2020 Annual Report
Worldreader is a nonprofit organization that brings high-quality, affordable digital learning to children and youth in under-resourced communities.
The year that jolted education
In 2020, 1.5 billion children were impacted by school closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It drastically changed the way we educate children. Overnight, remote learning replaced learning in the classroom. But in many under-resourced communities, schools weren’t equipped to support their students online. And with libraries being forced to close too, many children were left without any access to books or resources at all.
Since 2010, we’ve been pioneering the use of technology to help children in the most vulnerable communities read and learn.
So when the pandemic hit, we were ready to step in. We partnered with governments, mobile phone providers, schools, and local organizations to keep nearly one million children reading.
Your support in 2020 was more important than ever. Thank you for standing by us and bringing books and resources to children during one of the most challenging times in history.
Pandemic or no pandemic, every day you’re helping readers build a better world.
A message from
our CEO, David Risher
Dear partners and supporters:
2020 was a year that changed . . . well, everything. Now, we have an important opportunity to rethink what a post-pandemic education could look like. Here are my thoughts:
Education matters more than ever.
Think about the problems we face worldwide: a bafflingly complex pandemic, climate change and its knock-on effects, enduring inequality, and the next pandemic.
Our next generation will be the one to solve these problems. And they’re problems that require innovation, critical thinking, and empathy – exactly the kinds of skills that reading develops.
Children are really struggling. And so are schools.
You’ve read the stats: 1.5 billion children out of school at the height of the pandemic, unprecedented social isolation for children and the mental health issues that accompany that, and extraordinary uncertainty both near- and longer-term.
Now, overlay all that with the stress that comes from living in an under-resourced community. “Take classes on Zoom!” But that only works if you’ve got a dedicated computer and high-speed internet. “Find a quiet place to study.” But many children don’t have such a place in their homes. “Ask your parents for help and support.” But what if your parents don’t have time to support you?
So we have a problem, and an opportunity. We’ve got chronically underfunded school systems, children who’ve missed out on a year’s worth of learning, and parents frustrated by the status quo.
The opportunity, should we choose to act on it, is that we’ve also got a big, bright light shining on what we can do better – and a shared understanding that technology can play a fundamental role in supporting children’s educational success.
Here’s what a better education could look like.
Worldreader has learned a lot over 11 years about supporting vulnerable children and families through distance learning. Now is our chance to consider what education should look like in a post-pandemic world – an education that supports all children.
Here are four principles we’d propose.
1. “Everywhere Learning.” Let’s recognize that children learn as much outside of school as inside the classroom.
The pandemic showed us that the world isn’t well-prepared for an education outside of a classroom – but it should be. Children should have access to high-quality content beyond the curriculum, content that is personalized to their own interests, content that they can learn from at their own pace.
Technology makes that possible. It’s why we make our library available to everyone, anywhere.
But technology and content alone aren’t enough to support the work of educators and the needs of children. So our books are accompanied by activities to further promote learning. And we make sure to engage parents as much as children because their role in supporting children’s growth is critical.
That’s how we were able to support over one million students since the start of the pandemic – even when their schools were closed.
2. Children need more than textbooks to navigate our complex world.
We’re passionate about reading because we know it’s the foundation of all learning. Ask any successful leader today and I’ll bet they’ll point you to their love of reading as being a huge contributor to success. Bill Gates famously said, “I had a lot of dreams when I was a child. And I think a great deal of that grew out of the fact that I had the chance to read a lot.”
Our world needs more dreamers and innovators. While textbooks are essential, children need access to all sorts of books if they’re going to be future leaders – including books that help them think about social and racial justice, female empowerment, empathy, and environmental sustainability.
I’m proud to say our library brings these types of books to readers.
3. Children need to learn social and emotional skills, now more than ever.
The ability to regulate our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors – all determine how well we adjust to our environments. And considering how fast our world is changing, it’s no surprise that these are skills that children need.
The pandemic caused our children to face difficult emotions – fear, anger, grief. Without the tools to explore these emotions, children suffer enormously.
