Your donation will benefit children by supporting:

Our Donors Help Change Lives

Teacher with her 3 students during small group instruction

With the proper instruction from educators and the continued advancements resulting from literacy research, nearly all children can become proficient readers and writers. Our donors help students gain the skills and support they need to become lifelong learners. Learn about the generous contributions of some of our supporters.

The Vignato Sisters and Talen Shibli-Rahhal

With their friend Talen Shibli-Rahhal, 9, sisters Grace, 10, and Sophie Vignato, 8, baked cookies and went door-to-door selling the baked goods for donations to the IRRC. The trio raised money to support those with dyslexia, a cause close to their hearts since the sisters both have dyslexia. 

Read their full story.

Sophie, Grace, and Talen with cookies

Intensive Summer Reading Program Donors

The Governor of Iowa commissioned a study to investigate the various aspects of providing intensive summer reading programs for students not reading proficiently at the end of third grade. This large study involving over 1,000 students in 120 classrooms across 43 school districts and 1 community organization was possible only thanks to a public-private partnership with our donors.

The following is a sample of the organizations and individuals who stepped up to help fund the study:

  • Richard O. Jacobson Foundation
  • MidAmerican Energy Foundation
  • Iowa West Foundation
  • Patty and Jim Cownie Charitable Fund
  • William C. Knapp Charitable Foundation
  • Gregory Abel
  • Wells Enterprises, Inc.
  • ITC Midwest, LLC
  • Bankers Trust Company

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why does website at the donation link appear as “Give to Iowa”?

A: Online donations to the Iowa Reading Research Center are processed through the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, the preferred channel for contributions benefiting centers like the IRRC that are part of the University of Iowa. Using the above button, you will know your donation is going to the IRRC, as you will see “Iowa Reading Research Center Advancement Fund” selected (see screenshot below).

Screenshot for Center Advancement Fund

Q: Can I make a donation offline?

A: To donate via check or cash, please contact us at irrc@uiowa.edu and we will be happy to provide further instructions.

Q: Can I specify how I want the donation to be allocated?

A: Let us know if you have any instructions for the spending of your gift under “Include Gift Instructions.”