Transforming Lives Through Literacy
Become an Ally
Real Impact, Proven Results
2025-26Learning Ally empowers students, educators, and families with accessible tools, evidence-based training, and literacy resources to ensure equitable learning for every student.
- 3.1m Students
- 33k Schools
- 172k Educators
- 17.9m Books read
Before Learning Ally, reading felt like a constant battle. By listening while following along, I could finally focus on the story. I wasn’t anxious or behind anymore—I felt engaged, confident, in my ability to learn.
The Literacy Challenge Ahead
Across the nation, 13.5 million children struggle to read due to unrecognized learning differences. Leaving these students undiagnosed robs them of their potential and directly hinders American prosperity and growth.
-
90%
of students go undiagnosed. (Child Mind Institute)
-
70%
of teachers feel unprepared to teach students with learning differences. (Education Week)
-
41%
of these students drop out of school. (NIH)
-
50%
of US prison inmates have dyslexia. (Prison Policy Initiative)
As I reflect on this past year, one core truth stands out: transforming literacy takes an entire ecosystem. Despite a challenging educational landscape, Learning Ally hasn’t just stayed steady—we have thrived. Reaching a historic $50 million in assets secures our long-term stability and ensures that every child, in every generation, has the opportunity to learn.
None of this is possible without you and the power of Allyship. The generosity of supporters like you directly impacts students who are blind, low-vision, or have reading differences such as dyslexia. Together, we have achieved so much:
-
Raising Awareness: Hosted multi-city and virtual screenings of the documentary Left Behind alongside filmmaker Anna Toomey and educator Kareem Weaver.
-
Expanding Our Reach: Named an Official Charity Partner of the 2026 NYC Marathon to elevate national visibility.
-
Innovating for Impact: Harnessed AI tools to build multi-language audiobooks and get resources to students faster.
With your support, we are reaching struggling readers in over 33,000 schools nationwide. Looking ahead, I am thrilled to welcome Dan Koken as our new Board Chair as we plan our next phase of strategic growth, and prepare for our milestone 80th anniversary.
Thank you for being a true learning ally and making this life-changing work possible.
With gratitude,
Howard Bell, III
CEO, Learning Ally
The Power of an Ally
Every student’s reading journey is shaped by the people around them. Educators bring expertise, families bring encouragement, and partners bring resources that help make support possible. At Learning Ally, we call this Allyship.
Your investment helps connect these supports—from accessible books and classroom instruction to the resources families need at home—so students who learn differently have more opportunities to engage, build confidence, and keep learning.
Our Solutions in Action
We are deeply grateful for our parents, educators, and volunteers, whose powerful Allyship ensures every student with a learning difference can achieve academic success.
-
Last year, we surveyed over 8,000 parent members. Their feedback directly shaped our new year-round reading programs and home resources.
-
Honoring an 80-year tradition of service, over 6,500 volunteers across 170+ events delivered new human-narrated audiobooks and textbooks adding to our extensive library.
-
Through our annual Spotlight on Dyslexia conferences and professional learning workshops, educators were equipped with critical tools to enrich classroom learning.
Collectively, our commitment develops reluctant readers into confident, lifelong learners.
Partner Allies
With the support of our public and private partners, we deliver evidence-based solutions at scale—revitalizing education for students with learning differences nationwide.
State Government: Targeted state funding delivers critical literacy tools and dyslexia training, helping turn around failing schools and empowering incarcerated youth to overcome reading barriers, including: Louisiana coaching initiatives, a $2M New Jersey grant and an $11M service expansion in Texas.
Foundation: Through donor-supported initiatives like the Literacy Opportunity Fund, we help fill funding gaps at schools nationwide.
“Students who initially entered fifth grade with limited interest in reading became actively engaged through the use of Learning Ally… many began recommending books to their peers…” — Patterson Public Schools
“Learning Ally has changed the reading game for my learners with dyslexia. I have students who HATED reading who are now begging for more silent reading time. Thank you, Learning Ally!”
Corporate:
Our work is ignited by a growing community of corporate Allies who contribute their time, talent, and resources to help students succeed.
We also mobilized volunteering through corporate social responsibility programs with CSAA, Capital One, Accenture, MassMutual, and Lenovo, which powered our classroom innovations. Together, these partners help expand access to books, support educators, and bring our mission to life in communities across the United States.
For more information on partnership opportunities, contact Paula Restrepo, Director of Corporate Partnerships at prestrepo@learningally.org.
A Legacy of Literacy: Celebrating Our National Achievement Award Winners
Supported by estate-plan donors, our annual National Achievement Awards honor extraordinary students who learn differently and the educators who empower them.
Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® (LTL) Award (High School Seniors & College Freshmen)
Lukas: “Access to human-narrated audiobooks gave me total independence, sparked my passion for history, and made learning enjoyable.”
Evan: “Learning Ally took reading from a painful struggle to a gateway for joy and adventure, inspiring me to pursue an engineering degree.”
Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Award (SAA) (Blind & Low-Vision College/Graduate Students)
Ella: “Standard print was completely out of reach. Learning Ally allowed me to finally read and enjoy the exact same books as my peers.”
Isabella (Izzy): “When sudden vision loss hit, I thought I’d have to drop out. Human-narrated books kept me in school and pursuing my degree.”
Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award (Outstanding educators)
Joy Eickhoff (Dyslexia Specialist, 26+ years): “While my primary focus remains the growth of my students, being seen and validated for this quiet dedication is profoundly meaningful.”
Help Write the Next Chapter
As we approach our 80th anniversary, you helped make this historic milestone possible—and your continued partnership will shape what comes next.
Whether you support the Literacy Opportunity Fund, sponsor a program, or engage employee volunteers, your investment expands audiobook access, funds professional learning, and sustains critical resources for vulnerable students, families, and communities.
Be an Ally.
Open Possibilities.
Help more students access the learning they deserve. Donate or explore a partnership with Learning Ally.