And by the way, there’s ample evidence that these “softer” skills are nearly as predictive of long-term occupational success as IQ – and even more predictive than parental income and socioeconomic status. (If you’re interested in this research, here’s a great OECD report on the topic: https://bit.ly/3uIYsx2)
Our work helps children develop social and emotional skills in two ways: First, our library is full of books that develop social and emotional learning skills – books like The Tree of Hope, Feeling Sad, and I Will Help You. Second, our work includes parents. When you spend quality time reading with your child, you’re not only strengthening that bond, you’re also teaching them invaluable social skills. That’s why so much of our work is about encouraging parents to read with their children.
4. Education has to embrace the digital world.
Not just for cost, not just for distribution – it’s where children spend their time. Even the least privileged children must be able move comfortably in a digital world (using phones, tablets, and computers with ease; assessing the quality of content; and thinking of technology as an integrated part of their learning toolbox rather than an add-on).
The good news is that interest in digital education exists worldwide, even among low-income parents. A 2020 study by the Boston Consulting Group found that 80%-90% of the parents they surveyed in India wanted remote learning options to continue beyond COVID.
You’re creating the future.
For the last 10 years we’ve been learning how to get as many people reading using the most simple and affordable technologies and highest-quality content possible. It’s what you’ve supported – and it’s the reason why over 17 million more people are reading today.
Read through this annual report and you’ll see all the ways your support has helped children read and learn.
Now it’s up to us – together – to keep innovating and help create the future, so that millions more children can reach their potential.
Thank you for supporting readers as they build a better world.
David Risher
CEO & Co-Founder, Worldreader
A few ways you made 2020 a whole lot better . . .
You kept children reading while schools were closed.
Pictured: Saori from Peru reading in her family home. Still today, Saori’s school remains closed due to Covid-19.
You sparked
creativity in children.
Pictured: a drawing by Richa from India. The drawing was inspired by a story she read called Love Like That.
Children felt safer with storybooks about Covid-19, thanks to you.
Pictured: A book called My Hero Is You that aims to help children understand and cope with COVID-19.
They also turned to books to explore difficult emotions.
Pictured: A series of books from Worldreader’s library that help children explore feelings like fear, sadness, and loss.
And parents were there every step of the way.
Pictured: Tanmay reads with his 3-year-old sister, Yashika. Her favourite books are Good Night Tinku and Aaloo-Maloo-Kaaloo. By reading and bonding with his sister, Tanmay is helping her grow emotionally and intellectually.
The year in numbers
3.5M+
new readers
17.1M
cumulative readers
19M+
books read
62.9M
cumulative books read
4.2M+
hours reading
122.5M
cumulative hours reading
The year in milestones
How we work
Every reading program is different. But some things stay the same. Over the years, we’ve developed our ABCD framework to help the most people read, in the most meaningful way. It starts with access (A). We deliver our books on reading apps, via mobile phones and tablets. Then, come the books (B). Our library of books has been handpicked with our readers in mind. Continuous engagement (C) is essential too. That’s why our books include reading activities that encourage deeper learning. Lastly, data (D). Data helps us understand our readers’ behavior and give them a more personalized experience, so they keep reading – one book after another.
The team who makes all of this happen
We’ve got an amazing group of individuals – board, staff, and advisory council members – who dedicate their time, energy, and hearts to moving our mission forward. We’re forever grateful for their commitment, even during the hardest of times.
In Memoriam
In 2020, we lost two women that we will miss deeply. Both Luba and Carolyn were passionate about sharing their love of reading, and have left the world a better place because of it.
Luba Botcheva
We are all better for having worked with Luba. We will carry her wonderful spirit with us as we support readers across the globe to build a better world.
Carolyn Reidy
We will feel Carolyn’s absence for years to come. We are incredibly honored that Worldreader’s impact is even a small part of Carolyn’s enormous legacy.
Our financials
$9M
total contributions
$2.8M
in-kind donations
$2.52
cost per reader
Revenue
Donations & Grants
$5,052,406
In-kind Gifts
$2,879,453
Earned Income
$772,161
Other Revenue
$312,593
Total Revenue
$9,016,613
Use of funds
Program services
$6,853,183
Management and General
$1,150,226
Fundraising
$803,941
Total Expenses
$8,807,350
Join us to help the world read
Donate and keep children reading
In many parts of the world, schools are still closed. Your donation will bring digital learning to children who risk falling behind.
