BOOK HARVEST

At Book Harvest, we believe that literacy begins at birth, in the home, with parents. A full 80% of all brain development takes place in the first three years of life – and yet, our country has failed to provide sufficient systems and support to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We must nourish this fertile moment and set the path for every child on a trajectory of flourishing and success – in school and in life.

Now more than ever before, Book Harvest is ready to respond to the clarion call of need in our home state of North Carolina and beyond. We are in a unique position to protect and preserve our future by equipping our next generation with the essential tools and resources for literacy. Book Harvest plans to enable every child in North Carolina -- and the country -- regardless of race or family income, to:​

● start school kindergarten-ready;
● read at grade level​ in third grade and beyond; and
● develop a lifelong love of reading and learning.​

Solving any challenge our society faces begins with the foundation of a literate populace. Whatever issue one cares about – from national security to social mobility, from voting rights to housing, from health care to food security - literacy is where it starts. And we at Book Harvest believe that we know how to get there.

In 2011, Book Harvest stepped onto the stage of youth education and literacy in our community by staking a claim to the conviction that equitable access to resources for everyone in our community is the key to success and prosperity for every child. This work begins at birth, and Book Harvest applies a razor-sharp focus to the role of parents as powerful change agents. The organization has identified books as easily accessible, cost-effective, evidence-informed tools to open the gateway to success for every child in our midst -- success in school and success in life. Why books? In "The Literacy Crisis: False Claims, Real Solutions," Jeff McQuillan reports that the biggest predictor of academic success is not race, income, gender, or parents' education; it is the presence of books in the home. In over 12 years of work, Book Harvest has provided over 2 million books to children and established a broad and deep partnership with business leaders and owners, dedicated volunteers, community activists, schools, families, and complementary organizations.

In its second decade of work, Book Harvest is still committed to book abundance, early literacy support, and promoting a community-wide culture of literacy. In addition, the organization is dedicated to transforming childhood literacy in Durham and beyond. By launching Book Harvest Durham, Book Harvest is taking its signature literacy programs to scale in Durham to reach every child and family with books and literacy support and continuing to pilot new program innovations and policy initiatives in the organization's home community.

Beyond Durham, Book Harvest, Inc. is replicating its core literacy initiatives in new communities, conducting research on early literacy and book access strategies, releasing and publishing research findings, developing spheres of influence to advocate for and shape public policy, convening regional and national networks of literacy partners and stakeholders to build community-based transformation roadmaps.

We have established a broad and deep partnership with business leaders and owners, dedicated volunteers, fellow community activists, schools, families, and complementary organizations over our first six years that has enabled Book Harvest to provide over 2 million books to children and families in our community.

o Since our founding in 2011, Book Harvest has raised over $10,000,000.
o Revenues have increased year-over-year, from $5,255 in 2011 to $2,729,700 in 2022, ending every year in the black.
o We have a diversified portfolio of funders, including individuals, foundations, government, and corporations/businesses.
o We have an 12-year history of balanced budgets and clean annual audits.
o We hold an unwavering commitment to holding an operating reserve fund equal to six months of expenses since 2013, as stipulated in our board-approved operating reserve policy. As of this writing, the operating reserve is fully funded.
o We are in the early stages of a legacy/planned giving program as an onramp to establishing an endowment.
o We developed and maintain an annual scorecard to measure quantitative and qualitative benchmarks of progress (from diversity of staff to experiences of inclusivity). We report to all staff and board about our progress on these benchmarks annually.

Book Harvest recent successes include:
1) Providing our 2 millionth book to a child (May 2023);
2) Reaching 14,208 K – 5th Grade students in 35 schools in four counties, providing 70,389 books through our 2023 Books on Break program;
4) The appointment of founder Ginger Young as Chief Executive Officer, Book Harvest, Inc. to catalyze and maximize Book Harvest’s impact, scale, and policy influence within and beyond Durham;
5) Equipping 263 K-5 classroom libraries in 11 schools with over 23,000 culturally inclusive children’s books (in 2022);
6) Training leaders in 76 NC counties about implementation strategies for Books on Break through NC Center for Afterschool Programs;
7) Awards and Recognition: Family Forward NC Certified; Best Children's Nonprofit in Durham Co ('23), Best Literary Org in the Triangle ('22) INDY Week; G. Young Women in Business Award, Triangle Bus. Jrnl ('22); M. Barak, Education Equity Fellow, LatinxEd ('21); Library of Congress Literacy Award Winner('20);
8) Installing 30+ new Book Boxes around Durham;
9) In July 2022, Book Harvest unveiled its 7th laundromat partner location.

Internal Research and Evaluation:
1) Randomized Control Trial (RCT) Evaluation: The conclusion of three years of an external evaluation by nationally renowned Principal Investigator Dr. Iheoma Iruka indicates that Book Babies has the potential to enhance early language and literacy development in children from birth to age 3.

2) Analyses of Parent Focus Groups: Just published in the renowned Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, “In their own words: Parents' voices about a book-provision program" presents the findings of 12 intensive focus groups with 43 Book Babies parents. Written by prominent Early Childhood Education researcher, Dr. Cristina Gillanders, and Book Harvest’s Director of Early Literacy, Meytal Barak, the article presents the impact of Book Babies on parents’ knowledge about childhood development; interest in and excitement about reading with their children; and participation in new activities that promote early literacy and language development.

3) Annual Parent Surveys: The 2021 Book Babies Family Survey reveals the impact of the program on families. Among the findings:
▪ 98% say Book Babies supports them in including early literacy strategies at home;
▪ 99% report that the program has a direct impact on their children’s early language and literacy;
▪ 94% state that Book Babies helps them create a daily reading routine.

4) National Research Briefing: In September 2021, we hosted our first-ever national research briefing entitled “Parents Make the Difference.” More than 70 organizations from across the country brought participants to learn about the impact of Book Babies on shared reading routines among families and the development of early childhood literacy and language development. Our 2nd national occurred on 10/26/22. The focus was on book access for all children; more than 80 in attendance.