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Raising a Reader

Raising a Reader supports families and inspires the development of literacy skills and a lifelong love for reading. We help children attain brighter futures in which they can …

Education Milpitas, CA EIN: 943390149 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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80
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
80/100 · methodology

About Raising a Reader

Overview: Raising a Reader is a national nonprofit that partners with parents and educators to create brighter futures for children by strengthening family bonds. Family engagement is at the core of what we do. Our evidence-based programs help caring adults set their children up for success by creating shared reading routines, fostering social emotional learning, healthy family relationships and learning skills needed to thrive in school and beyond. Through easy-to-use, multilingual materials and diverse stories, we meet families where they are and make shared reading more engaging and accessible for all children. Vision: Every child has the family support and reading skills they need to thrive. Mission: Raising a Reader supports families and inspires the development of literacy skills and …

Founded
Headquarters
Milpitas, CA
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
B90
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
medium
Operating in
United States

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 2023

Mission

Raising a Reader supports families and inspires the development of literacy skills and a lifelong love for reading. We help children attain brighter futures in which they can thrive and contribute in school, the workforce and society.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
📚 Education · NTEE B90
Cause tags
SDG alignment The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the global agenda for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity by 2030. We tag each charity to the goals its work advances.
Operating countries (1)
United States

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar education in United States
Program spending This charity: 79%
Peer average: 82%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 6.27%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 80
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for IRS revocation history, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every $1 goes

· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)
$0.79
Program$0.79
79% to programs beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Raising a Reader has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 5 independent sources including the IRS.

  • GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 5 independent sources, led by the IRS - more than 94% of similar organizations. See the sources
  • GiveRadar holds a more complete profile for this organization than for 87% of the 195,586 education charities in the United States it tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
  • It has more complete contact information than nearly all similar organizations, with a verified website, email, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Raising a Reader is a registered education nonprofit based in Milpitas, CA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1999 and has been operating for 27 years. Its EIN is 943390149. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 80/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $5M in annual revenue. 75 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Raising a Reader's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 943390149. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.

Raising a Reader has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 80 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 79% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for education charities in United States is 90/100.

Raising a Reader is located in Milpitas, CA, United States. The organization was established in 1999 and has been active for 27 years.

Based on official tax filings, Raising a Reader has $5M in annual revenue. It allocates 79% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with the average of 82% for education charities in United States. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Raising a Reader is classified as an Education organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a medium organization. It has $5M in annual revenue. The organization has 75 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Raising a Reader. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.

According to GiveRadar's records, Raising a Reader holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 79% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 82%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

Overview: Raising a Reader is a national nonprofit that partners with parents and educators to create brighter futures for children by strengthening family bonds. Family engagement is at the core of what we do. Our evidence-based programs help caring adults set their children up for success by creating shared reading routines, fostering social emotional learning, healthy family relationships and learning skills needed to thrive in school and beyond. Through easy-to-use, multilingual materials and diverse stories, we meet families where they are and make shared reading more engaging and accessible for all children. Vision: Every child has the family support and reading skills they need to thrive. Mission: Raising a Reader... Raising a Reader is classified as an education organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1999.

Among education charities registered in United States: It allocates 79% of expenses to programs, in line with the peer average of 82%. Its annual revenue of $5M is comparable to the peer average of $7M.

Yes, donations to Raising a Reader are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Raising a Reader is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 943390149, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Annual revenue
$1M-$10M
79% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
25

Leadership

From FY2024 filing

MI
Michelle T••••••••
President & CEO

Officers & trustees (19)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

19 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

10 articles found

From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

See tips for beating the 'summer slide' with your young reader - Grice Connect
Jun 2026
www.griceconnect.com
Raising a Reader in the Digital Age - Harvard Graduate School of Education
Jun 2026
www.gse.harvard.edu
Raising readers: Simple ways parents can build strong reading habits - MSN
May 2026
www.msn.com
Raising readers: Simple ways parents can build strong reading habits - The Times of India
Apr 2026
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Letter to the editor by Todd Cole: Raising a reader in times of state testing - New Castle News
Apr 2026
www.ncnewsonline.com
‘Raising a Reader' right at home - NBC Boston
Mar 2026
www.nbcboston.com
Photos: POETRY Boston Hosts Tonya Mezrich for Raising a Reader MA - Boston Magazine
Mar 2026
www.bostonmagazine.com
Form filed
$4.9M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$5.7M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
How to raise a reader: Expert tips for fostering a lifelong love of books - Care.com
Dec 2023
www.care.com
Raising a Reader session held at Marie Bauer Early Education Center - Paso Robles Daily News
Sep 2023
pasoroblesdailynews.com
Form filed
$5.0M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$3.6M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Wash, read, repeat: Raising A Reader turns Cajun Cleaners laundromat into Colorado’s first libromat - Post Independent
Dec 2021
www.postindependent.com
Form filed
$3.2M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education this charity 195,586
Arts & Culture 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 75 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
Supplementary verification
GlobalGiving partner directory
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
100%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2024 on record
  • Named leadership · 75 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1999
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Raising a Reader

What is Raising a Reader?
Raising a Reader is a education publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Milpitas, United States. Overview: Raising a Reader is a national nonprofit that partners with parents and educators to create brighter futures for children by strengthening family bonds. Family engagement is at the core of what we do. Our evidence-based programs help caring adults set their children up for success by creating shared reading routines, fostering social emotional learning, healthy family relationships and learning skills needed to thrive in school and beyond. Through easy-to-use, multilingual materials and diverse stories, we meet families where they are and make shared reading more engaging and accessible for all children. Vision: Every child has the family support and reading skills they need to thrive. Mission: Raising a Reader supports families and inspires the development of literacy skills and a lifelong love for reading to help children attain brighter futures in which they can thrive and contribute in school, the workforce and society. We stand firm in our unwavering commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and improving the lives of children in all communities across the United States. It is our belief that strengthening families and early literacy can be a cornerstone in creating equity and opportunity for all.
When was Raising a Reader founded?
Raising a Reader was founded in 1999.
Who leads Raising a Reader?
Michelle Torgerson serves as President & CEO.
Where is Raising a Reader located?
Headquartered in Milpitas, CA, United States.
What is Raising a Reader's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $1M-$10M. 79% of expenses go to program services.
Is Raising a Reader trustworthy?
Raising a Reader has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Raising a Reader's registration number?
IRS EIN: 943390149.
What is Raising a Reader's website?
http://www.raisingareader.org