Become a partner
Every year, major companies and philanthropic foundations sponsor our programs. Find out how we can work together.
Bring our solution to your school
BookSmart can take your reading program to the next level. Get in touch to learn more.
Our featured partners
“Jio is proud to be partnering with Worldreader to bring a rich collection of digital storybooks to hundreds of millions of homes across India. Our partnership is contributing to the Digital India Mission through the combination of Jio’s affordable, world-class 4G mobile network and phones with Worldreader’s engaging, relevant content.”
R V Balasubramaniam Iyer, Vice President, Reliance Jio
“RTI has been partnering with Worldreader since 2014 to bring reading materials to young children across Kenya. I appreciate Worldreader’s capacity to innovate, build partnerships, and to see our organizations’ shared commitment to delivering high quality learning materials.”
Ben Piper, Senior Director for Africa Education, RTI
“Julius Meinl Coffee and Worldreader united in the shared belief that words have the power to get us through the toughest times. With the global pandemic sending the world into lockdown, words helped us to get through the toughest period of collective isolation. Together we inspired thousands of people across the globe to stay connected and support children in need via providing learning opportunities. It’s the small moments that can make a big difference.”
Stefan Rathgeber. International Marketing Manager, Julius Meinl.
A year in thought leadership
Why reading in times of crisis preserves learning
Reading to children and ensuring that children continue to read during this crisis may sound like an overly simple solution, but it would be an error to think so. The science of reading reminds us that when children read or are read to frequently, children continue learning and preserve skills learned prior to the crisis.
April, 2020
How to keep children safe when school goes online
Establishing safe spaces where children can use online learning tools is key to quality learning in a crisis. During this pandemic, organizations need to think about facilitating content delivery and teaching digital literacy skills, while also promoting child safety online. Here we take a look at how.
May, 2020
Supporting children during the pandemic: 6 digital reading tips for parents
When used effectively, digital books can help establish the crucial bond needed between adults and children, and serve as a starting point in creating a safe and fun reading environment. Here are some tips for parents so they can make the most of reading with their children.
July 2020
Can Online Learning Be as Effective as Traditional Education?
With so many of us or our loved ones affected by continued school closures, questions about the effectiveness of virtual education have suddenly become much more relevant. We’ve put together some of the highlights for you or anyone you know who might be wondering – can online learning actually replace traditional education?
August, 2020
8 Ideas for Parents to Make “Home-Schooling” Work
Parental support and guidance have always been an important pillar of academic success among students. But, as students learn how to navigate distance learning, parents are being called on to be more involved in their child’s education than ever before.
September, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for systems change. Here’s what it’s going to take.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an opportunity to tackle systematic failures and end inequalities. Rather than going back to our old ways, how can we build back better?
September, 2020
Working with Peru’s Ministry of Education to Advance Learning
Worldreader’s new partnership with the Ministry of Education in Peru is positioning Worldreader to support readers at scale with digital reading programs across the country.
October, 2020
Our community
2020 Individual and Family Supporters
Founders Circle – Keep Children Reading US
Worldreader wishes to recognize the following donors who made it possible to bring its Keep Children Reading program to the United States.
