Key Principles of Social Enterprises: Has a clear goal as its core purpose

Equal Access to Education

Founder: Kyle Zimmer
Enterprise Name: First Book
Website: First Book
Location: Canada and the US
Reach: Global
Overview
Over 30 years ago, Kyle Zimmer volunteered in a soup kitchen in the United States and through this experience and her subsequent research, she realized the stark disparities children from low-income communities face in terms of equal access to books and learning materials in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Since its founding in 1992, First Book has worked to ensure educational equity, providing more than 200 million books and resources to schools and educational programs in low-income communities. Serving approximately five million children each year, First Book is one of the largest and fastest growing networks of educators in North America specifically serving children in need.
First Book’s social enterprise model of change:
1. The First Book Network
Comprises North America’s largest community of educators (more than 500,000 with more than 1,000 joining each week) working on the frontlines with children in need at schools and programs across the U.S.
2. The First Book Marketplace
Provides the First Book Network with 24-hour, year-round access to an award-winning repository of affordable and new books, educational resources, and basic necessities curated for kids in need ages 0-18.
3. First Book Research & Insights
Advances education and poverty research by generating original data that amplifies educators’ voices, drives First Book’s models, and informs content on the First Book Marketplace.
4. First Book Accelerator
Turns current research and evidence-based strategies from leading experts into actionable tools that are shared with the First Book network — so educators don’t have to wait months or years to use innovative best practices in their classrooms and programs.
Social impact
First Book gives low-income children access to a better educational environment through affordable books and resources serving ages 0-18.