Annual Report 2023

ANNUAL REPORT

GORDON PHILANTHROPIES, INC.

Communities That Read Together, Grow Together

Our vision for the development of the program is about being strategic in terms of how to provide literacy resources to youth who live in communities where books are not as easily accessible. The success of our program has grown exponentially thanks to our impressive school and community partners.

As of 2023, we have managed to distribute over 375,000 books, placing them in the hands of our students. We consistently work hard to individualize our program, which allows us to directly cater to the specific needs of our students and their families. To do so, we strongly emphasize the importance of giving students the autonomy to choose the books they receive in our program models. We have found this to be the key ingredient that encourages our students to read.

“Our children deserve a quality education regardless of their socioeconomic status.”

We are keenly aware that without your trust, support, and kinship, the work we have accomplished would not be at this high level. Together we can continue to create reading equity opportunities and provide bright academic futures for marginalized youth. Gordon Philanthropies believes that reading is a basic human right.

Our mission is driven by the passion, hard work, and ongoing support of educators and community leaders. They share our commitment to create and foster educational opportunities for students that are experiencing systemic racism and inequity.

Daniel L. Gordon Founder

Let’s connect on LinkedIn

Dear Friends,

As the executive director of Gordon Philanthropies, I am indebted to our wonderful community, school partners, and newest family member—the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Thanks to the support, kindness, and leadership of Sheriff Robert Luna and his staff, we established beautiful children’s libraries in all the jail facilities and visitor centers across the entire County of Los Angeles! In another amazing development, nuestro amigo, Astronaut José M. Hernández in 2024 will continue to remind children that with hard work and a commitment to their dreams, every child can reach for the stars.

I begin the new year inspired, for I am reminded that no matter how monumental the task, Gordon Philanthropies remains committed to providing quality books for children who otherwise would not have access to them due to financial challenges. Our nation is in a literacy crisis, and I am privileged to be leading GP’s mission to confront this challenge directly. I am motivated to continue building upon our success and position GP as a leader in the movement to end illiteracy. I am also humbled by the secret sauce to our success story— you! Thank you for believing that reading is a basic human right. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your trust.

We stand on the shoulders of great organizations who have paved the way for Gordon Philanthropies to serve children in underserved communities by providing books to build their home libraries. I want to add a special note of gratitude to the LA Sheriff’s Department for supporting our vision of creating libraries in visitor centers. Children, many overwhelmed with emotion when seeing their parents, can now find comfort in our libraries as they wait for their visits. This upcoming year, we will build upon this success by expanding this program to state prisons.

I am excited by the great accomplishments that awaits us in 2024, and I wish you all the best that life can bring in the coming year!

With an abundance of gratitude,

Sylvia Beanes

Sylvia Beanes Executive Director sbeanes@gordonphilanthropies.org

(213) 338-7672

About

Founded in 2020, Gordon Philanthropies Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to utilizing its resources to emphasize the importance of literacy and education by donating books and creating welcoming reading spaces in under-resourced communities.

We believe that access to books and the love for reading should not be regarded as a privilege, but rather recognized as a basic human right.

Mission

Our mission is to promote the value of reading, literacy, and access to equitable educational opportunities to all students regardless of race and socioeconomic factors.

Vision

Through the mobilization of literacy, our vision is to nurture the capable, bright young minds of today who are destined to become great leaders and activators of change tomorrow.

“I just wanted to say thank you for this awesome opportunity! I have a large class and being able to give them

all copies of books is amazing!”

- 5th Grade Teacher, San Miguel Elementary

Year in Review

In collaboration with our community and school partners, Gordon Philanthropies, Inc. has taken strategic actions to create equitable reading opportunities for children living in zip codes with income below the federal poverty line.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of our community partners and all of those involved who have passionately helped us spread the love of books this year. Our reading program, “Communities That Read Together, Grow Together” was created to provide quality and accessible book resources to boost the reading skills and practices of students. By collaborating with community partners, we aim to enhance their students’ quality of life by providing equitable education opportunities.

We are grateful for having had a successful year with so much love, joy, and reading. From coming together as a family to read at the park, to recording the voices of our loving parents as they read to their children, to being inspired to reach for the stars through an astronaut’s exceptional story, we are beyond excited to see what the next year holds in store!

