Mission

Our mission is to provide our approximately 18,000 pre- school to sixth grade students with the opportunity to choose three free books a year, books they may take home, read, share with family and keep forever.

The Big Idea

Salinas Area Reading Is Fundamental (Salinas RIF) provides approximately 18,000 preschool to sixth-grade students with three free books a year to take home, read, share and keep forever. Teachers and administrators know the importance of children having books in their homes, and each year school districts partner with Salinas RIF to make that happen. The nonprofit provides a high-quality assortment of fiction and nonfiction books from which children may choose. Last year, Salinas RIF distributed 54,000 books. They do not give out books randomly, but instead let children choose what they like. More than 80 percent of the children served come from low-income families. Owning books leads to advanced literacy—and ultimately better lives.

I like to select my RIF book because it’s better to have your own book than to borrow one. Fifth- grader, Natividad School I like to select my RIF book because I was interested in the topic. -Fourth-grader, Boronda Meadows School

- Not allowed to give names of students