Partners & Funders

In fiscal year 2001, Books For Africa sent 40 container shipments of books to Africa. In 2008, we sent 176 containers—about 2.7 million books! This significant growth was achieved thanks to the generous support of our funders, especially Better World Books.

Books For Africa receives financial support from Oprah’s Angel Network, the OPEC Fund For International Development (OFID), Better World Books, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other foundations, corporations, and individuals to cover the high costs of shipping books to Africa. Their support is leveraged by significant in-kind support from Better World Books, Follett Educational Services, Encyclopaedia Britannica, and many schools, publishers, libraries, and individuals. Books For Africa has received the highest ratings from Charity Navigator and the Minnesota Charities Review Council.

Better World Books  

Better World Books is the largest single donor to Books For Africa and a key partner in our success. BWB sells new and used books online at www.betterworld.com and donates part of the proceeds to BFA. These significant funds are used to ship containers of books to Africa. BWB also supplies most of the university-level books in BFA shipments. When you buy new or used books from Better World Books, Books For Africa receives part of the proceeds. Order now!

 

A generous 2008 grant from Oprah's Angel Network will be used to ship nine 40-foot sea containers of books to school-age children in South Africa, Tanzania, and Liberia who currently have little or no access to reading materials.

OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)

 

Thanks to a generous grant from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), Books For Africa sent over 200,000 text and library books to five North African countries in 2008. Ten 40-foot containers of books in all were sent to Chad, Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The books are earmarked for Arabic-speaking students who are eager to learn English and read English textbooks. 

     U.S. Agency for International Development

Through a partnership with the USAID Africa Education Initiative, Books For Africa shipped eighteen 40-foot containers of textbooks in 2007 to eight African countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Madagascar, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. Over 500,000 books valued at over $2.6 million were shipped through this partnership with USAID.

 

 

Follett Educational Services is BFA's largest supplier of donated K-12 textbooks.    MT Global Importers is a collaborative partner of BFA generating funding. Thomson Reuters provides funding and core law libraries for BFA's Law & Democracy Initiative Out Of Print Clothing donates proceeds to BFA to ship containers to recipients in Africa.

Barefoot Books provides BFA with culturally appropriate children's books and funding.    International Book Bank provides new books from publishers for BFA shipments. Combined Federal Campaign #10718/Aid For Africa The Dictionary Project is BFA's largest supplier of dictionaries. Books For Africa is a member of Aid For Africa, allowing for partnership in the Federal Combined Charities Campaign. Thrift Books provides books for BFA shipments. Books For International Goodwill donates books for BFA shipments. Borrowed Books LLC provides funding for BFA shipments. NEED Magazine provides visibility for BFA through cross-marketing. Worldwide Book Drive donates books for BFA shipments. Visions In Action is a collaborative partner providing librarian training and book distribution in Africa. World Vision provides new books from publishers for BFA shipments. Books For Africa is a recipient of a Google Grant award. Designed for 501(c)(3) organizations, Google Grants is a unique in-kind advertising program harnessing the power of Google AdWords advertising product. Encyclopaedia Britannica provides Books For Africa with encyclopedias and atlases. 

Now, 20,000 students in 30 schools in 30 communities have access to books that will broaden individual horizons, enhance classrooms, and maybe significantly change a life or two.

— Rose Zulliger, Peace Corps Volunteer who organized and distributed a BFA shipment in South Africa