The Better World Books / NCFL Libraries & Families Award

Posted by admin on 07.11.2009 at 7:00 am

blog-awardWe are so proud to be working with the National Center for Family Literacy on a new national award for libraries.

The Better World Books/NCFL Libraries and Families Award is three $10,000 grants that will be given to three different library recipients each year to help enhance family programming already under way in library settings. The award will connect more families to their local libraries and expand their literacy efforts in new and innovative ways.

We work with over 1,800 libraries across the country, so we know how passionate they are about literacy. We also know how tough this economy is and how hard it is to get funding for much needed programs. That is why we are so proud to be partnering with NCFL on this award.

For more details, check out our press release – or just go to www.famlit.org where libraries can also submit their contact information and be notified when the application is available.

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We found a new way to support our Non-Profit Literacy Partners

Posted by admin on 06.16.2009 at 1:24 pm

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Great news!  As you probably already know, promoting literacy has always been woven into the fabric of our business.  Now we’re delighted to announce we’ve given an ownership stake to our non-profit literacy partners.   Yup…we’ve granted Incentive Stock Options to these partners – as far as we know, a first for social enterprise.

The purpose of the plan, put together with the help of our primary investor, Good Capital, is to ensure that our literacy partners can have a stake in and share in our financial success.

We’ve put aside roughly 5% of the company for use in stock option grants to an initial group of five literacy partners (with potential to add others in the future):  Books for Africa, Invisible Children, Room To Read, WorldFund and the National Center for Family Literacy.

One of our fearless leaders Xavier Helgesen puts it best:  “We created Better World Books to show that it is possible to do good while at the same time run a successful company.  Our literacy partners are essential to our mission, and we want them to flourish.  Today’s announcement ensures that as our company grows, our partners will too.”

Check out the press release to get all the details. Or read more about it at Change.org.

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We can’t thank you enough!

Posted by Dana on 05.07.2009 at 12:31 pm

bw_255x54It is because of you — all of you — our amazing customers, book drive organizers, librarians, fans and friends that we were voted THE MOST PROMISING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR by Business Week.

We are so proud of what your support has been able to do for our Non-Profit partners.  So far we have:

  • Raised over $6 million for Literacy
    • $3.5 million for over 80 literacy and education nonprofits
    • $2.5 million for libraries and thrift stores nationwide
  • Contributed more than $1.3 million to college service clubs who have run book drives
  • Directly sent more than 1.3 million books to Books for Africa, the National Center for Family Literacy, and Feed the Children
  • Collected over 20 million books through active book drives at over 1,800 colleges and universities and collections from over 1,500 libraries


With your help, Books for Africa, Invisible Children, Worldfund, Room to Read and the National Center for Family Literacy are doing amazing things to increase literacy around the world!

Thanks!  And please keep spreading the word!

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