Books are powerful. They can inspire people to action, move people to tears, and revitalize communities. However, approximately 1 in every 5 children have insufficient access to reading material, while others have unwanted books piled up in their homes. Donating your books can be a great way to declutter, recycle, and help more people access reading material. Many charities collect and distribute books to underserved communities at home and abroad. So we had to ask: What are the best charities to donate your books to?

The best charities to donate your books to are Little Free Library, the Prison Book Program, and Books for Africa. Other charities, like BookSpring and Kids Need to Read help to promote access to books around the world. 

Whether you want to donate books within your community, send books to people who are incarcerated, or promote youth literacy, there is a charity for you. Keep reading to learn more about what the best charities to donate your books to are all about, how they work, and what your best way would be to make a contribution.

Here’s What All the Best Charities to Donate Your Books to Have in Common

The charities on this list were chosen based on their mission, impact and transparency ratings, and achievements. 

They operate all over the world, from North America to Africa.

Most of the charities below take book donations and distribute them to schools, libraries, and community centers in underserved places. 

Some of the charities take book donations and sell them for a small profit, which then goes back into helping vulnerable communities. 

Yet, they all share the same goal of putting pre-loved books into the hands of those who need them.

These Are the 10 Best Charities to Donate Your Books to in [current year]

Below are our favorite charities to donate your books to (you can click on their link to directly jump to their section in this article):

Best Charities To Donate Your Books To

Little Free Library

Books for Africa

Reader to Reader

Kids Need to Read

Prison Book Program

The Salvation Army

Goodwill

Up With Books

BookSpring

BookSmiles

(At the end of this article we’ll also share our six-step approach on how you can select the best charity to support.)

Little Free Library: Sharing Books Through Communities

Little Free Library was founded in 2009 in Wisconsin by Todd Bol with a wooden container on a post on his lawn that he filled with books as a tribute to his late mother. Today, they are an international organization that serves 120 countries with their book-sharing boxes.

Little Free Library holds a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator, scoring 88% for transparency, and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all.”

Little Free Library

Little Free Library implements book-exchange box programs, run by volunteers so community members can donate and take books. Through their Impact Library Program, they provide book-exchange boxes to in-need communities. In addition, through their Indigenous Library Program, they provide book-exchange boxes to Indigenous communities in the US and Canada. They also partner with schools, libraries, and other public institutions to provide book-exchange boxes where needed. Furthermore, their Read in Color Initiative pre-fills book-exchange boxes with books by marginalized authors and provides recommended reading lists for learning about important social justice initiatives.

Since their founding, Little Free Library has shared over 300 million books through 150,000 book-exchange boxes in 120 countries across 50 states. 92% of participants said that these book exchange boxes made their community feel like a friendlier place and 72% of volunteers reported that they met people in their community through these. Notably in 2022, the charity officially unveiled the 150,000^th Little Free Library in Lebanon, Tennessee. For their work, they have received multiple awards, including the 2020 World Literacy Award and the 2018 Force for Positive Change Award. 

You can donate your gently used books to your local Little Free Library, (they also accept vehicle donations). In addition, you can directly donate to them through the donations page on their website.

Books for Africa: Building Hope by Filling Shelves

Books for Africa was founded in 1988 by Tom Warth after his visit to Uganda, to improve the quality and variety of available books. Today, the organization provides books to schools and libraries in all 55 African countries.

Books for Africa has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“We believe that education is the great equalizer in the world, and books are at the foundation of a strong educational system.”

Books for Africa

Books for Africa collects donations from individuals and institutions in America and ships them to schools and libraries in Africa. They also supply law books to universities, create “agriculture libraries” to facilitate agricultural education, and have a publishing initiative that facilitates domestic book production in local languages. In addition, they help girls to pursue their goals, inspired by relevant and empowering books.

Books for Africa is the largest supplier of used books to Africa, having donated over 58 million books since their inception. For example, their 2022-2023 fiscal year was their best year on record, shipping over 4 million books and over 250 computers and tablets. Their publishing program has also custom-printed and shipped 300,000 Portuguese-language books and 44,000 Somali-language books. 

You can donate books at drop-off locations in both Minnesota and Georgia, or ship books to their mailing address. You can also donate money to the organization through their website, as well as in the form of stocks or crypto. These funds can be directed toward a specific project, or to the organization as a whole. 

