Letter from the President & CEO
For 27 years, Raising a Reader has stood alongside families, educators, and community partners, nurturing the next generation of readers through shared reading. And in a world of rapid change and evolving technology, beautiful, physical books remained our constant companion. In 2025, because of this approach, thousands of trusted connections brought our programs to life throughout hundreds of communities, empowering families and igniting children’s literacy journeys and the joy of reading together.
In fact, by working in lockstep with communities, we reached more than 150,000 families in 2025, helping make shared reading a consistent and joyful part of daily life.
Program data show measurable child-level outcomes:
- Children asked to read nearly two additional times per week, and time spent reading together increased from 14 to 23 minutes
- 74% of parents reported observing meaningful gains in their child’s school readiness and curiosity about reading
As we closed 2025, we also concluded our strategic plan. Despite uncertainty, we expanded programmatic reach, strengthened our data and operational systems, and deepened our national partnerships. Over the past three years, our program partner network grew by 40 percent, and we doubled our philanthropic support through meaningful multi-year commitments.
Looking ahead, we carry forward an important lesson. We know that sustainable impact requires disciplined focus including on what we measure, how we grow, and the operating systems that support our work. Our next strategic plan, launching in summer 2026, will focus on disciplined growth, measurable impact, and ensuring literacy continues to light the way for children and families nationwide.
With gratitude,
Michelle Torgerson
President & CEO
Raising a Reader Across the Country
In 2025, Raising a Reader programs helped families build sustainable reading routines. From large urban districts to rural early childhood centers, from tribal communities to multilingual immigrant neighborhoods, Raising a Reader continues to meet families where they are—and help them discover the joy of reading together.
Across the country, families are reading more often, building stronger routines, discovering books that reflect who they are, and gaining confidence in supporting their children’s learning at home.
California – “The books looked like us.”
“At our midpoint check-in, one parent shared how much their family has come to look forward to the weekly book bag rotation. ‘We love the books and there’s so much variety, and they actually look like us.’ She said her daughter lights up when she sees characters who look like her or stories that feel like their own traditions.”
Arizona
North Carolina: “The red bags created our routine.”
“My kids remind me — ‘Mom, we didn’t read our book yet!’ It’s brought us closer.”
Another NC parent wrote:
“Getting new books each week helped us start reading in the car line or the moment we walked through the door.”
RAR helped many NC families establish a reading routine for the first time.
Massachusetts: “Representation made us feel honored.”
A Massachusetts parent shared:
“I enjoyed the stories of Native/Hispanic people. It made me and our people feel seen in an honorable way, and helped us share our culture at home.”Another loved the dual-language books:
“We’ve started a new tradition: learning Spanish words as a family before bedtime.”
New York: “RAR gave us time we didn’t think we had.”
“Before Raising a Reader, we never spent time reading. Now we read every day—sometimes in the car line, sometimes before bed—because the new books made it easy.”
Maryland: “It brought us closer.”
“My daughter lights up when she sees characters that look like her. Before RAR, reading together was hit or miss. Now it’s part of our evening.”
Minnesota: “RAR inspired us to get library cards.”
In the Lakes program, 50% of RAR children now have library cards
Average participation: 2+ years
A parent said: “RAR helped us rediscover our local library. The books inspired us to get library cards again.”