FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAY 15, 2024

Media Contact:

Angela Pritchett

Lead to Read KC

Communications Manager

913.645.4780

Lead to Read KC is Named to the United Way’s Impact 100

Kansas City, Mo. -- Lead to Read KC, a nonprofit dedicated to improving children’s literacy, is proud to be named by United Way of Greater Kansas City to their list of Impact 100 partners. 

This annual list comprises one hundred of the most vital health and human service organizations that United Way will invest and partner with to bring real-time solutions to our community.

“The Impact 100 designation is a tremendous validation of Lead to Read KC’s work in fostering literacy and empowering our students to succeed,” said Rhea LeGrande, Lead to Read KC’s Executive Director. “Everyone who contributes through the United Way invests in the future and our next generation of leaders.” 

Since 2011, Lead to Read KC has paired Reading Mentor volunteers with thousands of students at high-need elementary schools across the metro area. Our programs have been shown to improve reading proficiency, social-emotional skills and school attendance while reducing the risk of dropping out of school.

Nonprofit organizations selected in this year’s Impact 100 were evaluated for their demonstrated work and outcomes to address the critical challenges facing the region today, as well as for their fiscal responsibility. Final selections were approved by the United Way Board of Directors. Impact 100 organizations will receive unrestricted funding from United Way to address their individual nonprofit’s most pressing needs.

“We are committed to working alongside these organizations to being partners in change,” said Chris Rosson, United Way President and CEO. “Together, we’re driving real-time solutions to our region’s most pressing challenges.”

About Lead to Read KC: 

Lead to Read KC is a children's literacy nonprofit dedicated to supporting the social, emotional and reading skills that are foundational to student success. It does this by mobilizing community volunteers, called Reading Mentors, to read one-to-one with students attending high-need elementary schools across Kansas City, as well as through its tutoring program, its Reading Is EverywhereSM community book distribution initiative, and its author visit program.

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