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Thanks to everyone who attended Read-A-Palooza 2024!

by Fundraising

It was a special night in April looking toward the future of Read Aloud WV and celebrating the accomplishments of our volunteers statewide. We want to thank our sponsors, supporters, volunteers, and community for continuing to champion our work here at Read Aloud WV.

We were honored to recognize one volunteer reader: Delilah Willis, and her parents Deanna and Mike. The Willis family drove from Berkeley County the day of the event to attend. Delilah, who is blind, is a volunteer reader for 3rd graders at Bunker Hill Elementary School, where she reads to her students in Braille.

Delilah reminds us of the importance of reading aloud. She shares a love for children’s literacy and shows the commitment volunteers make for their students. We are so appreciative of Delilah for being a classroom reader, and for making the long trip from Kearneysville to Charleston!

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Read Aloud launches BookBaby Shirt campaign to support literacy in WV 

by Fundraising

Read Aloud West Virginia has launched its 2024 BookBaby Snap-bottom Shirt campaign as both a fundraiser and reminder of the value of reading to children. 

Baby shirts are available for purchase here: https://www.bonfire.com/2024-bookbaby-onesie-1/ 

The cotton baby shirt featuring a design by Charleston artist Brenda Pinnell of HepCatz Design, makes an ideal gift. Proceeds support Read Aloud WV. 

Research shows that children who connect reading with pleasure and have access to print books read more and become more proficient readers. The habit starts early as parents and caregivers read to babies. 

“Singing, rhyming words, naming things, and reading books to children all help prepare children to read by school age,” said Read Aloud Executive Director Dawn Miller. “It‘s astonishing sometimes how beneficial just reading for fun can be.” 

Neuroscientists have found that reading to children causes the brain to establish networks of brain cells that are used later when children learn to sound out words. Researchers have also found that the vocabulary and background knowledge that children learn from listening to stories is one of the most important factors in reading comprehension later. 

“A Read Aloud onesie is a nice, gentle reminder of creating healthy reading habits,” Miller said. “You can hang the sign right on the baby’s belly. Also, you can never have too many onesies. 

“We hope grandparents, aunts, and uncles like the shirts as gifts,” Miller said. “By giving a shirt to a future reader in the family, they are spreading the word about the importance of reading to kids, and at the same time supporting Read Aloud in helping kids all over West Virginia discover pleasure in reading.” 

Read Aloud’s mission is to motivate children to WANT to read, because motivation is the critical first step in developing any skill. Read Aloud involves families, the medical community, businesses, civic groups, and the society at large in building a culture that values reading. 

Read Aloud is a statewide nonprofit and volunteer network working to improve childhood literacy since 1986. Hundreds of Read Aloud volunteers visit classrooms all across West Virginia to read to children each week. Read Aloud distributes more than 20,000 books to children every year. 

Children Reading

Donate to Read Aloud; lower your tax bill 

by Fundraising

NIP credits offered for gifts of $500 or more 

You qualify for Neighborhood Investment Program tax credits if you: 

— Pay income taxes in West Virginia, or 

— Pay corporate net income taxes in West Virginia, and  

— Donate $500 or more to Read Aloud West Virginia. 

Taxpayers can use this credit even if they don’t itemize on federal or state income tax returns. 

It works like this: 

  1. Send a donation of $500 or more to a qualifying organization, such as Read Aloud WV. 
  1. Read Aloud sends you a voucher for as much as half the gift amount. At tax time, turn in the voucher to reduce your tax bill by that amount. Taxpayers may use all or part of the credit. They have five years to use all the credit. 

A larger gift qualifies for a larger credit. So, a $1,000 donation gets $500 in tax credits. A $5,000 gift qualifies for $2,500 off, and so on.  

The maximum tax credit allowed in any one year is $100,000. Donors cannot reduce their total state tax bill by more than 50 percent. 

NIP credits are administered by the state to encourage donations to local nonprofits. 

Every dollar donated to Read Aloud results in more time spent sending volunteer readers into classrooms to motivate children to read for fun, or giving kids happy, choice-filled book distributions. 

