# Room to Read

> Room to Read is a global nonprofit working to create a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality. Founded in 2000 after a Microsoft executive's trek through Nepal, it partners with communities and governments to build foundational literacy in early grades and to support girls through secondary school with life-skills and mentorship. As of 2024 it reports reaching more than 50 million children across 28 countries.

- **Founded:** 2000
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founders:** John Wood (Founder (former Microsoft executive)), Erin Keown Ganju (Co-founder), Dinesh Shrestha (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** ~1,100-1,200 staff across roughly 60 offices
- **Products:** Literacy Program, Gender Equality / Girls' Education Program, Local-language publishing, Libraries & learning spaces, Systems & government partnership
- **Notable:** Reached more than 50 million children across 28 countries (as of 2024)., Supported over 3.7 million girls through its Girls' Education Program., Grade 2 children in partner schools read more than twice as many correct words per minute as peers.

## Products & services

- **Literacy Program** — Combines the science of reading with a love of reading to help early-primary children become independent readers in their own language.
- **Gender Equality / Girls' Education Program** — Supports adolescent girls with life-skills curriculum, mentorship and family/community engagement to complete secondary school.
- **Local-language publishing** — Creates and distributes original children's books in dozens of underserved local languages, plus a free digital library (Literacy Cloud).
- **Libraries & learning spaces** — Establishes child-friendly reading rooms and libraries and trains educators to run them.
- **Systems & government partnership** — Works with education ministries and partners to embed proven approaches into public-school systems at scale.

## Achievements

- Reached more than 50 million children across 28 countries (as of 2024).
- Supported over 3.7 million girls through its Girls' Education Program.
- Grade 2 children in partner schools read more than twice as many correct words per minute as peers.
- UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (2011).
- Library of Congress Literacy Award (2014 and 2020).
- Repeated Charity Navigator four-star ratings; HundrED Hall of Fame inclusion (2025).
- On track to invest US$1 billion in foundational learning skills by end of 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2025-02** — CEO Dr. Geetha Murali profiled by YPO; organization on track to invest $1B in foundational learning by end of 2025.
- **2025** — Inducted into the HundrED Hall of Fame.
- **2024** — Reported reaching more than 50 million children across 28 countries; brand refresh around the 'iconic roof' identity.

## Links

- Website: https://www.roomtoread.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/room-to-read
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/roomtoread
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/roomtoread
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roomtoread
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/roomtoread

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/room-to-read
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-01