25 and growing!

When kids are young, we mark their growth in a variety of ways: in pounds and inches, in first words and first steps, and in learned skills, like reading and writing. We snap photos and videos, keep journals and scrapbooks to capture it all, as they journey toward becoming the people they’re meant to be.

At Ready Readers, we measure our growth in numerous ways, as well. In the number of kids and classrooms we serve, in the number of books given, in the community partnerships we’ve built, and in our future plans, as we journey toward becoming the organization we’re meant to be.

This year, at age 25, we’re happy to report that Ready Readers is experiencing a growth spurt!

Storytime Hits New Heights

In the 2021-22 school year, Ready Readers broadened Storytime options to reach more children, families and classrooms. In addition, we deepened and expanded relationships with community partners and explored new ways of putting books into the hands of children in our region. As a result, we saw increases in each of these key areas:

13,469 children served

+14%

114,167 books given away

+20%

1,018 classrooms served

+17%

267 early childhood centers served

+16%

Our Reach is Expanding

In a big shift, guided by our 3-year strategic plan, Ready Readers expanded the Storytime Program this year to reach new audiences in new spaces.

We are excited to report that Ready Readers brought Storytime to 15 kindergarten classrooms as part of a pilot program. This marks the first time our organization has extended the program into elementary schools — but it won’t be the last. We will continue to work with school districts to expand the program to kindergarten classrooms throughout the region.

This year also saw expansion of the Storytime Program into in-home childcare centers. Here, Ready Readers provides literacy supports, along with read-aloud sessions and take-home books for children who may not have books at home.

UP NEXT: Ready Readers is preparing to launch a Neighborhood Reading Captains program, encouraging development of early literacy skills street by street, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood. Watch for more details, coming soon!

Community Partners

At Ready Readers, our community partners assist our efforts to reach families in need. Together, we ensure kids of all backgrounds have access to books and opportunities to learn outside the classroom, so they’re eager to learn to read by kindergarten.

We are grateful for our longstanding relationships with early childhood education centers, as well as our community partners, including the following organizations who joined us in service this year.

Alleluia Baskets

Care STL Health

Children's Education Alliance of Missouri

Common Goals and Minds

Generate Health

Midtown Community Services

Mission: St. Louis

The Women's Safe House

We’ve Opened New Channels
of Communication

Gathering feedback from our constituents — volunteers, teachers and young learners — is a long Ready Readers tradition. We rely on their input to inform our work and help us improve the services we provide.

This year, we moved beyond our traditional surveys, adding teacher focus groups to gather in-depth feedback, hear concerns sooner, and respond in real time. Plus, for the first time, we included parents in our survey, giving us a window into the impact of Ready Readers at home. Some highlights:

100%

Teachers who said Ready Readers increased student engagement and enjoyment of books

81%

Teachers who agreed that Ready Readers enhances their teaching of literacy skills and increases their use of books in the classroom

83%

Parents who stated Ready Readers materials help them feel supported in reading with their children at home

25 Years

Big Changes in an Already-Big Year

The growth we’ve experienced in all of these areas would be cause for celebration in any given year. But this was no ordinary year for Ready Readers. In 2021-22, we celebrated our 25th anniversary as an organization dedicated to developing young readers across our region. Plus, we were overjoyed to give away our one-millionth book!

We marked these momentous occasions with celebrations and tributes throughout the year, including Storybook Walks featuring our one-millionth book, Cannon’s Crash Course, as well as speaking events with the book’s author, Mon Trice. We thanked our volunteers, educators and partner sites with yard signs, and held our first-ever community block party, featuring food, live storytelling, book giveaways, games, music and more. The event was a huge success with more than 400 people in attendance!

Books To Read at Home

Ready Readers carefully selects engaging, age-appropriate books kids (and teachers!) will want to read again and again. We give those books to children so that they may have a home library to call their own. It’s a key component of our Storytime Program, made possible by our generous donors.

< Swipe for titles >

  • Ages 3-5
  • Rosa's Big Pizza Experiment

    Rosa's Big Pizza Experiment

  • Frisky Brisky Hippity Hop

    Frisky Brisky Hippity Hop

  • Mr. Scruff

    Mr. Scruff

    With funding from

    Nestlé Purina PetCare

  • Tiptoe Joe

    Tiptoe Joe

  • Zoo Day

    Zoo Day

    With funding from

    The Bayer Fund

  • Cannon's Crash Course

    Cannon's Crash Course

  • Giraffes Can't Dance

    Giraffes Can't Dance

  • Daniel's Good Day

    Daniel's Good Day

    With funding from

    Crawford Taylor Foundation

  • Rosa's Big Sunflower Experiment

    Rosa's Big Sunflower Experiment

  • Age 2
  • The Little Lion Who Lost Her Roar

    The Little Lion Who Lost Her Roar

  • Splish, Splash, Ducky!

    Splish, Splash, Ducky!

