2024
“Ourgoalistocreateeffectiveandhigh-quality approachesthathelpclosetheliteracygapand supportstudents'andschoolsinunder-resourced communities” -DanielL.Gordon,FounderofGordon Philanthropies
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
“Our children deserve a quality education regardless of their socioeconomic status.”
As I reflect on all we have accomplished in 2024, I am humbled by the kindness and unconditional support shown by our community partners Gordon Philanthropies began with the belief that children should not be denied access to a quality education due to their socio-economic status Thanks to the dedication of our exceptional staff and your incredible generosity, we have been able to expand our programs to better address this issue
The foundation was developed with a vision of creating an evidence-based reading program to support children in under-resourced communities The program would be built upon solid educational research, and we would measure its effectiveness and conduct our own research to contribute to national literacy efforts I am proud to say that we have been successful on this front: 872,000+ books have been distributed and 51,697+ students served through our Teachers and Books Program and Children’s Libraries, and two academic articles are under review
The success of a child’s education, however, requires more than access to books and educational resources We realized early on that a quality education includes support for families and communities and opportunities for hope and inspiration That is why we have extended our services to include events with inspiring individuals, such as the opportunity for students to meet and speak with astronauts, authors, film producers, political leaders, and more It is why we partnered with Universal Pictures to offer early-access screenings of films inspired by books It is why we built twelve in-facility children’s libraries for children of incarcerated parents
We are making a difference in the lives of students and communities who need us. It has been a privilege to witness the joy that our programs have brought to students and their families There are too many stories for me to share here, but I will end with this one I provided a grant to the Boys and Girls Club in Mar Vista Gardens to implement Communities That Read Together, Grow Together for first- through third-graders Mar Vista Gardens is a housing project in Culver City, California, with a reputation for high gang activity The progress the students made is something I will never forget The design of the reading program includes pre and post-testing to measure literacy growth The reading counselor mailed the foundation copies of the pre and post-tests of all the students, to share their academic progress The improvement of the students was phenomenal The tests showed that students who were barely able to write simple words in the pretest increased their fluency and could write complete sentences with minimal errors, after just three months My heart felt joy knowing the grant and our reading program helped children improve their reading, which in turn improved their writing
DANIEL L. GORDON, FOUNDER
Dear Friends of Gordon Philanthropies,
“Research serves as a crucial part of the work we do at Gordon Philanthropies.”
I am pleased to announce that 2024 was an exceptional, wonderful year, with incredible accomplishments, and new friends and partners. Building upon the foundation established in 2021 $2.1 million in support of our initiatives, 872,000+ books distributed, and the first-of-its-kind children’s library in a correctional facility.
Expansion of our Correctional Facility Children’s Libraries! In 2024, we built upon our existing partnership with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and expanded our work by collaborating with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to build an additional seven in-facility children’s libraries and an outdoor educational center to promote healthy parent-child relationships for families impacted by incarceration These new libraries are located across California: California Institution for Women, Central California Women’s Facility, Valley State, High Desert, and Puerta La Cruz Fire Camp This expansion makes a total of seven new libraries for children of incarcerated parents
Teachers and Books Program Grows to include the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community and Travels to the East Coast! Our 2024 school partnership program grew to include Marlton School in Los Angeles and Baltimore City Public Schools! We, likewise, continued our tradition of offering top-tier educational programming and experiences by partnering with community champions, such as Barney Saltzberg (renowned children’s author), to offer support and inspiration to our incredible students who are deaf or hard of hearing by working on a joint venture with Greater Los Angeles on Deafness (GLAD)!
Fantastic Colleagues and Program Supporters! I am fortunately not alone. In addition to my wonderful colleagues Destiny Perales, Catherine Reyes-Higueros, and Betty Patterson I have the privilege of working with the families that trust me and you yes, you the friends of the foundation: teachers, school administrators, community and political leaders, business partners, and anyone touched by the foundation’s work! The mission of providing literacy for all is a collaborative project and I am indebted to all of you who took my calls, opened doors, and provided genuine kindness and support to help Gordon Philanthropies accomplish our good work. We could not have done this without you, for, indeed, we are better together!