Our Impact

$427,000+

9,000+ in Support of Our Initiatives

375,000+ Books Distributed Students Served

500+ Educators Served 400+

Audiobooks Created of Incarcerated Parents Reading for Their Children

Our Program

Our Communities That Read Together, Grow Together program encompasses four different initiatives, each of which are strategically designed to increase student’s reading motivation and the access of reading materials in mainly under-served communities.

Teacher Program

Teachers select 4 book titles per semester (fall/spring), totaling 8 books per school year. Each student in a classroom receives a brand-new copy to keep of each of the 8 books chosen by their teacher.

Family Reading Program

Every child in a participating family receives 4 brand-new books approximately every four months. Children are encouraged to choose the books themselves. The books are then delivered directly to their homes without cost to the families.

Community Library Initiative

Our library initiative aims to decrease the prevalence of book deserts in under-resourced communities by collaborating with schools and other community organizations. We provide the necessary books, shelves, and materials to create welcoming libraries in spaces where books are needed the most.

Family Book Audio Initiative for Children of Incarcerated

Parents

To preserve the connection between parents who are incarcerated and their children, GP arranges annual holiday book audio events in the Los Angeles County facilities. Parents who are incarcerated have the opportunity to record themselves reading a book for their children. The recording, along with a copy of the book and a personalized letter, is then mailed directly to their children.

Our Partners

Over the past year, we’ve had the invaluable opportunity to have partnered with local schools and organizations, seeing real impact, and we’re excited to support new initiatives and schools in the coming years.

School Partners

• Ánimo Legacy Middle School

• Ánimo Florence-Firestone Middle School

• Ánimo Jefferson Middle School

• Ánimo James B. Taylor Middle School

• 96th Street Elementary School

• 99th Street Elementary School

• Fries Avenue Elementary School

• Wilcox Elementary School

• Montebello Park Elementary School

• Compton Avenue Elementary School

• San Miguel Elementary School

• St. Aloysius Catholic School

• St. Raphael Catholic School

• Wilmington Park Elementary School

• KIPP SoCal Public Schools

“This program inspires children of incarcerated mothers housed here at CRDF to read more often, connects children and incarcerated parents through reading, and give women extra confidence to read to their children even if they are not strong readers themselves.”

- Officer Hayley-Graham Century Regional Detention Facility

Community Partners

• Reading Partners Los Angeles

• Boys and Girls Club

• YOLA

• A New Way of Life

• Homeboy Industries

• José M. Hernández Reaching for the Stars Foundation

• King’s College

• Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department

• Green Dot Schools California

• Uncommon Good

• SHIELDS for Families

• Los Angeles CADA

• Children’s Institute

• USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative

Volunteer Spotlight

The passion and commitment of our amazing volunteers are the driving force behind our work’s positive impact in the community.

Jada recording the loving voice of a mother at GP’s annual Christmas book audio recording event at an LASD Correctional Facility where mothers are given the opportunity to record their voice and write a letter to their children. After the recording, GP gifts the recording, letter, and book to their child to boost literacy through at home reading practices.

Betty records a father’s voice as he reads a book for his child at GP’s Thanksgiving book audio recording event at an LASD Correctional Facility. Our volunteers are devoted, passionate individuals who support our cause and advocate for the expansion of literacy to all people. Without their time and commitment, we would not be able to achieve our mission.

Left to right: Dr. Icenhower, CEO, Shields for Families and Sylvia Beanes, Executive Director Gordon Philanthropies

Our community partners and supporters at A New Way of Life Gala. Our foundation has a fundamental goal of helping and supporting other organizations that are dedicated to making the world a better place. We deeply appreciate the assistance and support given to us by our community partners, and we are grateful for their love, kindness, and generosity.

Dave and Mindy, one of GP’s first volunteers, reenacting a children’s book for the children at a family outreach event. Mindy and Dave are professional voice actors who have a talent for bringing joy to people’s faces. We are extremely grateful for their contribution and for generously taking the time to assist us in promoting the love and pleasure of reading books.

Former NASA Astronaut Dr. José M. Hernández surprises 1,001 students at the opening of new reading nooks donated by Gordon Philanthropies at Ánimo Legacy Charter Middle School.