Anonymous
Charles and Lorie Brighton
Alan and Vic Caplan
Chris Capossela and Leigh Toner
Bill and Lynn Carr
Rick and Kathie Dalzell
Adam Gross
Andrew and Elana Jassy
Atul Khanna
Kirk and Neen Koenigsbauer
Dave Limp
Steve and Heather Murch
Lauri and Greg Nakamoto
Charles Phillips
Alison and David Rich
Brian and Ann Roberts
Neil Roseman and Rose Tatlow
Praveen Seshadri and Ranjani Ramamurthy
Singer Family Foundation
Mike Sundermeyer and Cari Anderson
David and Nancy Thacher
WineDirect
David Zapolsky and Lynn Hubbard
The Epic Circle
$500,000 – $1,000,000 and above
Chris Capossela and Leigh Toner
Cynthia and Steve Hammer
Andrew and Elana Jassy
Shel Kaphan and Ericka Lock
Jennifer and David Risher
Karen Van Dusen and Joel Spiegel
The Anthology Circle
$250,000 – $499,999
Otis and Elizabeth Chandler Foundation
Tod and Allison Nielsen
David and Nancy Thacher
The Novel Circle
$100,000 – $249,999
Charles and Lorie Brighton
Peter and Elisabetta Mallinson Trust
LJ Ross
Peter and April Spiro
Mike Sundermeyer and Cari Anderson
The Wilke Family Foundation
The Poetry Circle
$25,000 – $99,999
Anonymous
Fraser and Dierdre Black
Alan and Vic Caplan
Rick and Kathie Dalzell
Adam Gross
Larry Hitchon and Dana Reid
Brad Horwitz
Kate James and Hans Bishop
Dana Johnson and Mark Nelson
Kirk and Neen Koenigsbauer
Steve and Heather Murch
Lauri and Greg Nakamoto
Sudha Neelakantan & Venky Harinarayan
Charles Phillips
Stephen Reidy
Neil Roseman and Rose Tatlow
David Zapolsky and Lynn Hubbard
Sponsors
$10,000 – $24,999
Anonymous
Craig and Susan Bruya
Bill and Lynn Carr
Jennifer Hanner
Jenifer Jacobi
Brewster Kahle and Mary Austin
Atul Khanna
Timothy and Jennifer Kingston
Frida Kumar
Don and Barb Niemann
Andrea Pollack
Alison and David Rich
Ann and Brian Roberts
Brad and Alys Smith
Ambassadors
$5,000 – $9,999
Tom Alberg and Judi Beck
Quentin and Malissa Clark
Pam Fleischer
Lucia Halpern
Les Hinmon
John Jameson
Kosmo Kalliarekos
Emily Laliberte
Zibby Owens
Diego Piacentini and Monica Nicoli
Sven and Cheryl Pole
Sue and Duff Sanderson
Josh Schweitzer and Mary Sue Milliken
Jeff and Laura Shell
David Thompson and Judy Jesiolowski
Marguerite Thompson
Advocates
$2,500 – $4,999
Sameet Agarwal
Juanita Baker
Shawn and Amanda Bice
Lindsay and Patti Eberts
Nigel Ellis
Paul Flessner
Jeff Glauber
Steve Kessel and Sibyl Frankenburg
Christian Kleinerman
Jacquie Labatt
Marshall Loeb
Nicholas Lovejoy
Ajay Kalhan and Sushma Verma
Dr. Robert L Nussbaum
Martin and Victoria Nye
Patti Paxton and Lindsey Paxton
Stan Rosenzweig
Praveen Seshadri and Ranjani Ramamurthy
Balan Sethu Raman
Richard and Kristin Saada
Autumn Schwed
Stephen and Zorinne Schwartz Family Fund
Robert Short and Emer Dooley
Richard and Katherine Todd
Supporters
$1,000 – $2,499
Jim and Kim Ambach
Bonnie Ammer
Laurent and Julie Amouyal
Ann Bacus
Stan Beraznik
Kurt Brown
Pamela Bynum
Elizabeth and Olof Carmel
William Case
Jennifer Cast and Liffy Franklin
Gina Centrello
Sophie Cottrell
Jeanne Crosno
Megan and Fred Eiden
Nahida Esmail
Jeff Freedman
Hermione Ireland
Stephanie and Jim Gamble
Jane and Andy Greenthal
Brad and Rachel Greenwald
Elizabeth Heron and Brian Marsh
Henrik Jones
Clare Joy
Julie Tafel Klaus
David and Freda Lightfoot
Greg and Corina Linden
Colin McElwee
Shishir Mehrotra
Frances and Mac Merenda
Tamra Myers
Liz Nichols
Craig and Teresa Pape
Srikumar Rangarajan
Melissa Reiner
Carol Risher
Clare Segall
Prakash Sundaresan
Roy Swan
Toby Thomas and Tristyn Patrick
Amanda Urban
Paul Van der Wansem
Jane Vernon and Andrew Feldstein
Kate Walbert
Richard Ward and Cheryl Capriola
Jonathan Wareham
Gregory and Dana White
Heidi and Sean Williams
Deborah Yeh and Mark Risher
Adrian Zackheim
Organizations
This includes corporates, organizations, and institutional partners.
