What is Better World Books?
Better World Books is a self-sustaining, for-profit social venture whose mission is to capitalize on the value of the book to fund literacy initiatives locally, nationally and around the world.
We partner with bookstores and students on more than 1,600 college campuses across the U.S. and Canada, collecting unwanted textbooks in support of our non-profit literacy partners.
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What is a Social Venture?
Social ventures operate under a for-profit business model in which success is measured by the positive impact a company makes in addressing a specific social issue; in the case of Better World Books, that issue is literacy. The primary purpose of a for-profit social venture is to generate a “social profit” by harnessing the power of commerce. By operating as a social venture, Better World Books provides its non-profit partners with a consistent and stable source of unrestricted funding, allowing them to focus on their mission of improving worldwide literacy.
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How does a book drive work?
Once you’ve chosen a literacy program, a book drive has 5 Easy Stages:
1. Get involved: Try to get another group on board - the more volunteers, the better!
2. Organize the drive: Hold a Planning Session to delegate drive activities
3. Promote the drive: Get the word out! Post flyers, create a Facebook event, etc.
4. Collect books: Set out the collection boxes & posters at least a week before finals.
5. Ship: Pack up books at the end of the semester – we cover all shipping costs!
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What does Better World Books do with donated books?
We find the best use for each book collected in support of our mission to promote literacy. Books will either be sold to generate funding for your chosen literacy program, sent to one of our non-profit partners or recycled if unsuitable for sale or partner use; never thrown away.
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What non-profit literacy programs can our book drive support?
Your student group can choose to support one of the following:
Books For Africa - the largest shipper of donated textbooks to Africa.
Room to Read - supports education and literacy for children in South Asia and Africa.
National Center for Family Literacy - promotes family literacy in the United States.
Worldfund - supports high-quality education for impoverished children in Latin America.
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Since book drives occur at the end of the semester, during finals, will I be too busy with school to run a successful campaign?
Better World Books make the process as turnkey as possible. With a little diligence and planning in the weeks and months beforehand, you will be prepared to run a successful book drive any time of year.
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How time-intensive is it to run a book drive?
The time commitment entailed in running a book drives depends on several factors, such as the number of volunteers involved, the extent of support from your college or university, and the number of places where you put collection bins. Your Regional Director will provide you with resources to help you recruit volunteers, engage your school administration, and lead a fun, effective campus textbook drive.
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What if I’ve never run a book drive?
Don’t worry – we’ve run thousands! Better World Books provides your group with:
• Full staff support and guidance throughout the semester.
• All promotional and public awareness materials, collection bins, shipping cartons & tape
• Free shipping, and you can arrange pickups right from campus through our online portal.
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