roomto read overview deck sept2008 masterpp tminimizer

World Change Startswith Educated Children. ®

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Overview of Room to ReadAs of September 2008

World Change Starts with Educated Children


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Background on Room to Read


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Our Mission

We partner with local communities throughout the developing world to provide quality educational opportunities by establishing libraries, creating local language children's literature, constructing schools, providing education to girls and establishing computer labs. We seek to intervene early in the lives of children in the belief that education empowers people to improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries and future generations. Through the opportunities that only education can provide, we strive to break the cycle of poverty, one child at a time.


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Why Focus on Education?

• A Global Problem*• 774 million adults are illiterate• 2/3 are female• 77 million children do not

attend primary school• Over 200 million more are not currently enrolled in secondary school

• Education: A Global Solution• Self-sufficiency and Empowerment• Improved Health• Economic Growth• Slower Population Growth• Global Peace

*Source: UNESCO


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Where We Work

Together sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are home to more than 74% of the children not enrolled in primary school in the world.*

*Source: UNESCO


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Our Current Geographic Focus – Asia

• Nepal

• India

• Sri Lanka

• Vietnam

• Cambodia

• Laos

• Bangladesh

(program launch 2009)


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Our Current Geographic Focus – Africa

• South Africa

• Zambia


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Our Five Core Programs

4. School Room

1. Reading Room

5. Computer Room

3. Girls’ Education 2. Local Language

Publishing


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Reading Room Program

• We establish bilingual libraries filled with local language and English children’s books, posters, maps, and other resources.

• Additionally, we provide three years of training on library management, sustainability, and engaging the children in library activities.

• We deploy a flexible model with 6 different types of libraries – from free-standing buildings to mobile libraries to classroom libraries – to meet the needs of the local communities.


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Local Language Publishing Program

• We source new content from local writers and illustrators and publish high-quality local language children’s books for distribution throughout our network of libraries.

• We seek to develop the talent of new and emerging authors and illustrators through author and illustrator workshops. These workshops not only provide content for our Local Language Publishing Program, but also build capacity of up-and-coming local artists.

• Room to Read currently publishes new children’s book titles in 19 different languages.


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Girls’ Education Program

• We fund long-term educational opportunities for underprivileged young girls to ensure their ability to complete secondary school.

• The holistic Girls’ Education Program encompasses a range of services, including:

Exam and tutoring fees; Backpacks, uniforms, and school

supplies; Transportation, boarding, and

medical coverage, as needed; Life skills training; Workshops for parents and school

administrators; Vocational opportunities and

exposure; and Female mentoring.


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School Room Program

• We partner with communities to build government schools to replace dilapidated structures, alleviate overcrowded classrooms, and provide communities with new schools.

• We construct preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools to suit the needs of a given community.

• Local communities co-invest with us through Challenge Grants, where they donate land, materials, and labor to cover a significant portion of the cost.


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Computer Room Program

• We establish computer labs to provide students with 21st century skills – such as technology literacy and global awareness – to helpthem better compete for employment opportunities.

• Computer labs also act as powerful motivators to keep children in school; as such, computer classes are often offered in grades where dropout rates are the highest.

• We are currently implementing a pilot project to bring internet access to a number of wireless labs in order to better connect these students with the rest of the world.


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Successes and Results to Date

Room to Read has brought improved educational infrastructure and opportunities to more than 1.9 million children by the end of 2008 by:

• Constructing 442 schools;• Establishing over 5,630 libraries;• Publishing 226 new local

language children’s titles, representing over 2 million books;

• Providing holistic, long-term educational opportunities to 6,922 girls; and

• Establishing 155 computer and language labs.


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Monitoring & Evaluation

Room to Read is committed to the highest quality programs that provide the greatest benefits to children in the developing world. To this end, we monitor and evaluate our programs on an ongoing basis to:

• Track project information to ensure that we work effectively toward our goals and objectives;

• Identify strengths and weaknesses to inform program decisions and make timely improvements;

• Facilitate dialogue with stakeholders regarding progress toward desired objectives; and

• Provide accurate, relevant and timely data and information to stakeholders.


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Our InvestorsRoom to Read has a diverse funding base of individuals and a growing number of blue chip corporation and foundation supporters.


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Recent PR & Press Success

Room to Read has been fortunate to receive a great deal of positive PR. Some highlights include:


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Awards & RecognitionThe Fast Company / Monitor Social Capitalist Award – Room to Read is one of only 10 organizations that has won the award five years in a row, every year since the award's inception.

Charity Navigator’s “4 Star” Charity Rating – Room to Read is one of only 15% of charities rated by Charity Navigator that has received at least 2 consecutive 4-star ratings.

Salesforce.com’s “Force for Change” Award – Room to Read was one of only 10 non-profits to receive this award in 2007.