Reader to Reader: Spreading Literacy to Create Lifelong Learners

Reader to Reader was founded in 2000 by David Mazor in North Adams, Massachusetts when he started a book drive for his daughter’s university. It was so successful that he was inspired to organize book drives for underserved schools around the country. Today, the charity supplies books and computers to underserved libraries and schools around the world.

Reader to Reader has a 4-star rating on Charity Navigator, with a score of 100% for transparency.

“Somewhere there’s a kid who has never seen a Van Gogh or a Michelangelo, but if he reads a biography there’s a chance his life could change. The right book…the right kid.”

Reader to Reader

Reader to Reader supplies books and computers to underserved libraries and schools. They do this via volunteer-run book drives and partnerships with major retailers, like Barnes and Noble. In addition, they also run literacy programs that pair young readers with reading mentors, help parenting teens gain reading and writing skills and foster literacy in their child’s life, and help high school students with college applications and SAT prep. And through their WorldRead initiative, they raise awareness and funds for global literacy.

Since their founding, Reader to Reader has supplied over $50 million worth of books and computers to over 3,000 underserved libraries and schools in the US and 24 more countries globally, including Bolivia, Kenya, and Kosovo. Noteworthy, they shipped over 2 million books and computers to rebuild school libraries devastated by natural disasters, and have donated more than $10 million worth of books to indigenous communities throughout North America. In addition, thousands of students participated in their student literacy programs.

You can donate your new or gently used books to Reader to Reader through a book drive shipment (they also take computer donations). In addition, you can donate money to them via their website, over email, snail mail, or through stocks.

Kids Need to Read: Inspiring Imagination Through Reading

Kids Need to Read was founded in 2008 by PJ Haarsma, Denise Gary, and Nathan Fillion to bring literacy to the forefront of the US education system. Today, they supply books and facilitate literacy programs via agencies in all 50 states across the US.

Kids Need to Read has a 4-star rating on Charity Navigator and a Platinum rating from GuideStar. They also publish all their 990 forms and financial reports on their website. 

“By immersing children in an integrated world of literary experiences that teaches them, firsthand, the impact of reading on every aspect of life, imagination is ignited and confidence is built for a prosperous future, regardless of race, economic status, or personal capabilities.”

Kids Need to Read

Kids Need to Read promotes child literacy by providing both books and literacy programs to underfunded libraries, schools, and community centers in all 50 states. They also have a mobile program, where they provide books and read-alongs through a van. In addition, they engage libraries via book readings and donation matching programs, both of which focus on underserved communities. 

Kids Need to Read serves on average 100,000 children per year, delivering 150,000 literacy resources, based on over $1 million in donations. An average of 83% of the children served in the programs are living at or below the poverty level. 

You can donate books in like-new condition to Kids Need to Read via drop offs or through the mail (they also take vehicle donations). You can also donate money to the organization through their website or mailed checks.

Prison Book Program: Changing Lives Through Literacy Access

The Prison Book Program was founded in 1972 by the Red Book Store Collective in Cambridge, Massachusetts to distribute books to incarcerated people. Initially, their focus was on progressive and educational reading material, but today, they distribute books on a wide variety of subjects to prisons in all 50 states. 

Prison Book Program has a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Silver Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“We believe that everyone has a right to read, and that books are tremendous sources of enlightenment, enjoyment, and transformation.”

Prison Book Program

Prison Book Program promotes education behind bars by providing books directly to those in prison, fulfilling specific requests from individuals. For example, they provide a custom legal primer to those in prison, as well as a volunteering program that helps book lovers connect with their communities and gain work experience. Furthermore, they run an online publication program where they share art, poetry, essays, and book reviews from those on the inside. 

Since their inception, the Prison Book Program has amassed over 1,000 volunteers and ships an average 50,000 books per year to around 15,000 incarcerated people in 1,100 prisons. The organization has also inspired two other organizations, one based in Minneapolis and one in North Carolina and they maintain a list of similar initiatives in the US, Canada, and the UK to support prisoners around the world. 

You can donate your books directly to Prison Book Program’s headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts, or you can mail your books to their headquarters. You can also support the charity by holding book drives in your local community or by purchasing books from their wishlist. 

