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Give a Gift that Keeps on Giving!

There’s no time like the holiday season to take a moment to appreciate all the special people in our lives that accompany us on our journey through the years. It’s also a great time to get together and celebrate a year’s-worth of memories. Chances are, you’ll be invited to a friend’s holiday get-together, an office party, a casual gathering for friends and family, or a neighbor’s annual celebration. Likewise, if you have children, you’ll probably attend a classroom celebration, you may have a birthday party to host, or be on the hunt for small holiday gift ideas.

It’s the gift-giving season…why not share a simple gift that will last all year?

What’s a Giftmark?

A bookmark with the power to change lives! When you make a donation of $10.00 or more to our giftmarks campaign, you’ll receive a beautiful bookmark to share with someone special, informing them of your charitable gift in their name. These bookmarks also share more information about the need for early literacy programming, the 30 million word gap, and the Raising A Reader program.

Best of all, giftmarks are always in season! Whether you you are in search of that special birthday gift for the person who has everything, a graduation gift, a perfect stocking stuffer, or simply want to brighten someone’s day, any occasion is perfect for sending along a giftmark. 100% of every donation to the giftmarks campaign will go toward ensuring that families receiving RAR’s red bag rotation program continue to receive high-quality books in their homes each week. Raising A Reader’s books are specially chosen to be age- and culturally-appropriate, and help families establish regular reading routines that lead to precious moments of book-sharing together. When you give a giftmark, you’re not only letting a special someone know that you care, also bringing a Bay Area family together to bond over a book every night.
…Now that’s a gift that can last a lifetime!

Giving a giftmark is easy. Simply visit our giftmarks campaign page to get started! Click the button at the bottom of the page to make your donation, and be sure to enter your mailing address. We’ll mail your giftmarks directly to your door. To learn more about our giftmarks, please click here.

Red Bags Not Goody Bags™

We’re proud to announce our Red Bag Not Goody Bags campaign: a great way to celebrate young readers with a party favor that gives back. Goody bags are a staple for children’s birthday parties, but how about giving a special bookmark that not only encourages children to read, but also teaches them about the importance of helping others?

For your child’s next birthday, you can give the ultimate goody bag to a family - a bright red Raising A Reader book bag! Make a $6 donation (the cost of a single red bag) in honor of each of your child’s guests and, as a thank you, we’ll provide you with a set of special bookmarks to share with young readers at your party. Kids will love them—each bookmark features a colorful, fun design on the front. Adults will love them too—on the back of each bookmark, we share a few prompts on how to have a conversation about giving back with a child. These bookmarks are a great way to celebrate your child, and delight their friends. Share these bookmarks at birthday parties, class celebrations, and more—you can order these bookmarks at any time, year-round. We’ll mail them right to your door!

Visit our Red Bags Not Goody Bags campaign page to learn more. As with our giftmarks, it’s easy to make your donation online. Remember, it only costs $6.00 to provide a family with a red bag, but fostering a child’s love of reading is priceless.

For more information on ways to get involved, please visit our Volunteer page. For more information about the Raising A Reader program, please check out our FAQ.