Amazon
Amazon UK
Amazon Web Services
AmazonSmile Foundation
Atlassian
Moya #datafree
Books for Africa
Bournemouth University
CARE International Egypt
Clif Bar Family Foundation
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ)
Facebook
Ford Foundation
GEANCO Foundation
Google
Hachette
Humble Bundle
Hunter-Jelks Foundation
Intertrust Cloud Services Corporation
Jane Austen Literacy Foundation
Julius Meinl
KaiOS Technologies
Klintworth Family Foundation
Kowitz Family Foundation
Larry L. Hillblom Foundation
Margaret A. Meyer Family Foundation Inc.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Corporation
MTN Ghana
National Book Foundation
Opera
Orrick
Pencils of Promise
Penguin Random House
PepsiCo
Porticus Foundation
Quest Foundation
Raising A Reader
Reliance Industries Ltd.
RTI International
Salesforce Foundation
Singer Family Foundation
Stratcomm Africa
Tableau Foundation
Tease and Totes
Team4Tech
The Joy Family Charitable Trust
TT Partnership Ltd.
UNHCR Ghana
ViacomCBS
Vodafone Ghana
Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation
Windy Bay Foundation
WineDirect
World Affairs Council of Sonoma County
World Bank Group
World Vision
Publishers
North America
2911 Productions, LLC
368 Press
A to Z Spirit Publishing
Aaron Zerah (A to Z Spirit Publishing)
Art by Perrin LLC
Blooming Twig Books LLC
BookBox (Planet Read)
Boyds Mills & Kane
Budding Reader
Camfed International
Carus Publishing
Chronicle Books
CK-12 Foundation
Crossway
Dorling Kindersley (Penguin Random House)
Dr. Orly Katz
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Gemma Media
Gemma Open Door for Literacy
Grey Gecko Press, LLC
Grow and Know, Inc.
Hampton Creek Press
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Hesperian Health Guides
InfoMarvel Business Solutions Inc.
Irene Smalls
Iris the Dragon
JasperLark Press
JourneyForth Books
Kids Can Press
Lantana Publishing
LEGO Foundation
Lukeman Literary
Magic Masterminds LLC
Mellanie Bauslaugh
New Readers Press (ProLiteracy)
OnceUponATiger.com
Open Road Integrated Media
Pangea Educational Development Group
Penguin Random House
PRH US
Publerati
Queen Girls Publications, LLC
Ripley’s
RosettaBooks
Saddleback Educational Publishing
Seeds Of Empowerment
Sesame Workshop
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster (including TED)
Smart4Kids
Story Shares
Strategic Book Group Publishers On Demand Global
The International School of Art, Business, and Technology
Urban Fox Studios
USAID/Haiti
Europe and UK
Amma Kyerewaa
Bear Grylls (Bonnier Zaffre Limited)
Birdtree Books
Bispiral SRO
Books Go Walkabout
Children for Health
Crux Publishing
Edebé
Editorial Casals
Ednancy
Egmont UK Limited
elaleph.com (ConTextos)
Feedbooks
Global Grey
HarperCollins UK
Hodder Children’s Books (Hachette Children’s Group)
Hot Key Books (Bonnier Zaffre Limited)
icharacter
Jacaranda Books Art Music Ltd
Lantana Publishing
LJ Ross
New Ventures
Olivier Rebière
Omenala Press Ltd
Open Book Publishers
Peppy Pals
Piccadilly Press (Bonnier Zaffre Limited)
Praski Publishing
Rimal Books
Sant Jordi Asociados
The Good Book Company
The Voices of Future Generations
The Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation
UCL Press
Womancraft Publishing
Tana Press Ltd.
