Customers and communities asked to help raise $100,000 to provide books and reading programs to Bay Area children
Books Inc., the Bay Area’s oldest independent bookstore, has launched a $100,000 fundraising campaign for Reading Bridge, a separately operated 501(c)3 nonprofit founded by the company in 2023 to provide books, resources, and reading support to children from the Bay Area’s underserved communities.
Reading Bridge is not directly impacted by Books Inc.’s decision last month to enter into voluntary reorganization under a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company’s reorganization is allowing the popular 174-year-old collection of neighborhood bookstores to continue operating while it establishes a sustainably solid financial footing in response to annual revenue losses resulting from post-pandemic rising operating costs and dramatically changing consumer buying habits.
While community and customer support for Books Inc. has surged since announcing its reorganization, CEO Andy Perham said the company needs to continue its leadership in advancing Reading Bridge’s vital mission.
“We started Reading Bridge as a natural extension of Books Inc.’s goal to support literacy in our communities,” Perham said. “All children need access to new, inclusive and diverse books that will build strong reading skills and foster a lifelong passion for learning. We’re asking our communities to help us raise $100,000 over the next month so that Reading Bridge can continue building on the success of its first two years of operation.”
Working in collaboration with the company’s vendors and community partners, Books Inc. provides books, staff and operational support to support Reading Bridge’s efforts, which include hosting local school fundraising book fairs in which a portion of the proceeds go to support the nonprofit’s operations. Books Inc. also provides reading materials for Title 1 school “Bridge Fairs,” where every student receives at least one book of their choice regardless of their financial status.
Contributions to Books Inc.’s Reading Bridge fundraising campaign can be made online at the store’s website or at the Reading Bridge fundraising website. All funds will go directly to support the organization’s book donations and distributions, bolster community partnerships, create literacy workshops, and provide author readings to under-resourced schools.
“As readers we take for granted the books that have changed our lives, but many kids don’t have access to libraries or resources for purchasing books,” said Reading Bridge Board President Cal Crosby. “We work to offer these kids not only access but the first seeds to a home book collection. The possibilities a book can offer are unlimited, from both a personal growth level and longtime educational value. This is how Reading Bridge is helping change lives.”
Books Inc. is a collection of independently owned and operated bookstores serving the Bay Area since 1851, making it the oldest independent bookseller in the Western United States.
