This document summarizes the work of an organization called Room to Read that aims to promote literacy and gender equality in education in Asia and Africa. Some key points: - 16% of adults worldwide lack basic literacy skills, with 87% of illiterate adults living in Asia and Africa. - Room to Read has established literacy programs in 10 countries across Asia and Africa since 2000 that have benefited over 10 million children total. - The organization has grown from benefiting 0.1 million children in 2002 to over 7.8 million children in just 15 years. - Partner organizations have found benefits from supporting Room to Read's mission like improved employee retention, access to new markets, and more loyal consumers.

1. Leadership through Learning: Driving
organizational growth through
stakeholder engagement
Dr. Geetha Murali
MARCH 2015

3. Learning

5. World Change
Starts with
Educated
Children. ®

6. 16%
of adults in the world
lack basic literacy skills
2/3
of the adult illiterate
population are women
The lowest literacy rates and highest dropout rates are in Asia and Africa.
87%
of all illiterate adults
live in Asia and Sub-
Saharan Africa

8. Gender Equality in
Education
Literacy

9. 2000 2015
Materials Results

10. Nepal (2000)
Vietnam (2001)
Cambodia (2003)
India (2003)
Sri Lanka (2005)
Laos (2005)
South Africa (2006)
Zambia (2007)
Bangladesh (2008)
Tanzania (2011)
10 program
countries
1,000 staff 7 fundraising
offices

11. 0.1MM
0.5MM
1.2MM
3.0MM
5.1MM
8.8MM
9.8MM 10MM +
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2013 2014 2015
CHILDREN
BENEFITTED
7.8MM
In just 15 years we’ve reached 10 million children

17. 1

18. 2.3 times better employee retention

19. “We took our top performing employees…on a trek to see a girls’
education program. They said at the closing dinner that this is
the best retention tool that you could have ever designed.”
Suzanne DiBianca,
President, Salesforce Foundation

21. 2.2 times better access to new markets

22. “In less than 9 months the partnership with Room To Read
added over 12,000 new customers. The net result has been a
big boost for Atlassian’s market share, competitive position, up-
sell revenue and corporate brand. ”
Daniel Freeman,
Former VP of Marketing at Atlassian

24. 90% of consumers are loyal
to socially-conscious companies

25. Thank You