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New to First Book?
Join us to connect with thousands of fellow educators and access exciting educational events and resources for you and your students.
First Book’s commitment to innovation, collaboration and impact has been recognized by leading institutions such as the Library of Congress, the National Book Foundation and more.
The Read On Canada! Coalition was recognized for Significant Contribution to Literacy in response to the pandemic for getting 150,000 books to kids across Canada through Food Banks.
First Book Canada was recognized as a Top 10 Canadian Impact Charity and Top 10 Canadian Youth Impact Charity by Charity Intelligence Canada based on the impact made by the organization.
Read more about 2020 Top 10 Canadian Impact Charity and Top 10 Canadian Youth Impact Charity
First Book Canada received the United Nations Association’s Sustainable Development Goal Recognition Award for its outstanding work to increase equal access to quality education for children in need.
First Book Canada received the Salvation Army Hope Partnership award for their dedicated service of outstanding support for the 2017 CTV Toy Mountain Campaign.
First Book Canada received the 2017 Partners in Education Award from the Fort McMurray Public School District for its commitment to student excellence.
First Book Canada received recognition form the York District School Board for its significant contributions to public education in York region.
Read more about Applause! Recognition
First Book President and CEO Kyle Zimmer was among the nine recipients of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in the Mid-Atlantic region for First Book’s sustainable, market-driven model.
Read More about EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2017 Mid-Atlantic Award
First Book president and CEO Kyle Zimmer made the 2016 Ideagen Power 100 List highlighting the 100 individuals and 100 organizations leading the way towards empowering women and girls globally.
Read more about The 2016 Ideagen Power 100 List of Individuals Empowering Women and Girls
First Book president and CEO Kyle Zimmer received the Jefferson Award Foundation’s annual award for outstanding public service benefiting the disadvantaged.
First Book president and CEO Kyle Zimmer received the Ms. Foundation for Women’s Peggy Charren/Free to Be You and Me award honoring individuals in media whose work contributes to breaking through gender and racial lines.
Read more about Peggy Charren/Free to Be You and Me Award
First Book was recognized as a Pacesetter Partner by The Campaign For Grade-Level Reading for its sustained efforts in improving early learning and childhood literacy.
First Book was awarded the 2015 David M. Rubenstein Prize, one of three Literacy Awards presented by the Library of Congress annually, for outstanding and measurable contributions in increasing literacy levels and for its commitment to the advancement of literacy.
Read more about Library of Congress David M. Rubenstein Prize
The National Book Foundation honored First Book CEO Kyle Zimmer with its 2014 Literarian Award for her outstanding leadership and achievements in overcoming childhood illiteracy and promoting educational equality.
Read more about The National Book Foundation’s 2014 Literarian Award
First Book president and CEO Kyle Zimmer received the Lifetime Collective Impact Award from Ideagen in 2014.
Read more about Lifetime Collective Impact Award
First Book was recognized with SCBWI’s Golden Gratitude Award for outstanding contribution to the field of children’s books in August 2013.
This award from the National Education Association (NEA) Foundation was presented in 2013 to recognize First Book’s pioneering and innovative work and achievements to fight illiteracy.
Read more about Security Benefit Corporation Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education
First Book Canada received a Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation Mayor’s Excellence Award for the advancement of aboriginal youth education.
In their 2012 ‘Investing for Impact’ report, Credit Suisse highlighted First Book’s “innovative yet pragmatic approach” to solving the problem of child illiteracy.
First Book president and CEO Kyle Zimmer was awarded the Carle Honor from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in 2009 for her work on behalf of children’s literacy.
Read more about Carle Honor
First Book has been on the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual list of the nation’s largest philanthropic groups since 2008.
First Book president and CEO Kyle Zimmer was honored by the American Marketing Association (AMA) and the American Marketing Association Foundation (AMAF) in 2008 for extraordinary leadership and achievement in the field of nonprofit marketing.
First Book president and CEO Kyle Zimmer was named ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year’ in the United States’ by Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship in 2006.
First Book received the ‘Social Capitalist Award’ from Fast Company and the Monitor Group for using entrepreneurial genius to solve global issues from 2004 through 2008.
Read more about Social Capitalist Award
First Book received the annual ‘Community Service Award’ from SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company, Inc. in 2006.
First Book was a finalist for Amazon.com’s ‘Nonprofit Innovation Award’ in 2005.
First Book was awarded the Grand Prize in the Yale School of Management-Goldman Sachs Foundation Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures Business Plan Competition in 2005.
First Book was recognized for ‘Distinguished Service to the Literary Community’ by the Authors Guild Foundation in 2005.
First Book received the Gold Halo Award for the ‘Best Social Service/Educational Program’ from the Cause Marketing Forum in 2004, and again in 2007.
First Book was named a Gold Star Charity by Forbes Magazine in 2003.
Read more about Gold Star Charity
First Book received the ‘Partner of the Year Award’ from Connect America in recognition of highly successful partnerships with the nonprofit sector in 2003.
First Book was awarded the Gold Medal for innovative cause-based marketing from the Promotion Marketing Association’s ‘Reggie Awards’ in 2002.