As little as $100 can fund books for an entire classroom, while $1,100 can fund a month of Books for Babies, providing a new book for all babies born at Women and Children’s Hospital, CAMC, for example. 

To donate: 

  1. Mail a check to Read Aloud WV, PO Box 1784, Charleston, WV 25326 (the most cost-effective method). 
  1. Go to readaloudwv.org and click the Donate button to make a secure donation through Square.  
  1. Transfer stock. Call 304-345-5212 or email stateoffice@readaloudwv.org for details. 
  1. Direct a retirement account distribution to Read Aloud. If it comes straight from your financial institution, even a disbursement from a tax-deferred plan may not incur taxes, and it will also qualify for the NIP tax credit. Call or email for details. 

Donate to Read Aloud, lower your tax bill

by Book DistributionFundraising

NIP credits for gifts of $500 or more, while supplies last 

You qualify for Neighborhood Investment Program tax credits if you: 

— Pay income taxes in West Virginia, or 

— Pay corporate net income taxes in West Virginia, and  

— Donate $500 or more to Read Aloud West Virginia. 

Taxpayers can use this credit even if they don’t itemize on federal or state income tax returns. 

It works like this: 

  1. 1. Send a donation of $500 or more to a qualifying organization, such as Read Aloud WV. 

  1. 2. Read Aloud sends you a voucher for as much as half the gift amount. At tax time, turn in the voucher to reduce your WV tax bill by that amount. Taxpayers may use all or part of the credits. They have five years to use all the credits. 

  2.  

A larger gift qualifies for a larger credit. So, a $1,000 donation gets $500 in tax credits. A $5,000 gift qualifies for $2,500 off your taxes, and so on.  

The maximum tax credit allowed in any one year is $100,000. Donors cannot reduce their total state tax bill by more than 50 percent. 

NIP credits are administered by the state to encourage donations to local nonprofits. All credits must be distributed by March 2024. Credits are limited, so the sooner you secure yours, the better. 

Every dollar donated to Read Aloud results in more time spent sending volunteer readers into classrooms to motivate children to read for fun, or giving kids happy, choice-filled book distributions. 

As little as $100 can fund books for an entire classroom, while $1,100 can fund a month of Books for Babies, providing a new book for all babies born at Women and Children’s Hospital, CAMC, for example. 

To donate at this time of year, it is best to call 304-345-5212 to verify that NIP credits are still available. Then, you may: 

  1. Mail a check to Read Aloud WV, PO Box 1784, Charleston, WV 25326 (the most cost-effective method). 

  1. Donate online by going to readaloudwv.org.square.site to make a secure donation through Square.  

  1. Transfer stock. Call 304-345-5212 or email dmiller@readaloudwv.org for more details. Read Aloud’s DTC number is 0141. 

 

  1. Direct a retirement account distribution to Read Aloud WV. If it comes straight from your financial institution, even a disbursement from a tax-deferred plan may not incur federal taxes, and it will also qualify for NIP tax credits. Call or email if you have questions. 

Gifts made after Jan. 1, 2024 work the same way, except that taxpayers may apply their credits starting with taxes due for the 2024 tax year. 

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Save the Date! Read-A-Palooza 2023

by EventsFundraising

We invite you to join us in uplifting the success of our Summer Book Binges at Read-A-Palooza 2023: Binge on Books on Thursday, March 9 from 5:30-7:30 pm in the University of Charleston’s Riggleman Rotunda. The event celebrates the significant impact of giving books that children choose before summer break, preventing and even reversing the loss of reading proficiency that sets back many students when school is out of session.

Heavy appetizers, beer, and wine will be served. A small silent auction will be available, as well as our popular Wine Pull. For $20 per pull, this activity sends participants home with a bottle of wine selected blindly from an array of options, all worth $20 or more.

Proceeds from Read-A-Palooza help fund Read Aloud programs throughout West Virginia, which are designed to engage all members of our communities in motivating children to want to read. Tickets are $35, available for purchase at readaloudwv.org/tickets. Corporate and individual sponsorships, as well as donations in lieu of attendance, are all gratefully accepted.