The Salvation Army: Reaching Out Through Faith

The Salvation Army was founded in 1865 in London by William and Catherine Booth to channel Christian values through direct charity. Today, the organization operates in over 130 countries, supporting vulnerable communities through advocacy and individual assistance, including book donations. 

The Salvation Army has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“To share the good news, to serve others without discrimination, to nurture the Disciples of Jesus, to care for creation, and to seek justice and reconciliation.”

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army runs a wide range of programs, including initiatives to help the homeless, as well as provide family support systems, arts programs, and international outreach initiatives. They also have charity shops around the world which take object donations—including books—and use the proceeds to fund their other programs. 

The Salvation Army is currently the largest provider of social services in the US, receiving an average of $2 million in donations per year from the US alone. They are also one of the largest providers of social services worldwide, with over 1.65 members globally. In addition, they run over 400 charity shops as well as 20 donation centers across the country to raise even more funds to help vulnerable individuals and underserved communities. 

You can donate your used books to a Salvation Army charity shop near you. You can also donate other items to their shops, including CDs, DVDs, clothing, toys, and homewares. The Salvation Army also takes monetary donations directly through their website.

Goodwill: Empowering Through Employment

Goodwill was founded in 1902 by Reverend Edgar J. Helms in Boston to mend discarded clothing and provide it to impoverished people in the community. Today, they operate over 3,000 independently-run charity shops in 14 countries, where you can donate books to help those in need. 

Goodwill shops are all independently rated, but the majority hold a 4-star rating on Charity Navigator and a Gold or Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“Helping people overcome challenges to build skills, find jobs and grow their careers through the power of work.”

Goodwill

Goodwill helps place people in jobs who might have barriers to employment, such as veterans, as well as those who lack education and people with criminal backgrounds. They also run charity shops in the US, Canada, and beyond, which provide both employment and affordable goods to the community, including donated books. 

Since their founding, Goodwill has helped over 2 million people build employable skills through their placement systems, with an average of 300 per day. They have also accomplished significant sustainability goals, diverting an average of 4 billion tons of would-be landfill waste per year. 

You can donate items—including books—to a Goodwill donation center near you. You can also donate other items, such as clothing or household items. Moreover, Goodwill takes monetary contributions through their website. 

BookSpring: Reading Toward Connections

BookSpring was founded in 1966 by Margaret McNamara in Washington D.C. to improve child literacy by expanded home libraries. Today, they distribute hundreds of thousands of books to low-income families every year, as well as providing multiple literacy programs. 

Bookspring has a 4-star rating on Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“Building early literacy in children and families through healthcare, education, and the community.”

BookSpring

BookSpring partners with institutions like schools, clinics, and other nonprofits to provide free books, as well as educational literacy events for children. For example, they run specific programs to provide age-appropriate books to children under 4 and for children attending underserved schools. They also supply books to healthcare providers in underserved areas and partner with nonprofits to combine book distribution with other events, such as family book clubs. 

Today, BookSpring distributes an average of 200,000 books every year, serving over 100,000 children, most of which are from low-income families. 97% of participants committed to reading two times a day, and 98% said they would recommend BookSpring to a friend. 

You can donate used children’s books to BookSpring through their dropoff center, as well as arrange a book drive. You can also donate financially to them through their website, and also in the form of stocks and sponsorships.

BookSmiles: Watering Book Deserts

BooksSmiles was founded in 2017 by Larry Adams when he was sourcing used books for his friend. The act courted more books than expected, prompting his mission to put more books in the hands of children. Today, the charity distributes books to children all over New Jersey and Philadelphia.

BookSmiles has a Silver Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“Helping all children build their own library, one story at a time.”

BookSmiles

BookSmiles provides books to children who might not normally have access to them. For example, through their nonprofit partnership program, they work with like-minded organizations to improve access to books in underserved communities. In addition, they engage educational professionals, allowing them to pick 100-150 books for free from their book banks and book drives. Furthermore, they regularly run book giveaway competitions in local schools. 

Since their founding, BookSmiles has distributed almost 1.5 million books to children in need. They have also employed hundreds of volunteers who have helped them source ,sort, and supply donations through 3,000 working hours. Moreover, they give away over 10,000 books to local schools every month. In 2022, they moved their book bank to a 4,300^sq ft facility in Pennsauken, where they can process over 1 million books every year. 