In closing, I am blessed to work with incredible leaders such as Susan Burton and Astronaut José M Hernández who are unnerved in their advocacy for those who need their voices amplified and to work alongside a visionary founder who believes that the education of all children matter!
SYLVIA BEANES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
“Throughyourgiftofbookstoourstudents,they willbeabletofurtherdeveloptheirreadingskills, discoverwhatkindofbookstheyareinterestedin andmaintainliteracyhabitspracticedintheir classrooms.”
-Principal,Alpha:JoséHernández
ABOUT
Founded in 2021, 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 children’s libraries in underserved and under-resourced communities.
MISSION
We work to improve the lives of students in underserved and underresourced communities by promoting literacy and supporting impactful educational programs that foster opportunity and growth.
SO
“By designing children’s libraries in all visitors’ centers inside jails across LA County, we are fostering a supportive environment for families, promoting literacy and learning for children.”
-SheriffRobertLuna,HeadoftheLosAngeles CountySheriff’sDepartment
YEARINREVIEW
Gordon Philanthropies was founded with the belief that literacy is a skill that opens doors to a world of opportunities. Our work includes working with schools in historically marginalized communities to put free, high-interest books into the hands of children whose families and schools may not have the necessary resources to provide them independently.
Communities That Read Together, Grow Together embodies our core belief that all children must have the same opportunity to learn to read, which means having books available at home. In working together with schools and community partners, we share the belief that all children must have the opportunity to advance through reading. Through our school community-based approach, Gordon Philanthropies has successfully enriched the home libraries of thousands of children. Additionally, our approach has allowed us to empower educators and families to help us ignite a love for reading in our children.
This year, we have successfully expanded our program to serve and empower children that are a part of the Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and visually impaired communities. Our success in this endeavor would be impossible without our partnerships with experts and advocates in the field.
We’re excited to continue our impact in 2025 and make it another extraordinary year! Thank you for being a part of our ongoing journey towards creating a brighter future for our children!
$2.1Million in Support of Our Initiatives
872,000+ Books Distributed 51,697+
Students Served 600+
Audiobooks Recorded 12
Children’s Libraries in Correctional Facilities
OURPROGRAMS
WHYBOOKS?
Current research suggests that print books have a profound impact on literacy acquisition and lifelong learning. The physical presence of a curated collection of books and tactility of turning the page invite curiosity and engagement. This is why our programs are founded on our groundbreaking Communities That Read Together, Grow Together initiative. Through this initiative, we enable children to build their personal at-home library, engage in independent and guided reading, and invite them to explore the opportunities reading can bring.
TEACHERSANDBOOKS
Our Teachers and Books Program ensures that students are able to explore their interests in new genres and topics while also taking advantage of books’ academic utility. The program provides all students that are enrolled in our partner schools with eight free books throughout the school year. We partner with teachers, as we value their expertise and believe they know their students best, to select the best titles per classroom. The purpose of the program is to not only improve literacy skills, but also to expand the home libraries of students as the books are theirs to keep.
CHILDREN’SLIBRARYPROGRAM
In 2024, we built upon our existing partnership with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department by collaborating with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to create an additional seven in-facility children’s libraries and one outdoor educational center to help promote healthy parent-child relationships for families impacted by incarceration.
SENTWITHLOVEPROGRAM
With nearly 2.7 million children having at least one parent that is incarcerated, the Sent with Love Program is meant to bring families together through audiobook recordings. Thanks to the support from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, parents who are incarcerated can record their voices reading a book in traditional bedtime story style for their children. The recordings are mailed to their children along with a copy of the book and a personal handwritten letter just in time for special holidays.
SCANTOLEARNMORE! Visit our website to learn more about our programs!
PUTTINGCHILDRENFIRST
Our events serve as transformative platforms for empowering our students and instilling a love of reading. Through these events, we increase educational opportunities and advance our literacy efforts in historically marginalized communities. The goal of our events is to open the door to career exploration opportunities, spark inspiration and creativity, and foster a lifelong love of reading!