Celebrating the joy and power of reading, Dr. Hernández spoke about his incredible journey and gifted students and staff an autographed copy of his book, Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut. We are thankful to Dr. Hernández for sharing his story of tenacity and resilience.

In collaboration with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Gordon Philanthropies built the first-ever Children’s Library located inside the Visitor Center at Men’s Central Jail.

Receiving over 250 visitors per day, the Library is designed to provide all visiting children with a warm, accommodating area in which they have the option to indulge in reading or enjoy the serenity of playing a variety of board games.

Gordon Philanthropies, Inc. and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department helped mothers at the Century Regional Detention Facility record audio books for their children. Mothers and grandmothers recorded their loving voices reading a book into an audio recorder that would later be gifted to their children. In addition, the event also celebrated the inauguration of the Sybil Brand Children’s Library.

Community Events

Our events serve as powerful platforms for fostering connections, rallying support, and amplifying the impact of our initiatives.

Through collective participation and engagement, our events catalyze positive change, operationalize our mission into tangible outcomes for the greater good of local communities.

Scan for more events!

Visit our website to hear about all our events.

Gordon Philanthropies and the Community Participant Mother Program (CPMP) hosted a Family Reading event for incarcerated mothers and their families.

The reading event featured a special performance by volunteers Mindy and Dave who acted out The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, providing an opportunity for mothers and their families to gather and create unforgettable moments together.

Magical Reading Day, in collaboration with the Museum of the San Fernando Valley, introduced over 300 children to Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia series.

This event was made possible with the support of The Knowledge Shop, Parent Organization Network, and Parent PioneersPadres Pioneros, all dedicated to supporting under-served youth.

With the support of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, we hosted inaugural Book Recording Event at Men’s Central Jail and Twin Towers.

GP staff and volunteers provided fathers and grandfathers the opportunity to express their Thanksgiving wishes to their children through an audio recording. The father recorded an audio version of the book for his children, and GP mails these materials for children to listen to their father’s voice as they read at their own pace.

“There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.”

-Frank Serafini

Research

Research is invaluable to help us make a meaningful impact and measure the efficacy of our initiatives.

Data tells some of the story, but not all. We emphasize that we believe our students and their families are not statistics and that their voices matter. For us, the goal is to use data to drive decision-making to help us meet the specific needs of those we serve.

There are two active studies under the umbrella of Gordon Philanthropies, both of which focus on the impact of increased book access on families in Los Angeles

County. GP’s research team is working in partnership with King’s College for the completion of these studies.

In addition to research, Gordon Philanthropies has collected program evaluation data from many of the students enrolled in our program. This data has been used on an ongoing basis to help improve the program and better serve our students.

of our students reported that they have never visited their neighborhood library

Research Moving Forward

In collaboration with King’s College, our research team is currently conducting a study that focuses on home literacy environments. The study, which was recently accepted for presentation at the 2024 Pacific Sociological Association Conference, will be shared with other researchers later this year. of students are English language learners

Vision for Future Research

GP has a goal of conducting research that will be useful to everyone involved in a student’s education. Our vision is to be able to inform parents, practitioners, researchers,and other leaders in education about the current state of literacy in the K-12 system. Strong data and thorough analysis from the research can lead to a deeper understanding of the issue, and subsequently, to feasible solutions.

In the News

Stay up-to-date with the latest news stories by visiting our website today.

Don’t miss out on the updates and insights - explore now!

Scan for the latest news & updates!

Meet our Team

Sylvia Beanes | Executive Director sbeanes@gordonphilanthropies.org

LEARN MORE

Sylvia is the driving force behind Gordon Philanthropies and manages operations, fundraising initiatives, strategic planning, and program implementation to further the organization’s charitable mission and goals.

Catherine Reyes-Higueros | Communications & Public Relations Manager creyes@gordonphilanthropies.org

Catherine oversees communication and public relations, focused on ensuring our mission is communicated effectively. She passionately advocates on issues related to social injustice, and is committed to improving the world.

Destiny Perales | Research & Program Manager dperales@gordonphilanthropies.org

Destiny is responsible for overseeing the planning and coordination of research studies and partnerships related to such studies. Additionally, she manages our Teacher Program, a key component of Read Together, Grow Together Program.

From left to right: Catherine Reyes-Higueros, Sylvia Beanes, and Destiny Perales.

“Once

- Frederick Douglas