FAQs What is CLiF’s mission? The mission of the Children’s Literacy Foundation is to nurture a love of reading and writing among children throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. CLiF has already served almost 100,000 children in nearly 400 communities across every region of the Twin States. Who is CLiF’s target audience? CLiF targets two groups of children from birth to age 12: Children in rural communities where resources are limited Children who are at high risk of growing up with low literacy skills We particularly love serving children with the greatest needs. That’s why we have developed programs for many at-risk children including: children in shelters; children in low-income housing; children of prison inmates; refugee children; migrant children; children from low-income families; children in Head Start; and children in communities undergoing severe economic challenges. How many programs does CLiF have? CLiF currently operates 16 programs that serve 16,000 children each year. What is CLiF’s tax ID? Our federal tax ID (EIN) number is 02-0498154 How is CLiF funded? CLiF is very unusual in our funding sources. Unlike the vast majority of non-profits, CLiF does not receive a penny of state or federal funds. We rely entirely on support from: Individuals and families Social and educational organizations (e.g., churches, schools, Rotary clubs. Brownie troops) Local companies Foundations What are the different ways I can support CLiF? CLiF is a 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. You can help CLiF inspire young readers and writers in the following ways: Donate to CLiF by check Donate to CLiF by credit card Donate securities to CLiF Include CLiF in your planned giving Make a gift to CLiF in honor or in memory of a friend or family member (through one of the donation links above). If you live near Waterbury Center, VT and would like to help us with periodic volunteer opportunities at our office, please contact us. If you would like to help CLiF in other ways, you can: Host a 'livingroom event’ in your home or other location to introduce friends to CLiF’s work. CLiF Executive Director Duncan McDougall will come and make a brief presentation, show our new 10-minute CLiF DVD, and answer questions. Organize a book drive to gather new children’s books that CLiF can donate to needy young readers. Offer to be a regular 'volunteer reader’ for children at a facility that CLiF has sponsored. Contact us for more information. How did CLiF get started? CLiF was started in February, 1998 in Hanover, NH by Executive Director Duncan McDougall and a group of educators, librarians, literacy program coordinators, storytellers and publishers. These individuals were concerned about the high number of children who grow up with low literacy skills and wanted to do what they could to support and inspire young readers and writers across New Hampshire and Vermont. Where is CLiF headquartered? CLiF’s main office is located in Waterbury Center, VT (between Burlington and Montpelier). The CLiF Directors meet regularly in offices in the Upper Valley near Hanover, NH. CLiF has mailing addresses in Waterbury Center and Hanover. Either mailing address is fine, but we are likely to receive your mail more quickly if it is mailed to Waterbury Center. How many people are involved in CLiF? Currently almost 100 people are involved in CLiF’s work. We have a staff of five, a Board of Directors with 9 members and a Board of Advisors with 13 members. There are more than 60 authors, illustrators, and presenters who work on CLiF’s behalf throughout the year giving presentations, and we also have a handful of volunteers living near our office in Waterbury Center, VT, who help in many ways. Does CLiF operate in any other states? No, CLiF only operates in New Hampshire and Vermont. For many years our vision was to expand state by state across the country. We realized, however, that by expanding our operations to other regions we risked diluting our ability to serve young readers and writers here in the Twin States. If you are interested in founding a program like CLiF in your state, we would be happy to answer any questions we can to help you get started. Are there other organizations similar to CLiF that operate in other states? We do not know of another organization like CLiF in any other state. Does CLiF need volunteers? CLiF has a handful of volunteer opportunities for individuals who live near our office in Waterbury Center, VT. If you don’t live nearby but would like to support our work you can: 1) host a 'livingroom event’ in your home or other location to introduce friends to CLiF’s work; 2) Organize a book drive to gather new children’s books that CLiF can donate to needy young readers; or 3) Offer to be a regular 'volunteer reader’ for children at a facility that CLiF has sponsored. Please contact us for more information. May I come and see CLiF in action? Are all CLiF’s events open to the public? Almost all CLiF events are open to the public and we would love to have you join us (some events in locations such as shelters or prisons are not). Please check our event schedule for dates and please be sure to call the CLiF office before attending to verify the event location and make sure that the event has not been rescheduled. How does CLiF find the communities and organizations it sponsors? Some of our programs have an application process. Some of our program grants are given based on recommendations we receive. Often our grants are given to schools and other non-profits that hear of our work through various media. If you know of a school, library, shelter, bookmobile, low-income housing development, or other organization that could benefit from our programs, please contact us. Is CLiF affiliated with any other organizations? CLiF is not formally affiliated with any other organizations. We are an independent non-profit organization that was founded in Hanover, NH in 1998. We do, however, have more than a dozen program partnerships with educational and social service organizations across the Twin States. What is your policy on sharing donor information? CLiF never shares donor information with anyone. Ever. Where can I find your financial statements and budget information? This information is available in our Annual Report. If you would like to receive any additional information, please contact us.