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Reading Is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc.
The purpose of RIF is to motivate children, birth to age 18, to read by providing attractive, inexpensive paperback books to children that they may choose and keep for their very own. The books are free and are displayed at book distributions where the children are able to choose from a wide variety of colorful, interesting paperback books. In most of the programs, the distributions are held in school libraries. There are three distributions per school year in the school programs, whereas day care and community programs may have three to five distributions during the calendar year. Staff, parent, student, and community volunteers assist trained RIF volunteers in the distributions and help run the programs. This past year 2,235 volunteers helped run RIF programs in Northern Virginia as well as raise funds for them.
From 1972 to 1975, RIF served approximately 6,000 children at 12 elementary schools and 3 day care centers in the City of Alexandria. In 1975, when RIF was incorporated and run by a community Board, it encompassed all of Northern Virginia and became eligible for and received $29,800 in annual federal funding through national RIF. This money was (and still is) used only for the purchase of books. These books were selected and partially paid for (no less than 25% of the cost) by each school, day care, and community program under the umbrella of RIF of NOVA. With the federal funding, RIF of NOVA was able to expand and establish programs in Arlington, Fairfax, and Prince William counties, as well as in the cities of Alexandria, Dumfries, Fairfax, Falls Church, Herndon, Manassas, and Vienna.
The RIF of NOVA Board is very definitely a working board, with many members chairing one committee and serving on one or two other committees. Our yearly contract with Reading Is Fundamental runs from July 1 to June 30. An Executive Committee meeting and a Board of Directors meeting is held in September, November, January and March, with an Annual Luncheon meeting in June. In October RIF presents an Orientation Workshop which all RIF liaisons must attend. Each RIF liaison runs the RIF program in his/her school or center.
RIF Book Selection Day is in April. All RIF liaisons and their committees, which may include librarians, parents, and reading teachers, come and select new books for the coming year. They know their enrollment and the money they have to work with, and they spend several hours selecting books and filling out book catalogue order forms. The programs vary in size, from as few as 40 children to as many as 900. Representatives from several book publishers also attend to display their books and provide information. All Board members are expected to assist in both Book Selection Day and the Orientation Workshop.
Every dollar contributed to Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia is spent only on books. We are all volunteers, and our administrative costs run approximately 3% of our book purchases per year. The money for administrative costs comes out of an interest-bearing account set up in the 1980s with profits from an Embassy Tour fundraising event.
Currentlt RIF of NOVA is serving approximately 31,000 children in 70 RIF programs at 133 sites. The 70 programs are divided into five geographic areas, each headed by one or two Area Chairpersons. The areas are (1) Alexandria, (2) Arlington, (3) Fairfax East, (4) Fairfax West, and (5) Prince William. Each area has a waiting list of schools that would like to be a part of RIF but we need your financial assistance before we can adopt them into the program.
Contact Information
Reading Is Fundamental
P. O. Box 7012
Arlington, VA 22204
Phone: 703-671-2284