  • Wheels at Work Construction

    Wheels at Work Construction

  • I Spy on the Farm

    I Spy on the Farm

    With funding from

    NISA Charitable Fund

  • Walk and See ABC

    Walk and See ABC

    With funding from

    NISA Charitable Fund

  • Leo Can Swim

    Leo Can Swim

  • Ages Under 2
  • Hey Diddle Diddle

    Hey Diddle Diddle

  • Shapes with Little Fish

    Shapes with Little Fish

  • Peekaboo Morning

    Peekaboo Morning

  • Play Time, Puppy!

    Play Time, Puppy!

  • Peekaboo Baby Lift the Flaps

    Peekaboo Baby Lift the Flaps

    With funding from

    NISA Charitable Fund

  • Eating the Rainbow

    Eating the Rainbow

    With funding from

    NISA Charitable Fund

  • On the Go!

    On the Go!

  • Bath! Bath! Bath!

    Bath! Bath! Bath!

Previous Next

Find More Of Our Favorite Books Check out our book lists

Thank You, Donors!

Many people are important to the growth of Ready Readers: our volunteers, teachers, board members, community partners, and staff. But none of us could do the work we do without donor support. Your giving puts readers in classrooms and books in kids’ hands — a powerful combination that unlocks imagination and introduces a new generation to the power and joy of early literacy.

VIEW FULL DONOR LIST

Ready Readers Supporters

JULY 1, 2021 – JUNE 30, 2022

The Abeles Family

Barry and Jackie Albrecht

Ameren Corporation Charitable Trust

American Direct Marketing Resources

Anonymous (8)

Kelly and Doug Armstrong

Rick and Liz Aurbach

Dana and Tim Bacich

William S. Barnickel Foundation

Kevin and Julie Beattie

Greg and Caron Bedell*

Andrew and Renee Bell

Bellwether Foundation, Inc.

Karen and Philip Berger

Gertrude and William A. Bernoudy Foundation

Bishop Family Charitable Fund

BJC HealthCare

Terry and Gordon Bloomberg

Jim and Martha Bogart*

Boniface Foundation

Velma Boyer

Francesca and Ryan Brady

Craig and Risa Brown

Build-A-Bear Foundation

Cardinals Care

Centene Charitable Foundation

Cigna Foundation

Maxine Clark and Robert Fox Charitable Foundation

Robert and Dana Connon

Madonna Cotlar

Pat Cox and Graham Colditz

Crawford Taylor Foundation

Whitney and Tom Cummins

Susan Darcy*

Kathy Davis

Delta Dental of Missouri

Laura Deutsch

Judy and Larry Deutsch

Kim and Dave Dieffenbacher

Nancy and DJ Diemer

Dula Kobusch Charitable Trust

Dunagan Foundation, Inc.

William and Joan Edmonds Foundation

Emerson

ESCO Technologies Foundation

Alison and John Ferring

Steve and Linda Finerty

First Bank

Andrew Foreman

Gretta Forrester-Gaffney*

Sam and Marilyn Fox Foundation

Susan K. Goldberg

Paul Goldberg

Great Southern Bank

Greater St. Louis Book Fair

Guth Foundation Charitable Trust

Josh and Sarah Hager

Patrick Hamacher*

Myles and Clare Hansen

Marcia Hart and Gene Fluri

Vicki and Doug Hill

Tom and Jennifer Hillman

Hoagland Charitable Fund

Brian and Kris Hogan

Mike and Martha Hogan*

David and Lisa Holley

Natasha Hrycauk

Incarnate Word Foundation-Missouri

JC Penney Communities Foundation

Nancy Kalishman

Wayne C. Kaufmann Charitable Foundation

Carole and Russ Kirk

Frederick Klein

Gretchen Krieg-Loudermilk*

Jayne Langsam*

Rebecca Leiderman

Ned and Sally Lemkemeier

Ken and Pam Lester

Luxco, Inc.

MAI Capital Management

Dick and Claire Marx

Marcia Matthews and Albert Caiazzo

Elizabeth McClard*

Susan McCollum

Alicia McDonnell

Ben and Marilyn McDougall

Bridgette and Tom McMillin

McPheeters and Rickard Family Fund

Jessica and Andrew Millner

Missouri Employers Mutual

Modestus Bauer Foundation

Moneta Group Charitable Foundation

Denise Mulle

NAILBA Charitable Foundation

Nestle Purina PetCare

Andy and Peggy Newman

NISA Charitable Fund

Norman J. Stupp Foundation - Commerce Bank, Trustee

Rhona Nussbaum

Helen O'Connor

John and Linda O'Hara

W. Michael Panneton

Pecha Family Foundation

Jessica Perkins

Pershing Charitable Trust

Pettus Foundation

Cindy Petzoldt

John Phillips

Frederick Pitzman Fund

PNC Foundation

Pott Foundation

Paul and Judy Putzel

The Rafael Family

Susan Rainer

Marilyn and Gary Ratkin

Steve and Sally Reynolds*

RGA Reinsurance Group of America

Megan Nangle Riley and Perron Riley

Ken Rinderknecht and Barbara Wallace

Paula and Rodger Riney

Peggy and Jerry Ritter

Shawn and Paula Robinson*

Rotary Club of Saint Louis

S.M.Wilson & Co.

