About us
A small idea that refused to stay small
We started with one classroom and a few cardboard boxes of books. A decade later, we serve 75,000 students a year across 28 states — and we’re just getting started.
Our mission
Kindfuly empowers public school students across the U.S. to thrive — by fostering literacy, cultivating kindness, and providing enriching after-school programs. We partner with schools and communities so every child has the books, mentorship, and safe spaces they need to grow into confident readers and compassionate people.
Our vision
A future where every child — regardless of zip code — reads with confidence, treats others with compassion, and has a place to belong after the school day ends.
How it started
From a book drive to a movement
In 2014, a public school teacher and a children’s book author noticed the same thing from two different sides of the page: too many kids were falling behind on reading, and too many had nowhere safe to go after the bell.
So they ran a book drive in a single Austin classroom. It grew into a weekend reading club, then a structured after-school program across three local schools. In 2015, Kindfuly incorporated as a 501(c)(3). National expansion began in 2019 — and today we’re active in 28 states.
Same belief, ten years on: a love of reading opens every other door.
Our story, by the year
- 2014
One classroom, one book drive
A public school teacher and a children’s book author start a single book drive in Austin, Texas.
- 2015
A nonprofit is born
Kindfuly incorporates as a 501(c)(3). A weekend reading club grows into after-school programs at three schools.
- 2019
Going national
The model travels beyond Texas as regional coordinators bring programs to new districts.
- Today
28 states and counting
75,000 students, 140+ schools, and 4,000 volunteers — all in a single school year.
- 2030
All fifty states
Our goal: every state, 150,000 students a year, and a digital reading platform for rural and remote kids.
What we stand for
Five values, no exceptions
Equity
Every child deserves the same chance to learn and grow.
Compassion
Kindness can be taught, practiced, and passed on.
Community
Lasting change happens in partnership, not isolation.
Curiosity
A love of reading opens every other door.
Integrity
Families and donors can trust how we operate.
Who runs Kindfuly
Leadership & board
A lean team of six leads the work day-to-day, supported by six regional coordinators and local chapter leads. Roles are shown here; full staff bios are on the way.
Executive Director
Overall strategy, vision, and external relations.
Chief Program Officer
Designs and oversees all three program areas.
Director of Development
Fundraising, grants, and donor relationships.
Director of Partnerships
School and district relationships nationwide.
Director of Operations
Finance, people, and compliance.
Communications Manager
Marketing, social media, and storytelling.
Our board of directors
Kindfuly is governed by an 11-member volunteer board that includes our two co-founders, education experts, a private-sector CFO, a sitting public school principal, and a parent representative. The board meets quarterly and oversees strategy, finances, and accountability to the families we serve.
How we’re funded
Where the money comes from — and where it goes
On an annual operating budget of about $6.2 million, we keep overhead lean so the work reaches kids. Our books are independently audited every year.
- Individual donations40%
- Foundation & corporate grants30%
- Government & education grants15%
- Fundraising events10%
- Merchandise & earned income5%
Want the people behind the percentages?
See the partners, foundations, and donors who make every number on this page possible.