Donate and Volunteer
Donate to Support Our Programs
The Reading Is Fun Program, Inc. is a local, volunteer-run organization providing needed reading readiness support to our community’s underserved children. Your tax-deductible donation supports our work to recruit and train Reading Partners and distribute books across Schenectady’s public elementary schools. You can donate online using form to the left. Also, checks may be written to “The Reading Is Fun Program, Inc.” and mailed to Reading Is Fun Program, P.O. Box 9437, Schenectady, New York, NY 12309. The Reading Is Fun Program’s EIN number is 99-4988221.
Volunteer as a Reading Partner
RIF’s 100 trained volunteers called “Reading Partners” are the ambassadors of the Program. Each Reading Partner is assigned to a specific classroom at one of Schenectady’s 11 elementary schools. The Partner goes to the classroom each week at a specific time during the school day, and works individually with children. Each child and Partner work together 20-30 minutes, reading, talking and playing literacy games. At each meeting, the child is gifted a book to take home. Over the course of the year, the child builds up a home library of books.
Frequently Asked Questions
Other Volunteer Opportunities
The Reading Is Fun Program also welcomes volunteer support in Event Planning, Fundraising, Marketing, Social Media, and other areas. If you would like to offer your expertise, please email: readingisfunabc123@gmail.com.
Donate books
We seek books for children ages 4-9 in very good to new condition. Please see below for more details on the kinds of books we need. As we have limited space, we aim to ensure that the books we receive are appropriate for our mission. Please email riflibrary@gmail.com if you would like to donate books.
Specific book ideas:
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Early Reader books - With large print and limited vocabulary. Series include: Step Into Reading; I Can Read; etc. with a 1 or 2 on the cover, Non-fiction about animals.
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Shorter Dr. Seuss books - Hop on Pop, Fox in Socks, 10 Apples Up On Top, Put Me In The Zoo.
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Popular Character books – Such as Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, PJ Masks, Fly Guy, Pete the Cat, Super Heroes, Lego, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dora, and Daniel Tiger.
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Beloved themes – For example, princess, unicorn, trucks, airplanes, & animals.
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Classic books - Eric Carle (Brown bear, Polar bear, Caterpillar), Eve Bunting, Rhyming, Going on a Bear Hunt, Itsy Bitsy Spider, etc.
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Newer Classics - Mo Willems and Ted Arnold.
Gather your community to donate!
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Host a book drive for RIF (new and gently used)
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Have a “birthday” fundraiser for RIF on Facebook
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Ask friends to bring a book for RIF when hosting a party
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Any other ideas are welcome!