CommunityEvents
Incarcerated Fathers Record their Voices for Father’s Day through the Sent with Love Program at Men’s Central and Twin Towers Jail. This year’s book, You Are Fantastic, by Sabrina Moyle, was sent to the children in addition to receiving a personal handwritten letter
CDCR and Gordon Philanthropies Celebrated the Opening of Puerta La Cruz Fire Camp’s Children Educational Center. The educational center fosters connection between children and their incarcerated firefighter mothers
SchoolEvents
Gordon Philanthropies partnered with California State Senator María Elena Durazo to provide new backpacks filled with books and school supplies to more than 1,000 children, plus a surprise visit from LA Rams mascot Rampage!
Gordon Philanthropies provided 7,000 new books and related resources to support the students of Alpha: Jose Hernandez through the Teachers and Books Program.
The Wild Robot Production Team from DreamWorks Animation Spoke with Students of Fries Avenue STEAM Academy! Thanks to our partnership with Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation, Producer Jeff Hermann, Co-Producer Heather Lanza, Head of Story Heidi Jo Gilbert, and Production Designer Raymond Zibach spoke with more than 100 students about film careers after a special screening of the film at AMC Burbank 16.
Pictured above: The Wild Robot Production Team with Gordon Philanthropies Co-Founder, Kate Nahon-Gordon
VOLUNTEERSPOTLIGHT
We could not do the work we do without the help of our educators, volunteers, and community partners. Thanks to their dedication, our organization is able to promote and instill a genuine love of books and reading inside classrooms, libraries, and beyond.
We would like to give a special thanks to our volunteers for so graciously giving up their time to record parents' voices every holiday season and for supporting our reading events. We are deeply appreciative of your willingness and devotion to help us make lasting memories for our children through our exciting events.
Nancy and Joshua gave the beloved book, Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev to families attending the Los Angeles Times Annual Book Fair.
Three-time Emmy Award winner and KCAL news anchor, Chauncy Glover served as emcee at the launch of Dorsey Nunn’s memoir, What Kind of Bird Can’t Fly.
Volunteers from USC served as ushers at the exclusive screening of the hit-film The Wild Robot at AMC 16 Burbank theater for the students of Fries Ave. STEAM Academy. Thanks to their support, students enjoyed popcorn, snacks, and cool swag!
Landen Gonzales, Deaf West Theater actor, signs books in American Sign Language for an upcoming reading campaign, “Rock Out and Read-Along ” The campaign will feature a series of read-along videos by author Barney Saltzberg. The video series will be an additional educational tool to help parents and children engage in reading and support families with Deaf children.
Christina Pascucci and GP donated 2,000 books to help mothers at SHIELDS for Families, a non-profit organization, dedicated to supporting families across South LA through their various maternal wellness programs.
Pictured above: Dr. Pedro Noguera and Dr. Allyson Pimentel at A New Way of Life’s 2024 Annual Gala.
“It must be acknowledged that, sadly, a great many children are held back from experiencing the magical power of books and home libraries by poverty. Books for children are often close to non-existent in low-income communities. This is an injustice that must be rectified.”
-WorldLiteracyFoundation
RESEARCHMATTERS
Research is invaluable in our efforts to tackle the literacy crisis, as it allows us to measure the effectiveness of our programs and determine how to maximize our impact. Gordon Philanthropies' research arm prioritizes by amplifying the voices of and valuing the experiences of the communities we serve to understand how to effectively distribute resources.
Through meaningful partnerships and the empowerment of our community, we have been able to collect quantitative and qualitative data in our ongoing efforts to expand access to books. In our research, our goals are to continuously find ways to improve our program, to empower other organizations who do similar work, to empower our community, and to inform stakeholders on the need to prioritize literacy.
Our research strongly aligns with our core belief that reading is a fundamental academic right and that, through community, we are able to empower children. This year Gordon Philanthropies made further progress in developing concrete evidence on the benefits of having access to high-interest books and what that means for reading motivation.
2024ResearchHighlights
March August
The research team presented at the annual PacificSociologicalAssociation Conference in San Diego on the relationship between perceived neighborhood safety and engagement with community resources (i.e. public libraries).
With the launch of new research study in partnership with USC’s Center for Education, Identity, and Social Justice from the Rossier School of Education, our goal is to learn more about the impact and efficacy of the Teachers and Books Program.
