R.I.P. RIF?
An article published in The New York Times earlier this week discusses the threat to government funded literacy organizations posed by changes in the proposed 2011 federal budget. Currently, established nonprofit groups like Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), which supplies literacy resources and free books to underserved children, get funding directly from the Department of Education. For the past 34 years, RIF has received an annual government grant, amounting to approximately 75 percent of the organization’s annual revenues. However, under the proposed 2011 budget, the Department of Education will pool money previously earmarked for specific nonprofit literacy organizations, and give the funds to state and local governments to distribute as they see fit. RIF, along with the other previously funded groups, will have to apply for grants in each state, and compete to maintain their funding.
“This really means that we would have to hire people to write grant applications tailored to the specific requirements of each state,” explains Carol Rasco, chief executive of RIF. “That’s money we otherwise would be using to buy books for kids.” According to its website, RIF is the oldest and largest nonprofit literacy organization in the U.S. Since its founding in 1966, RIF has supported children throughout the country, providing “reading motivation, family and community involvement, and the excitement of choosing free books to keep.” In an age where literacy and education are vital to our country’s future success, it would be a shame to let RIF’s good works fall by the wayside, due to the whims of bureaucrats.
Let your voice be heard! Please send a message to your member of Congress in support of maintaining funding for nonprofit literacy groups like RIF. It’s easy, and you can do it directly from the RIF website. Click here.
