How Can I Help

Help RIF provide high-quality literacy resources to the children who need it most! We promise that you'll enjoy making a difference in young people's lives! To learn more about how you can help, visit the following:

Advocate

Join RAN and be a part of RIFstory!

Why Advocacy?

Congress and RIF: Understanding Your Role

Did you realize that without funding from Congress, most RIF programs would not exist?

Federal funding for RIF is never guaranteed. Each year, when the appropriations process begins in February, RIF must go before the members of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee and ask for funds that will allow us to serve existing RIF programs and begin new programs that will serve children on the RIF waitlist.

In difficult fiscal times, Congress must make tough decisions about which programs to fund or cut. If members of Congress do not recognize that federal dollars given to RIF are an important investment in the education of children in their community, then they will believe that those funds can be better utilized somewhere else.

Would you continue to write a check for millions of dollars to give to a program if you didn’t know whether that program made a difference?

Your elected representative will listen to you because the voice of a constituent is a powerful tool. If RIF is to continue to be funded, program coordinators, site coordinators, children, parents, caregivers, and everyone who believes that RIF makes a difference needs to communicate that message to their members of Congress often!

If you believe that RIF books, resources, and motivational activities make a difference in the lives and education of children and their families, then you must share this with your representative and senators. We’re ready to help you reach out to your member of Congress now.

Developing a Relationship with Your Elected Officials

Pick up the phone.

Make yourself heard by picking up the phone and talking with your elected officials or their staff.

Send an email.

Communicate with your elected officials electronically to show your support in a quick and efficient way;

Write a letter.

Write letters periodically to members of Congress telling them how RIF impacts children and communities;

Start a children's letter-writing campaign.

Educate and inspire your lawmaker by starting a RIF kids’ letter writing campaign to Congress;

Schedule a visit.

Visit with members of Congress during various recesses when they are in their home state/district;

Host an event.

Invite members of Congress to attend or participate in a RIF book distribution/motivational event;

Publicize your program.

Ensure that your message gets heard by involving your local media.

Who’s Who in the 111th Congress

It’s critical that the senators and representatives of the 111th Congress, who sit on appropriations committees (that fund RIF) and those who sit on Education Committees (that review and renew the laws that authorize the RIF program) in the House and Senate, know, understand, and believe in your RIF program. We’re ready to help you reach out to these members of Congress now.

Appropriations Committees:

Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee

House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee

Education Committees:
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
House Education and Labor Committee

Volunteering with RIF

What Do RIF Volunteers Do?

RIF volunteers do many things, including the following:

Select and order books.
RIF's national headquarters provides information about book suppliers to local programs. Volunteers can request catalogs, familiarize themselves with children's literature, compare book costs and services, and select and order books for distribution.

Organize or participate in book events.
Volunteers devise themes, create activities, decorate event areas, make refreshments, and encourage children to select their own books.

Read books aloud and tell stories.
Some volunteer readers dress as storybook characters; others attend reading events wearing their hats as civic leaders, professionals, community activists, and business owners, among others.

Plan or conduct reading activities.
With help from RIF's national office and other local RIF programs, volunteers plan and conduct reading motivation activities.

Bring the community to RIF programs.
Volunteers might include local celebrities, children's book authors and illustrators, or community members, invited to talk to children about the importance of reading.

Raise awareness of RIF and children's literacy.
The more visible a RIF program is, the more support it generates. Volunteers create fliers, posters, and newsletters, and invite local media to events and celebrations.

Raise funds.
Volunteers hold fundraising activities, write grant proposals, and solicit funding and in-kind contributions from local businesses.

There are several opportunities for volunteers all across the country. Contact RIF at 1-877-RIF-READ to locate your local chapter.

Tell Your RIF Alumni Story

Were YOU a RIF kid?

There are millions of adults across the country who were once in a RIF program. Some don't even remember the name Reading Is Fundamental – they just remember the excitement of a book distribution and taking home a new book of their very own.

We love hearing from RIF alums who remember their first book or a fun RIF activity. If you were once involved in a RIF program, tell us your story. You're a part of Generation RIF, a group that spans many states, decades, and stories.

Tell Your RIF Story Now!