Literacy Changes Young Lives

National studies show a strong link between a child’s literacy skills and future economic success. Children who have not developed basic literacy skills by the time they enter school are almost four times more likely to drop out in later years. And among those who reach adulthood with the lowest level of literacy proficiency, 43% live in poverty. Among those who have strong literacy skills, only 4% live in poverty.

It’s simple. Children who grow up as strong readers and writers have many more opportunities available to them than those who do not.

CLiF Serves Children with the Greatest Needs

We serve young readers and writers at greatest risk of growing up with low literacy skills:

• children in shelters or low-income housing
• children of incarcerated
• refugee children
• migrant children
• children from low-income families
• children in Head Start
• children in communities undergoing economic challenges
• many other at-risk children from birth to age 12

Your Gift Goes a Long Way

CLiF has a reputation for being an efficient, effective non-profit. It costs CLiF an average of only $25 to serve a child. That $25 lets a child participate in a CLiF event and choose two brand-new books to take home and keep.

As Vermont Magazine declared, “Working with a skeleton staff, energetic board members, and scores of skilled presenters, CLiF does a lot with a little.”

CLiF Is Community Supported

Unlike most non-profits, CLiF does not receive a penny of state or federal funds. All our free programs and book donations are made possible thanks to generous support from more than 600 individuals, companies, foundations, and social organizations – and our hardworking volunteers.

We are proud to be a community-supported organization.

You Can Give in Honor of Someone Special

If you’re looking for a meaningful way to honor a special person, or if you’d like to honor the memory of a loved one, you can make a donation to CLiF in that person’s name.

We will send a special packet to the individual(s) of your choice or their family informing them of the gift in their name – without noting the amount – and including information about CLiF and our programs.

We Measure the Impact of Our Work

CLiF conducts follow-up research after our programs to measure the impact of our activities on the children we serve, and to identify ways we can strengthen our programs.