Skoll Foundation and Draper Richards Foundation Awards – Room to Read won the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship 2004-2006 and 2006-2008, and the Draper Richards Fellowship 2002-2004.

AED “Breakthrough Ideas in Education” Award – Room to Read's Local Language Publishing Program was one of only 6 winners in 2007.

American Library Association Award – Room to Read received the 2008 Presidential Citation for International Innovation.


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Room to Read Business Model


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What Differentiates Room to Read

• Strong, entrepreneurial local teams

• Community co-investment through Challenge Grants

• Running Room to Read like a business

• Worldwide chapter fundraising model


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Strong and Entrepreneurial Local Teams

• We hire and empower local teams to run our in-country programs. This decentralizes decision-making to ensure local contextualization of our work.

• Led by experienced local Country Directors, these talented teams know local languages and customs, have experience in their programs, and are able to work with the communities and the government to successfully implement our programs in a flexible and efficient manner.


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Community Co-Investment through Challenge Grants

Room to Read implements a Challenge Grant model, whereby communities must be willing to contribute to the project – either by donating labor or materials, providing space or staff, or by raising money. The Challenge Grants ensure local ownership and promote the long-term sustainability of each project.


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Running Room to Read like a Business

• Thinking big – our long-term goal is to reach 10 million children by 2020;

• Scaling rapidly to meet demand, while also constantly improving quality;

• Focusing on measurable results;

• Operating efficiently and effectively, allowing maximum investment in our educational programs; and

• Treating donors as investors through frequent donor reporting.

We incorporate a number of strategies and tactics borrowed from the business world, including:


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Chapter Model – Fundraising Roots around the World

In 2007 our volunteer network grew to 33 worldwide chapters in 12 countries, with more than 2,300 volunteers networking, planning events, and raising awareness for Room to Read. Collectively, the chapters raised more than $6 million in 2007 – more than 40% of Room to Read’s operating budget for the year! For 2008, they have committed to raising $7.6 million.


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2008 and Beyond


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Projected Program Growth Through 2010

Reading Room Program

By the end of 2010, we estimate that we will have established over 10,000 libraries across the developing world.

26 86 296

843

1,473

2,587

3,544

5,167

7,095

9,025

10,955

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008E 2009E 2010E


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Local Language Publishing Program

By the end of 2010, we will continue to add numerous new children’s books to our libraries and will soon have printed over 550 titles in over 20 languages.

0 0 0 6 33

77

144

226

316

432

584

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008E 2009E 2010E


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Girls’ Education Program

By the end of 2010, we will have over 11,000 girls on our long-term education program.

10 32 133416

975

1,757

2,336

4,036

7,090

8,904

11,655

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008E 2009E 2010E


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School Room Program

By the end of 2010, we will have partnered with over 1,400 communities to build new schools.

2 13 32 63110

197287

442

720

1,046

1,419

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008E 2009E 2010E


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Growth with Quality – Key Program Initiatives for 2008

All Programs• Layer our work across programs to maximize benefit

to a given community / set of students.

• Consolidation of work to serve most disadvantaged populations within each country.

Reading Room Program• Pilot new types of libraries such as classroom

libraries, community libraries, and mobile book carts.

• Continued focus on usage and reading through the testing of a new primary reading program in India to provide teachers with a systematic way to promote language acquisition.

• Continue to improve librarian training component of program.

Local Language Publishing Program• Develop targeted materials for specific age ranges.

• Enhance author and illustrator workshops.


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Growth with Quality – Key Program Initiatives for 2008

Girls’ Education Program• Enhance existing life skills workshops for girls and

explore vocational training/exposure for girls in secondary school.

• Pilot a program to target out-of-school girls in certain geographies.

School Room Program• Pilot a partnership with the Nepal Government to

provide technical supervisory services to help direct the construction of more than 130 schools.

• Further develop preschool teacher training.

Computer Room Program• Review the Computer Room Program model to

evaluate cost effectiveness and sustainability.

• Pilot our first series of wireless labs to connect students to high-speed internet.


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Growth with Quality – M&E and Expansion Plans

2008 Monitoring & Evaluation Plans

• Implement new internal monitoring plans for each program across each country in 2008.

• Design and begin conducting first cross-national M&E study for Reading Room Program and conduct desk-research and/or an evaluation for the Local Language Publishing Program.

• Design and begin conducting country-specific evaluations for Room to Grow, School Room, and Computer Room Programs.

• Hire M&E Program Officers in Africa.

Expansion

• Begin Zambia program rollout.

• Hire Country Director and begin registration in Bangladesh.

• Finish and analyze China Expansion Study.


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Thank you for your interest in Room to Read and our goal of providing educational opportunities to millions of children

throughout the developing world.

roomto read overview deck sept2008 masterpp tminimizer

Education

school room program

local communities

secondary school education

local language andenglish

highquality local language

local writers

local languagepublishing

primary school