Latin America
Artes de Mexico
Biblioteca Básica de literatura salvadoreña (ConTextos)
Biblioteca Virtual Universal (ConTextos)
Bruño
Ediciones Lexicom
Ediciones Pichoncito
Editorial SM
Etcétera Editores
Industrial Solutions of Peru SAC (Graph Ediciones)
Librodot.com (ConTextos)
Malabares
Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial
Penguin Random House Perú
Planeta
Santillana
Asia and the Middle East
Adam Jade Kadia
Ahlan Simsim (Sesame Workshop)
Asala Publishers
Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC)
BookBox
Dar Al Yasmine Publishing
Dolphin Press
Dorling Kindersley (Penguin Random House)
Eklavya
Goodword Books
Jabal Amman Publishers
Little, Brown & Company
National Council of Educational Research and Training
NCERT
Pickle Yolk Book
Pratham Books
Tulika Publishers
Kitabna
Kalimat Press
Shabaviz Publishing Company
East Africa
African Malaika Inc.
Ariba Book Publishers
Aura Publishers
AWT – Africa Writers Trust
Booktalk Africa Limited
Claim Mabuku
E&D Vision Publishing
East African Educational Publishers
Excel Publishers
FGD Publishers
Focus Publishers Ltd.
Fountain Publishers
Imbada Publishers
Isabella Kamau
Jacaranda Designs
Jane Makena
Jhango Publishers Ltd
Kenya Literature Bureau
Longhorn Publishers
Mangrove Publishers
Master Publishing – The CAN-DO! Company
Mbarathi’s Edge Publishers
MK Publishers Ltd
Mkonko Publishers
Moran Publishers
Mountain Top Publishers
Mudacumura Publishing House
Nabu
NAM Publishers
National Library Services (Malawi)
One Planet Publishing & Media Services Limited
Oxford University Press Tanzania
Pangea Publishing
Phoenix Publishers
Pine Publishers Ltd
Queenex Publishers Limited
Readit Books Ltd.
SBD Books
Shule Direct Tanzania
Single Education and Publishers
St. Bernard Publishers
Storymoja
Tanzania Educational Publishers Ltd
The Jomo Kenyatta Foundation
Tony Mochama
Trends in Education Publishing
Turnaround Supply Solutions
Tusome Early Literacy Programme
Ubongo International
Uganda Modern Literary Digest
WordAlive Publishers
West Africa
Aabok Publications Limited
Adaex Educational Publications
Adwinsa Publications Ghana
Afram Publications (Ghana) Limited
Ama Asantewa Diaka
American University Nigeria
Asempa Publishers
Bookcraft Ltd
Buck Press Limited
Bulkybon Publications
Cassava Republic
Chuma Nwokolo
Cornelia Rowena Amoah
DigiBooks Limited
Dücere Foundation Ltd.
EPP Books Services
Garnet Martmag Ventures
Gemma Media
Ghana Education Service
Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation (GILLBT) and Literacy and Development through Partnership (LDP)
Jemila Abdulai
Kachifo (All Imprints)
Kasahorow Foundation
Kenechi Udogu
Les Editions Ganndal
Literamed Publication Ltd
Malaka Grant
Mountype Publishing
NALAP (Ministry of Education, Ghana)
National Council for Curriculum Assessment
Nike Campbell-Fatoki
Okada Books
Olinga Foundation
Onyinye Ough
Osu Children’s Library
Pages & Stationery LTD
Parrésia Publishers Ltd.
Patricia Dzifa Mensah-Larkai
Quramo Publishing Limited
Rasmed Publications Ltd.
Red Oak Limited
Regener8 Concepts and Investments Ltd
Ruby Yayra Goka
Sage Literary House
Sam-Woode Ltd.
Schools for Salone
Scripture Union of Ghana
Smartline Publishing
Step Publishers
Studio Brian Communications
Sub-Saharan Publishers
Tostan.org
Treasure Books
Winmat Publishers Ltd
Woeli Publishing Services
Southern Africa
AmaBooks
Bhabhu Books
Big Bug Books
Black Letter Media
Cover2Cover
Every1Mobile
Exams Made Easy
Gadsden Publishers
Kidza Books
Maiden Publishing House
Modjaji Books
New Africa Books
Paperight Ltd
Roundhill Books
Short Story Day Africa
Sibahle Productions (Pty) Ltd
Storytime Africa
Tisha Publishers
Weaver Press
YOZA
Australia
Fantastic Phonics
Hardie Grant Egmont