Significant sponsors of last year’s Read-A-Palooza include Moses Auto Group and The Elliot Foundation. Thank you to all businesses and community members who have contributed to the success of this fundraiser in the past. Your support is essential to continue to grow research-based reading interventions like Summer Book Binge.

Summer Book Binge is just one of the choice-based book distributions Read Aloud does that has helped us put over 20,000 books in the hands of students in 2022. The method is based on research that showed that six self-selected books given to students prior to summer break could motivate children to read for fun, helping to combat learning loss that occurs when students don’t practice their skills during school breaks. This loss of reading proficiency is most prevalent with low-income students who have fewer opportunities outside of school to practice reading than their middle- and high-income peers, putting them at a disadvantage when they return to school. Learning loss is cumulative, and over time, it can set students back years behind their classmates.

Summer Book Binge showed promising results combatting this proficiency loss in three schools we served in spring of 2022. The first two were Cottageville and Gilmore Elementaries in Jackson County, where 84% of rising 4th graders either increased or maintained their Lexile level over the break. These distributions were made possible by support from the Jackson County Community Foundation.

Last year, we also worked with Chesapeake Elementary School in the upper-Kanawha valley to bring their students Summer Book Binge thanks to a grant from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation. We selected Chesapeake as a partner for program expansion because approximately 77% of Chesapeake students were not proficient readers in 2020-21.

After providing all students with six freely-chosen books to read during break, over half (53%) of the students gained or maintained their reading skills over the summer. Of those who experienced skill erosion, 38% were already reading above grade level prior to break and remained above grade level in the fall.

That means that 71% of Chesapeake students tested before and after summer break had a positive result in their reading proficiency scores following Summer Book Binge.

We know from past experience that the positive impacts of this program are cumulative, much like the learning loss it’s designed to prevent. As we continue to work with Chesapeake, Cottageville, and Gilmore, we anticipate consistent gains in reading proficiency that will build on each other, setting students up for long-term success in reading.

We hope you will join us at Read-A-Palooza on March 9 as we promote and celebrate the importance of choice-based book distributions on the literacy of WV students.

—

Amanda Schwartz is the Read Aloud WV Communications & Development Director.

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2021 NIP Tax Credits Now Available

by DonorsFundraising

Get them before they’re gone! Read Aloud West Virginia has received Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP) Tax Credits to distribute to eligible donors on a first-come, first-served basis. NIP credits are administered by the state to encourage donations to local nonprofits.

For example, a donation of $1,000 qualifies for up to $500 in NIP credits off of West Virginia personal income or corporate net income taxes. That means donors can have a $1,000 impact for a bottom-line cost of only $500.

Read Aloud WV motivates West Virginia children to read for fun by putting books in their hands and trained volunteer readers in their classrooms. Research shows kids who read for pleasure become stronger readers, setting them up for long-term academic and career success. Every dollar donated to Read Aloud results in more time spent coordinating with families, schools, and volunteers to get kids the tools they need to grow their reading skills. As little as $100 can fund books for an entire classroom, while $1,100 can fund a month of Books for Babies, which gives all new parents delivering at CAMC a board book to encourage them to read to their child from birth. With low-cost, high-impact programs like these, even the minimum donation to qualify for tax credit ($500) can help hundreds of children and families.

Read Aloud has remained on mission throughout the pandemic, adapting book distributions and volunteer classroom reading efforts to meet the new conditions and needs. “We are busier than ever, and our donors make all this work possible,” says Executive Director Dawn Miller.

If you’re interested in giving early and helping Read Aloud improve the literacy climate in WV, you can:

  • Mail a check to Read Aloud WV, PO Box 1784, Charleston, WV 25326 (this is preferred, as there are no fees associated with your donation and Read Aloud receives the full amount to put towards programs).
  • Click the Donate button above to make a secure donation through Square.

The maximum tax credit allowed in any one year is $100,000. Donors cannot reduce their total state tax bill by more than 50%, but they have five years to use their credits. If you have any questions, contact Read Aloud headquarters at (304)345-5212.