The research team presented at the annual AmericanSociological AssociationConference in Canada on home literacy environments and parent reading orientations.
INTHENEWS
Live News Coverage
15+ Live Television Events & Interviews
FEATUREDON:
11.54 Million National Viewership
KCAL News - Father’s Day Sent with Love Project at Men’s Central Jail
NBC News - Family Receives Back-toSchool Supplies
NBC News - The Wild Robot Screening with Fries Avenue Elementary School
Today in LA - Wicked Premiere Screening with Marlton School
Print Media
Two print articles
Circulation: 95,148
Readership: 20 million readers per month
La Opinión“ ‘Te amo y te extraño muchísimo’, escribe un papá a su hijo en el Día del Padre”
KQED - “At a San José School, a Cosmic Visit From Astronaut José Hernández”
MEETTHETEAM
CATHERINEREYES I COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Catherine oversees communications and public relations and is focused on ensuring we communicate our mission effectively. Her goal in life is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn to read and reach their full academic potential.
creyes@gordonphilanthropies.org
DESTINYPERALES I RESEARCHER & PROGRAM MANAGER
Destiny manages the Teachers and Books Program and oversees the organization’s various research projects. Her passion lies in expanding educational opportunities and narrowing the literacy gap through research and practice. She believes data-informed decisions have the potential to make a significant difference in today’s education system.
dperales@gordonphilanthropies.org
BETTYPATTERSON I PROJECT MANAGER
Serving as an educator for nearly half of her life, Betty believes in education and literacy as human rights. Through her role as Project Manager, she continues to share her love of learning in the work she does at Gordon Philanthropies.
bpatterson@gordonphilanthropies.org
TOOURCOMMUNITY
To our Community, Firefighters, and First Responders,
Like many Angelenos, I am devastated by the destruction caused by the Greater Los Angeles Wildfires. Too many lives have been lost; too many homes have been destroyed; too many businesses are in ruins. Our foundation has been fortunate to work with many of our California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (CDCR) firefighters and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department heroes, who are tirelessly working around the clock to save lives. I know I echo everyone’s sentiments of deep gratitude for every person on the front line battling one of the most tragic events in the history of our beloved Southern California.
We are extremely proud to have worked to provide children’s libraries in collaboration with CDCR. At Puerta La Cruz Fire Camp, we designed an outdoor educational center for firefighter mothers to enjoy reading and playing recreational games with their children. The women of Puerta La Cruz have a commitment to and pride in being firefighters that stems from giving back to their communities and being of service. To be able to play a small part in supporting their efforts and their re-entry to society is an honor and a privilege.
A week before the fires devastated so many people’s lives, we had started working out the details to design a children’s library for the Malibu Conservation Camp’s parents and their children. The over 900 men and women, fighting these fires as incarcerated individuals, is something that should not be forgotten. Instead, we need to carry deep gratitude and appreciation for their heroism.
We are also very proud of our ongoing relationship with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, now in its third year Our staff works closely with the men and women who proudly serve under Sheriff Robert Luna’s leadership We cannot forget the sacrifices that the law enforcement community and their families make on a daily basis to keep our communities safe Our hearts and support are with the LASD and all the first responders
As a parent of school-aged children who have been disrupted by the fires, I must also acknowledge our incredible educators who have been affected personally and professionally by this catastrophe It is difficult to forget that just five years ago, our teachers and students suffered through the devastation of the COVID19 pandemic Many of our teachers and students must now grapple with another disaster that interrupts their lives and learning Our foundation is prepared to support those affected by the fires to ensure they do not fall behind in their learning
It is difficult to express the overwhelming pain and grief we are all collectively experiencing I am, nonetheless, inspired by the strength, courage, and selflessness of our communities, firefighters, and first responders Their bravery has saved thousands of lives, homes, and businesses, and their heroism continues even as I write this message
With deep gratitude, DANIEL
L. GORDON
“I am profoundly touched and grateful for this opportunity you provide. These books for my students have opened a world of wonder and transformation. As my students read, they step outside of their world and can experience life from another perspective. Thank you on behalf of my students and their parents.”
-4th Grade Teacher, 96th St. Elementary School
