Children's Literacy Foundation

The Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF) partners with schools, libraries, and other community organizations to inspire a love of reading and writing in low-income, at-risk, and rural Vermont and New Hampshire children up to age 12.

How we do it:
CLiF works with New Hampshire and Vermont organizations that serve children at risk of growing up with low literacy skills. We provide inspiring presentations, free books, and support. Our work supplements existing programming or helps create opportunities to introduce literacy topics. Our partners include schools, libraries, prisons, shelters, refugee programs, camps, nutrition programs, and others.

Five free community-based programs
CLiF Year of the Book, Rural Libraries, Children of Prison Inmates, Summer Readers, and At-Risk Children. The first three are in-depth, community-focused programs implemented over a year or more. The last two are one-time presentations and book giveaways. There is an application process for each program. All programs are free for our partners.

Book giveaways and the power of choice:
CLiF donates brand-new, high-quality children’s books directly to children. At book giveaways, children are invited to select books to keep from a vast selection reflecting hundreds of possible interests. Children who choose their own reading material are more likely to read for pleasure and develop stronger literacy skills. That positive association with books is especially important for the many children we serve who own no other books at all.

Employ local creative talent:
CLiF hires 50 professional authors, illustrators, poets, and storytellers to lead workshops and presentations. All CLiF presenters live in New Hampshire or Vermont. Our accomplished roster includes winners of the Newbury and Dorothy Canfield Fisher medals among other prestigious awards.

History, impact, and funding:
Since Duncan McDougall founded CLiF in 1998, we have reached almost 160,000 children, given away more than $3 million in new books, and served more than 400 towns. CLiF relies entirely on private sources for funding and accepts no state or federal support.