Beverlee Sagel*

The Saigh Foundation

Steve and Katie Schankman

The Schenck Family

Bradley and Hristina Schlaggar

Cynthia and Paul Schnabel*

Dr. and Mrs. Perry Schoenecker

Angela Sears Spittal and Todd Spittal*

Glenda Seldin

Pat Simons and Dr. Paul Simons

Christy and Jeff Singer

Peter and Stacey Smith

St. Louis Closet Company

St. Louis Regional Health Commission

St. Louis Service Bureau Foundation

St. Louis Trust Company

Carol Staenberg

Staenberg Family Foundation, a supporting foundation of Jewish Federation of St. Louis

Mr. and Mrs. John Steitz

Tim and Julie B. Stern

Joe and Mary Stieven

Steven and Terri Stout

Leslie H. Stupp

Sunnen Foundation

Patricia Taylor

Jerry and Margaret Thomasson

Trio Foundation of St. Louis

United Way of Greater St. Louis

Van Evera Foundation

Matt and Laura Villa*

Jennifer Voelker and Michael Ness*

Sarah Webster

West Community Credit Union

Scott and Amy Wilson

Jeff and Erin Wist*

Pat and Mike Wolff

Women on Mission

Timothy and Sabrina Wrenn

Dr. and Mrs. Rick Wright

Lynn and Darrell Yearwood

Youthbridge Community Foundation

Above list represents annual donors of $1,000 or greater. For our full supporter list, please visit www.readyreaders.org/donor-list/.
Names in bold indicate current or former volunteer. *Donor is also a member of Literacy: A Gateway to Equity

Financials

For year ended June 2022

Statement of Financial Position

Assets
Cash and cash equivalents
$925,590
Investments
328,707
Pledges receivable, current portion
25,644
Book inventory – Program
124,577
Prepaid expenses
15,120
Total Current Assets
$1,419,638
Long-term pledges receivable, net current portion
100,000
Leased office equipment
44,430
Fixed Assets, net
17,517
Total Assets
$1,581,585
Liabilities & Net Assets
Liabilities
Accrued payroll expenses
$24,857
Accounts payable
70,103
Capital lease obligation, current portion
8,129
Total Current Liabilities
$103,089
Capital lease obligation, net current portion
36,301
Total Liabilities
$139,390
Net Assets
Without donor restrictions
Undesignated
$950,502
Board designated endowment
328,707
With donor restrictions
162,986
Total Net Assets
$1,442,195
Total Liabilities and Net Assets
$1,581,585

Statement of Activities

Support and Revenues
Contribution revenue
$1,542,873
In-kind contributions
34,917
Dividend and interest income
3,120
Realized/unrealized gain/(loss) on endowment
(40,331)
Other income, net
1,589
Total Support and Revenues
$1,542,168
Expenses
Program services
$834,486
Management and general
118,699
Fundraising
357,479
Total Expenses
$1,310,664
Change in Net Assets
$231,504
Net Assets, beginning of year
$1,210,691
Net Assets, end of year
$1,442,195
Visit complete financial report

Our Team

Programs, like kids, require a lot of nurturing in order to grow. These are the people behind the scenes, putting in the hard work and long hours to expand Ready Readers programs, extending our reach and enabling equitable access to early literacy for children across our region.

Our Staff

Angela Sears Spittal Executive Director

Jayne Langsam Development Director

Maggie Strube Program Director

Carolyn Loper Volunteer Coordinator

Dawnita Reathaford Mentoring & Site Coordinator

Sheila Oliveri Literacy & Curriculum Coordinator

Lauren Campbell Community Programming Coordinator

Angela Hess Program Supply Chain Specialist

Tara Mechem Development Manager

Beth Dhar Development & Communications Coordinator

Board of Directors

Executive Committee Paul Schnabel Julie Beattie Rhonda Gray Patrick Hamacher Holly Kasnetz Brian Matlock Clarissa Ross

Founder Pat Simons

Gretta Forrester-Gaffney Rasheedah Furqan Clay Len Jacobs Mike Mangiore Susanna Menees Jessica Perkins Paula Robinson Yarda Tables Laura Villa Jeff Wist

Advisory Board

Erica Bailey Karen Berger James Bogart Harvey Citerman Ann Grove Dillon Ryan Easley Linda Finerty Audrey Fleissig Susan Goldberg Nahid Hashemi Jennifer Howard Carol Kaplan-Lyss Matt Leppert Paul Lints

Jenny McPheeters Suzie Nall Helen O’Connor Julie Ralph Marilyn Ratkin Mary Riew Megan Riley Linda Rohde Bradley Schlaggar Sally Schoenecker Pat Simons M. Lynn Yearwood