Penguin Random House | New York, 12/06/2024

Two Million Books In Ten Years

Over the past ten years, Penguin Random House has donated more than two million books to the global aid organization Save the Children for its various reading initiatives. In a letter to all of the publishing group‘s employees, its CEO Nihar Malaviya has now confirmed the intention to donate another million books within three years. Save the Children has been campaigning for the rights and protection of children worldwide since it was founded in 1919.

Penguin Random House has supported Save the Children for the past ten years, during which time it has donated more than two million books to the NGO, which works to improve the living and learning conditions of children worldwide. The books went to children and their families, many of whom live in remote and rural communities. To mark the ten years of collaboration, Nihar Malaviya, CEO of Penguin Random House, has written a memo to PRH employees confirming the publishing group’s intent to donate another one million books to Save the Children over the next three years. This is the largest worldwide book donation in the aid organization’s more than one hundred-year history.

“Every child deserves the ability to experience the magic of books and stories that help them learn, grow, and imagine,” writes Nihar Malaviya. “A two-decade-long study found that the presence of books in the home is the single biggest indicator of academic success and job attainment. Expanding access to books for children around the world creates lifelong readers and is one of the most meaningful ways we as publishers can make a difference.” That is why Penguin Random House’s partnership with Save the Children is so important, he continues, and noted that the scope of this collaboration is a point of pride for him. “This is a great example of how all of us around the world can work together to be a force for good,” emphasized Malaviya.

The list of Save the Children programs that have benefited and continue to benefit from Penguin Random House book donations in recent years ranges from learning support for out-of-school children to school reading clubs run by trained volunteers. Since its founding in 1919, Save the Children has campaigned for the rights and protection of children worldwide. For example, the organization’s Safe Back to School & Learning initiative, launched in 2020 in response to Covid-19 and school closures around the world, aimed to ensure that children could resume learning after disruptions and return to school safely. Save the Children’s global Literacy Boost program improves children’s reading skills by training teachers, testing children’s reading skills and providing on-site support.

Through December 10, Penguin Random House is offering a special matching program for all PRH employees in the U.S., where the company will match all employee donations to Save the Children’s Make Childhood Fair Fund, up to $10,000. The Make Childhood Fair Fund supports early childhood education and literacy programs in rural communities throughout the U.S. Also until December 10, for every book purchased through the PRH.com website, the publishing group will donate one US dollar to Save the Children, up to a total of $10,000.