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Parks family gathers donations for Wetzel literacy

by DonorsFundraisingSupporters

By Amanda Schwartz

September 17 was a special day in the Parks family. It was the day Cristi Parks celebrated her mother Kay Parks’ birthday before she passed. This September, Cristi felt called to do something to honor her mother’s memory, and that is how Read Aloud learned about Kay Parks.

Born and raised in Wetzel County, Kay was a force for literacy and creativity in her community. She loved to read to children at her local elementary school, and, as a gifted musician, she could often be found playing the organ at a local church or teaching a child to play the piano. Kay’s passion for serving her community lives on in her daughter, who had the idea to honor her mother by gathering donations from family members to give to a local organization that continued the work that was closest to Kay’s heart. The family has deep roots in Wetzel County, but many live out of state. Cristi hoped this might become an annual tradition to give back to their hometown around Kay’s September birthday.

Read Aloud West Virginia was selected as the organization to support because we work to instill a love of reading in children, just like Kay did. All donations directed to this project will be used in Wetzel County to continue to motivate local kids to read for fun by offering free, high quality books and magazines to children and families, with the long-term goal of connecting with new volunteers and establishing a Wetzel County Read Aloud chapter.

We are truly honored to have been chosen as the recipient of these memorial donations and are deeply touched by this new model of giving. With so many people forced to leave West Virginia in recent years, it’s heartening to meet a family dedicated to giving back to the place they come from and making it better for those that remain. This openhearted spirit bolsters our belief that by working together, across industries, counties, and communities, we can create a more literate, prosperous West Virginia.

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Read Aloud WV Awarded 2020 NIP Tax Credits

by FundraisingNews

Read Aloud West Virginia has received a sizeable number of Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP) Tax Credits. NIP credits are administered by the state to encourage donations to local nonprofits.

For example, a donation of $1,000 qualifies for up to $500 in NIP credits off of West Virginia personal income or corporate net income taxes. That means donors can have a $1,000 impact for a bottom-line cost of only $500.

Read Aloud’s mission is to motivate children to read for fun, which research shows makes kids better readers and has a large impact on academic and career success. Every dollar donated to Read Aloud results in more time spent coordinating with families, schools, and volunteers to get kids the tools they need to grow their reading skills. And the sooner donors give, the better, according to Communications & Development Director, Amanda Schwartz.

“Donations in the fall enable us to plan ahead for literacy projects in the spring and summer,” Schwartz says. “The earlier we have funding in hand, the more impact we can make. Also, credits are administered first-come, first-served, until they run out.”

Read Aloud has remained on mission throughout the pandemic, adapting book distributions and volunteer classroom reading efforts to meet the new conditions and needs. “We are busier than ever, and our donors make all this work possible,” says Executive Director Dawn Miller.

If you’re interested in giving early and helping Read Aloud improve the literacy climate in WV, you can:

  • Mail a check to Read Aloud WV, PO Box 1784, Charleston, WV 25326 (this is preferred, as there are no fees associated with your donation and Read Aloud receives the full amount to put towards programs).
  • Click the Donate button at readaloudwv.org to make a secure donation through Square.
  • Go to paypal.me/readaloudwv to make a secure donation through PayPal.

The minimum donation to qualify for a tax credit is $500 and the maximum is $200,000. Donors have five years to use their credits. The maximum tax credit allowed in any one year is $100,000. Donors cannot reduce their total state tax bill by more than 50%. If you have any questions, contact Read Aloud headquarters at (304)345-5212.

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Thank you to all of our Read-A-Palooza 2020 donors and sponsors

by DonorsEventsFundraisingRead-a-Palooza

Read-A-Palooza 2020 was our biggest and best fundraising event to date. We had an amazing volunteer committee who helped us create a beautiful celebration of Read Aloud’s history and original founders, honoring the past leadership of Mary Kay Bond and looking to the future. We had scores of donors and supporters who purchased tickets and sent donations in Mary Kay’s honor. Even on a weeknight, 13 of our volunteer county chapters were represented, some traveling a great distance to attend. Twenty-six sponsors made this event possible, and they are listed below with links to their individual websites so you can learn more about them.

