01Access
We put high-quality, age-appropriate books into the hands of young people at no cost, through organized book drives and community distribution.
Readers Are Leaders, Inc.
Read.Think.Lead.
A more equitable tomorrow through literacy, leadership and opportunity.
Readers Are Leaders advances literacy, leadership and opportunity by connecting young people with books, meaningful educational experiences, mentorship and pathways toward stronger futures.
501(c)(3) Public CharityAtlanta, Georgia
Readers become thinkers.
Thinkers become leaders.
Leaders create choices.
Choices create futures.
Reading creates choices
The Challenge01
Access changes what’s possible.
Children growing up in economically disadvantaged communities can face significant barriers to educational opportunity — inadequate access to books, enrichment programs, mentorship and positive educational experiences outside of school.
Readers Are Leaders addresses one fundamental component of that challenge: access to books, combined with the motivation to read them. Talent exists everywhere. Opportunity does not.
A book shouldn’t be a privilege.
Our Model02
From reading to leadership.
Books are the entry point, not the destination. Each stage is what makes the next one possible.
Book Access
A book of their own, chosen and kept.
Reading Engagement
Reading becomes something they want to do.
Critical Thinking
Questions, interpretation, disagreement.
Communication
Saying what they think so others understand.
Confidence
Self-belief that holds up under pressure.
Leadership
Responsibility taken, not assigned.
Opportunity
Education, training and a future with options.
Our Program Architecture03
Four parts, built to hold each other up.
Access without engagement is a book on a shelf. Engagement without mentorship runs out of road. The programme is designed as one system.
02Engagement
We create consistent, meaningful reading experiences — reading sessions, book discussions, literacy challenges and community events that make reading worth showing up for.
03Mentorship
We connect young people with authors, educators, entrepreneurs and community leaders who can speak to what education actually opened for them.
04Leadership
We develop communication, critical thinking, confidence, responsibility and constructive decision-making — the skills reading is a route into, not the end of.
12-Month Program Targets
- 2,000
- BooksTarget
- 500
- Young PeopleTarget
- 6+
- Community EventsTarget
- 12
- MonthsProgram Duration
These figures are the objectives of the proposed 12-month initiative, not results achieved. Verified results will be published as programming is delivered.
Impact Story001
A different path.
We found another door.
Through placement approval at THOR-approved Serenity House, a young person found an alternative to incarceration — gaining structure, accountability, education and a real opportunity to build a brighter future.
Real opportunities change lives.
Read the full account
- One young person.
- One opportunity.
- A different path forward.
Good intentions aren’t enough.
Impact should be measurable.
Readers Are Leaders is a new organization. We would rather publish a measurement framework we intend to be held to than publish numbers we cannot stand behind. Here is what we will count, and how.
- Access
- Books provided to young people
- Reach
- Students and communities served
- Engagement
- Participation in programs and events
- Community
- Community partners and collaborations
- Change
- Participant attitudes toward reading and education
- Confidence
- Educational engagement, communication and future readiness
Partnership04
Build this with us.
Readers Are Leaders is young by design and deliberate about it. What we need now is the thing every young organization needs: people and institutions willing to be early.
Fund
Foundations, corporations and major donors
Underwrite books, events and the measurement that proves they worked. Grant-ready documentation and a defined 12-month objective set are available on request.
Discuss fundingPartner
Schools, publishers, bookstores and organizations
Host an event, supply books at cost or in kind, open a venue, or bring us to the young people you already serve.
Explore partnershipServe
Mentors, authors, educators and volunteers
Read with young people, speak at an event, help run a book drive, or mentor beyond the event itself.
Volunteer or mentor
- 501(c)(3)Public CharityIRC §509(a)(2) · Exempt since March 3, 2025
- GeorgiaAtlanta, GA1428 Rome Drive Northwest
- Tax-DeductibleContributionsDeductible under IRC §170
- IRS DeterminationLetter on fileEIN 33-4142527
- GovernanceBoard & PoliciesDocumentation in development
- ContactGet in touchInquiries and due diligence
We’re not simply giving young people books.
We’re helping them discover what those books can unlock.