You can donate books to BookSmiles through their donation stations. The charity also encourages people to hold book drives, plus you can donate to them financially through their website.

Up With Books: Elevating Communities Through Literature

Up With Books was founded in 2015 in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts by two sisters to share their love of reading with those who lack access to books. Today, they distribute books to underprivileged children around the country and run reading programs to inspire a love of reading. 

Up With Books has a Silver Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“We believe that all children should have the opportunity to own at least one book in their homes. Learning to read, and continuing on that path, is essential for the success of each child.”

Up With Books

Up With Books helps children to access books who might not otherwise be able to afford them, by donating them to homeless shelters, food banks, and community centers. They also run their Every Summer Has a Story program, which is a summer reading club that aims to keep up children’s reading skills through the summer, especially those who don’t have books in their homes. 

Since their founding, Up With Books has distributed over 300,000 books to children in underserved communities. They have also collaborated with many institutions, including schools and juvenile detention centers to help deliver books and general community support. 

You can donate new or gently used books directly to the organization via mail or direct pick-up/drop-off. You can also take part in their annual auction fundraisers or donate money through their website, either with a direct donation or through their Sponsor a Child program.

How Can You Select the Best Charities to Support?

The charities on the list are, we deem, the best charities to donate your books to. However, you may have a particular charity you want to support. Let’s look at what you can do to ensure your contribution has the most significant impact.

• Check out the charity website. Charities that are worthy of your donations are transparent in their mission and their figures. Familiarize yourself with their history, mission, and values. Their website usually is the best place to start.
• Identify the charity’s mission. Without a goal, the charity is likely to fail. If the charity’s mission isn’t clear, it’s probably worth looking for a charity that does have a clear mission. 
• Check if the charity has measurable goals. An effective charity has clear goals. You want to know your donation will help the charity reach its goals. But if it doesn’t have targets, it’s likely to fail or squander your gift. The charity should be able to account for its spending and supply evidence of the work they do.
• Assess the successes or goals the charity has achieved. You wouldn’t invest in a business if it kept missing its targets. In the same way, charities are like this too. If no one is assessing a charity’s progress in reaching its targets, the chances are they’re not making a substantial positive change.
• Check the charity’s financials and stats. Trustworthy organizations will publish financial statements and reports each year. Some might be exempt from having to do so, but they should be able to provide them to public members who are interested in donating.
• Locate sources who work with or benefit from the charity. Word of mouth and first-hand experience of a charity’s work lets you know the charity’s quality. If you’re able to do so, check out the charity for yourself or speak to someone familiar with it. This way, your donation will go to the right place. 

How Can You Best Support These Charities?

After you’ve made your decision, it’s time for you to decide on how you’d like to help the charities you’ve chosen. Check how you can help – each charity runs specific programs that have unique aims. Find out what the aim of such programs is and whether they are right for you. 

Here are a few ways you can help your chosen charity:

• Donate money. You can find donation pages on the website of most charities. Your donation can be a one-time payment, or you can set it to be deducted regularly at different intervals. You can mostly pay via credit card, but some charities also take PayPal or Bitcoin payments.
• Buy their official merchandise. Charities can also raise money by selling merchandise. So, you can support them by buying the mugs, shirts, caps, pens, pencils, and any other such items they may be selling. Ideally, you should buy as much as you can to share and spread the word about the charity’s activities.
• Engage in volunteer work. As you’ve seen from our descriptions above, some charities engage in a lot of local and grassroots programs. You can help by taking on and organizing the program in your local area.
• Help their fundraising efforts. You can spread the word about the charity in your workplace, school, church, etc., and hold creative fundraising drives on social media or offline within your small circles.
• Share their stories. Most charities have compelling stories that you can share with your audience to attract more people to the cause.

Final Thoughts

Now it is up to you to select the charity that resonates most with you. And whichever charity you end up choosing and contributing to, we are sure that they will immensely appreciate your support. Hopefully, the information within this article has made this selection process a bit easier for you to support charities dedicated to book donations – based on the causes that matter most to you.

