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Eliminating barriers to a quality education for children in low-income communities.
First Book is dedicated to ensuring that all children, regardless of their background or zip code, can succeed and reach their full potential. We reach 6.5 million kids each year in low-income communities across North America, providing books and resources through a powerful network of more than 600,000 individual educators, professionals and volunteers specifically serving children in need. This is the largest online community of its kind. By infusing high-quality resources into classrooms and programs nationwide, we level the playing field so that kids are ready to learn — because education transforms lives.
We are passionate supporters of the educators, professionals and volunteers who serve kids in need. Our First Book Network, a community of more than 600,000 individual educators and professionals who serve kids in low-income communities, has unparalleled knowledge into the educational barriers that confront their students. By researching their needs and challenges, First Book then provides books, resources, and programs that are directly informed by their feedback. In this way, they help shape our resources, partnerships, and strategic solutions. We facilitate the sharing of best practices and expand access to affordable tools and resources. The result is that our Network is supported to better serve their students and communities.
We pride ourselves on having business minds and non-profit hearts. Using proven private-sector approaches, we design sustainable strategies that drive measurable results for low-income communities.
First Book is dedicated to increasing access to proven best practices, books, and resources in low-income communities.
First Book is a bridge-builder, collaborating with public and private partners, translating best-in-class expertise into educational resources to support learning for kids in need. We partner with field experts, publishers, corporations, foundations, fellow nonprofits, leading academics, and individual donors to address the critical needs expressed by educators. These alliances enable us to expedite resources to those who need them the most. Our collaborative approach results in tangible impact, changing the lives of children in need for generations to come.
Comprises North America’s largest online community of individual educators, professionals and volunteers working on the frontlines with children in need at schools and programs across the U.S.
Provides the First Book Network with 24-hour, year-round access to an award-winning repository of affordable and new books, educational resources, and basic necessities curated for kids in need ages 0-18.
Advances education and poverty research by generating original data that amplifies educators’ voices, drives First Book’s models, and informs content on the First Book Marketplace.
Turns current research and evidence-based strategies from leading experts into actionable tools that are shared with our Network — so educators don’t have to wait months or years to use innovative best practices in their classrooms and programs.
Under the leadership of President, CEO, and Co-founder Kyle Zimmer, First Book has become a champion of quality education for all and a recognized leader in social enterprise.
Meet the Team
News and resources highlighting our ongoing efforts to bring new books and educational resources to children in need across the United States and Canada.
Get the Latest NewsAs First Book advances its mission in our 32nd year, the stakes for our nation’s children and educators have never been higher. The lasting effects of the pandemic have intensified the challenges for children in historically under-resourced communities, exacerbating educational disparities and deepening inequities. Drawing on decades of experience, First Book continues to redefine what it means to support education. By applying innovative, data-driven strategies from the private sector, we are addressing systemic failures and creating scalable, self-sustaining solutions.
Educators can join First Book’s Network — the largest and fastest-growing community of individual educators and practitioners working with children in need at schools and programs across the U.S and Canada — to bring titles and resources to your classroom or organization.
First Book’s financial model and its commitment to social sector collaboration, impact, and enterprise has been widely recognized by leading organizations.
Explore our Recognition
We drive constant innovation and collaborate with field-leading organizations, to elevate our models while generating sustainable revenue to continue our work.
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