financial contributions from donors to purchase new books, support literacy programming, and reach more families annually. Donations can be made online as one-time or recurring contributions.
- Book Donations: Accepts donations of new and used children's books in good condition which are then distributed to children, families, and educators throughout Connecticut.
- Book Drive Organizing: Organizes community book drives where individuals and groups collect books to donate. The organization provides toolkits, materials, and support to help organize successful campaigns.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One time | Free books for Connecticut families |
| Freemium | One time | Free book pickup for programs |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | $15 delivery fee for programs |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Read To Grow, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Read To Grow, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 06-1572185) headquartered in Branford, Connecticut that distributes free children's books to families with young children through programs including Books for Babies (hospital bedside delivery at birth), Books for Kids (clinic, school, and library distribution), the Prenatal Project, NICU Tiny Tales, the Bookmobile community mobile library, and Popcorn & PJs family literacy events. Services are delivered free of charge to families in partnership with 30+ Connecticut hospitals, 6,400+ community partners, and 280+ volunteers.
Product overview
Read to Grow is a statewide Connecticut nonprofit organization operating a suite of interconnected early literacy programs: Books for Babies (providing free books and literacy guidance from before birth), Books for Kids (distributing free books to children and families), the Bookmobile (a mobile library bringing books to underserved communities), and Popcorn & PJs (virtual author storytime events). The organization delivers hundreds of thousands of books annually through these programs, serving families from birth through childhood.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Books for Babies: Flagship program providing free developmentally appropriate books and literacy guides to families from birth, partnering with hospitals and healthcare providers. Includes Newborn Project, Prenatal Project, and NICU Early Literacy Project (Tiny Tales).
- Books for Kids
- Bookmobile
- Popcorn & PJs
Products and services
- Books for Babies Hospital bedside program that delivers a free, age-appropriate children's book to families of newborns at partner Connecticut hospitals, with the goal of reaching every newborn in the state.
- Books for Kids Distribution program that places free children's books in pediatric clinics, schools, libraries, and community organizations so children up to approximately age eight can take books home.
- Prenatal Project Program that reaches expectant families during pregnancy with free books and literacy support, extending the organization's reach upstream of the Books for Babies hospital delivery.
- NICU Tiny Tales Program delivering books and literacy support to families with infants in partner hospital NICUs, supporting reading and bonding during neonatal intensive care stays.
- Bookmobile Mobile library service that brings free children's books and literacy programming directly into Connecticut neighborhoods, schools, and community events via a traveling vehicle.
- Popcorn & PJs Family literacy program that pairs a children's book with popcorn and pajamas-style family reading experiences, distributed through partner channels for family engagement at home.
Quantifiable outcome
- 71% of families read together daily after first Books for Babies contact (up from 51% baseline)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Read To Grow, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Read To Grow, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Read To Grow, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Connecticut Children's HospitalcorePartner for NICU Early Literacy Program (Tiny Tales initiative) providing books and literacy resources directly in isolettes to support language development for premature infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
- Community Health Centers and ClinicscorePrenatal Project partners distributing educational materials and board books to pregnant families through community health centers and clinics to establish early reading routines.
- Yale New Haven HospitalcoreFounding hospital partner where Books for Babies program began over 25 years ago. Continues to distribute literacy kits to families with newborns.
- Hospitals and Clinics (30+)coreStatewide network of 30+ hospitals and clinics actively partnering with Read to Grow to distribute books and literacy resources to families with newborns.
- Reach Out and Read (ROAR) PartnerscoreHealthcare providers trained in Read to Grow's literacy messaging who distribute books and literacy information during well-child visits.
- Childcare Centers, Schools, and LibrariesmajorProgram partners receiving bulk book donations to support literacy efforts throughout Connecticut.
- Community Organizations (6,400+)majorExtensive network of community partner connections supporting book distribution and literacy events statewide.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Read To Grow, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PJ Library: Jewish-inspired (but inclusive) family-literacy program sending free monthly children's books to families nationwide. Operates an equivalent direct-to-family book-delivery model at national scale.
- First Book: National nonprofit distributing books and educational resources to children in underserved communities via a network of educators and program partners. Highly comparable to Read to Grow's Books for Kids program partner distribution model.
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: The flagship U.S. book-gifting nonprofit delivering free age-appropriate books monthly to children from birth to age 5. Operates at national scale with the same core proposition as Read to Grow's Books for Babies/Kids programs.
- Reach Out and Read: National nonprofit that partners with pediatricians to give books to children at well-child visits. Read to Grow explicitly partners with Reach Out and Read affiliates in Connecticut, making it a near-perfect model comparator and channel partner.
- BookSpring (Austin Public Library Foundation): Texas-based nonprofit promoting childhood literacy through book distribution and family literacy programs. A regional book-gifting and family-literacy peer of comparable size to Read to Grow.
- Raising A Reader: National family-literacy nonprofit focused on building home reading routines through partner-based book rotation and parent engagement — closely aligned with Read to Grow's home-library and parent-coaching approach.
Regional players
- Literacy Inc (LINC): New York City nonprofit dedicated to literacy development for underserved children and families, leveraging community-based partnerships. Comparable regional-literacy-nonprofit model in a different geographic market.
Broad incumbents
- Room to Read: Global literacy nonprofit operating across books, girls' education, and school system support in 20+ countries. Comparable mission at much larger scale, useful as a strategic reference for how a literacy nonprofit can scale internationally.
Emerging players
- The Literacy Lab: National early-literacy nonprofit providing literacy coaching and intervention in high-need communities. Partial overlap with Read to Grow's family-literacy coaching components.
- Parents Action for Children (formerly I Am Your Child Foundation): Early-childhood and parent-engagement nonprofit adjacent to Read to Grow's parent-education and family-literacy positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Read To Grow, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceRead To Grow, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Read To Grow, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Read To Grow, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Read To Grow, Inc. 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 Read To Grow, Inc.
What does Read To Grow, Inc. do?
Read To Grow, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 06-1572185) headquartered in Branford, Connecticut that distributes free children's books to families with young children through programs including Books for Babies (hospital bedside delivery at birth), Books for Kids (clinic, school, and library distribution), the Prenatal Project, NICU Tiny Tales, the Bookmobile community mobile library, and Popcorn & PJs family literacy events. Services are delivered free of charge to families in partnership with 30+ Connecticut hospitals, 6,400+ community partners, and 280+ volunteers.
Is Read To Grow, Inc. a public or private company?
Read To Grow, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Read To Grow, Inc. founded?
Read To Grow, Inc. was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Read To Grow, Inc. based?
Read To Grow, Inc. is headquartered in Branford, United States, in the North America region.
How does Read To Grow, Inc. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Monetary Donations are the primary driver. The others are book Donations and book Drive Organizing.
Who are Read To Grow, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PJ Library, First Book, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Reach Out and Read, BookSpring (Austin Public Library Foundation) and Raising A Reader. Literacy Inc (LINC) is listed as a regional player. Room to Read is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are The Literacy Lab and Parents Action for Children (formerly I Am Your Child Foundation).
Does Read To Grow, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Read To Grow, Inc..
What industry is Read To Grow, Inc. in?
Read To Grow, Inc.'s product category is Early Childhood Literacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAFAF, Family & Parenting Education (Family Literacy, Parenting Skills), with a secondary code of EDACAMAN, Health Education & Parent Coaching (Sleep, Safety, Illness Management). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.