Stay impactful,

PS: Finally, I want to leave you with a thought-provoking TED talk from Dan Pallotta, a leading philanthropic activist and fundraiser, about what is wrong with the way we think about charities – and what we can do about it:

Sources

• The Bookseller: One in five children do not own any books of their own, according to latest NTL research
• Little Free Library
• Little Free Library: Annual Report 2023
• Youtube: Getting to Know Little Free Library
• Charity Navigator: Little Free Library
• GuideStar: Little Free Library
• Little Free Library: Impact
• Little Free Library: Indigenous Library Program
• Little Free Library: Read in Color
• Little Free Library: About
• Little Free Library: 2020 World Literacy Award
• Little Free Library: Milestones and Awards
• Little Free Library: Map
• Little Free Library: Ways to Give
• Little Free Library: Donation
• Little Free Library: Corporate Sponsorships
• Books for Africa
• Youtube: Books for Africa: A Legacy of Literacy
• Charity Navigator: Books for Africa
• GuideStar: Books for Africa
• Books for Africa: Law and Democracy
• Books for Africa: Agriculture Libraries
• Books for Africa: Publishing
• Books for Africa: Girls’ Empowerment
• Books for Africa: About
• Books for Africa: Donate Books
• Books for Africa: Donate Funds
• Books for Africa: Donate Crypto or Stock
• Books for Africa: Donate to a Project
• Reader to Reader
• Youtube: Reader to Reader
• Charity Navigator: Reader to Reader
• Reader to Reader: Book Drive
• Reader to Reader: About
• Reader to Reader: Mentoring
• Reader to Reader: Athena
• Reader to Reader: Discover Books
• Reader to Reader: Blueprint for Success
• Reader to Reader: World Read
• Reader to Reader: Facts
• Reader to Reader: Computers
• Reader to Reader: Giving to RTR
• Kids Need to Read
• Youtube: Kids Need to Read
• Charity Navigator: Kids Need to Read
• GuideStar: Kids Need to Read
• Kids Need to Read: Financial Statements
• Kids Need to Read: PageCoach
• Kids Need to Read: Grow Your Library
• Kids Need to Read: Annual Report
• Kids Need to Read: Give Books
• Kids Need to Read: Vehicles for Charity
• Kids Need to Read: Donate
• Prison Book Program
• Prison Book Program: FAQ
• Youtube: Prison Book Program
• Charity Navigator: Prison Book Program
• GuideStar: Prison Book Program
• Prison Book Program: About
• Prison Book Program: Volunteer
• Prison Book Program: Artwork
• Prison Book Program: Poetry
• Prison Book Program: Essays
• Prison Book Program: Book Reviews
• Prison Book Program: Prison Book Network
• Prison Book Program: Directions
• Prison Book Program: Donate Books
• Prison Book Program: Book Drives
• The Salvation Army
• Youtube: The Salvation Army
• Charity Navigator: The Salvation Army
• GuideStar: The Salvation Army
• The Salvation Army: Homelessness
• The Salvation Army: Families
• The Salvation Army: Music and Creative Arts
• The Salvation Army: International Development
• The Salvation Army: Charity Shops
• Edu: Overview of The Salvation Army
• Wikipedia: The Salvation Army
• The Salvation Army: Map Page
• The Salvation Army: Donate
• Goodwill
• Wikipedia: Goodwill
• Youtube: Goodwill
• Charity Navigator: Goodwill
• GuideStar: Goodwill
• Goodwill: How We Work With You
• Goodwill: Career and Financial Advice
• Goodwill: Locator
• Goodwill: Careers
• Goodwill: Annual Report
• Goodwill: Donate Stuff
• Goodwill: Financial Donation
• Up With Books
• GuideStar: Up With Books
• Up With Books: Every Summer Has a Story
• Up With Books: About
• Up With Books: Donate
• Up With Books: Join Us.
• BookSpring
• Youtube: BookSpring
• Charity Navigator: BookSpring
• GuideStar: BookSpring
• BookSpring: About
• BookSpring: Programs
• BookSpring: Books for Me
• BookSpring: ReadWell
• BookSpring: BookSpring Days
• BookSpring: Book Clubs
• BookSpring: Book Drives
• BookSpring: Support
• BookSpring: Donor Advised Funds
• BookSpring: Sponsorship
• BookSmiles
• Youtube: BookSmiles
• GuideStar: BookSmiles
• BookSmiles: Programs
• CNN: Heroes
• BookSmiles: Donate Books
• BookSmiles: Planned Giving
• Youtube: The Way We Think About Charities is Dead Wrong