Signature Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

The Becker Family

Gold Sponsors

Kim & Greg Burton

William Maxwell Davis

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Ned & Barbara Rose

Juli Hatcher Mock

David & Susan Turnbull

Tom Heywood & Melody Simpson

Read Aloud would not be able to do the important work of motivating West Virginia students to read for fun without the support of local businesses, corporate sponsors, private foundations, and individual donors. As master of ceremonies Tom Tinder shared with the crowd at Read-A-Palooza, we serve 23% of PK-8th graders with an annual budget under $200,000. Every dollar given to Read Aloud is carefully and strategically spent to make the best impact on the children of West Virginia. As little as $100 can supply an entire class of students with high quality, high interest books to add to their home libraries.

That’s why we’d like to say a very special thank you to all of our donors and sponsors who have helped us to secure not only Read Aloud’s future, but the future of literacy in WV.

And for supporters who are still considering donating, it’s never too late! Any amount is significant. Even $5 can put a new book in the hands of a child to help them fall in love with reading.

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Ways to contribute & why we ask

by DonorsFundraising

Our volunteer readers and chapters are the face of Read Aloud, doing the rewarding work, week after week, of motivating children to read for fun. Children who read for pleasure grow into better readers and are more likely to excel in school and beyond. That makes Read Aloud a long-term economic development program.

By supporting Read Aloud, donors make possible the recruitment and organization of our army of 1,100 weekly volunteers, intentional book distribution efforts that stress children’s book choice and ownership, and public education programs that teach families about the importance of reading together.

Ways to give to Read Aloud WV:

  • Give to our Annual Fund.
    Read Aloud West Virginia exists entirely on donations from individuals, businesses and foundations. Read Aloud supporters make everything else possible – winning grants and awards for book distribution, leveraging gifts into higher-impact projects, and collaborating with schools and other groups (see page 1). Mailing a check is still the most efficient way to give. Donors are also welcome to give here on our website.

  • Direct a Required Minimum Distribution from a tax-deferred account.
    At age 70½, the federal government requires owners of tax-deferred retirement accounts to take a minimum distribution. Have your financial institution send the disbursement directly to a charity, such as Read Aloud, and the IRS doesn’t count it as taxable income. If it is $500 or more, it may also qualify for state NIP tax credits.

  • Qualify for NIP tax credits.
    Donate $500 or more to a qualifying organization, such as Read Aloud, and receive West Virginia Neighborhood Investment Program tax credits. The credits reduce state personal income tax or corporate net income tax bills by as much as half the gift amount. They can be spread out and used over a five-year period. Donors can receive as much as $100,000 a year in NIP tax credits. Taxpayers may reduce their tax bills by no more than half. Because it is a tax credit, it lowers a tax bill whether the taxpayer itemizes or not.

  • If you are a Kroger customer, set your Kroger Plus card account to benefit Read Aloud West Virginia. Then, shop as usual, and every quarter, Kroger sends Read Aloud a check for a percentage of your spending. Encourage a friend or relative to sign up, too. This kind of passive income is extremely efficient for an organization.

  • If you shop at Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com. Designate Read Aloud as your chosen charity, and as you shop, Amazon will forward a commission to Read Aloud. You must remember to shop at smile.amazon.com for Read Aloud to benefit. Recruit a friend and double your impact.

  • Shop at Books-a-Million’s West Virginia stores on Saturday, Sept. 21. Save the date. When you shop at a BAM! store in Barboursville, Beckley, Bluefield, Bridgeport, Charleston, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Vienna or Wheeling on Sept. 21 and mention Read Aloud at the check-out, Books-a-Million will donate a generous percentage of your purchase to Read Aloud West Virginia.

If you’re only able to give your time right now, please visit our Get Involved page to learn more. We’re so grateful for every donation that comes in and every volunteer that shows up. It’s impossible to say it enough, but we try – thank you for all you do for WV literacy and Read Aloud WV.