Breaking News: Caitlin Clark Foundation Partners with Scholastic to Donate 22,000 Books and $5 Million for National Literacy Program
INDIANAPOLIS — The Caitlin Clark Foundation has announced a landmark partnership with Scholastic, the global children‘s publishing and education company, to donate 22,000 brand-new children’s books and commit $5 million toward a national literacy initiative aimed at expanding book access for students in under-resourced schools across the United States.
The announcement, made Wednesday, marks the most significant expansion of the foundation‘s education pillar since its founding in October 2023. The collaboration will operate through Scholastic’s national literacy program, The United States of Readers, which was established in 2021 to provide PreK–8th grade students in under-resourced schools with the opportunity to choose and own their own books .
A Personal Mission Rooted in Childhood Reading
For Clark, the partnership represents a deeply personal commitment to a cause she credits with shaping her own development. The Indiana Fever star and former Iowa Hawkeyes phenomenon has repeatedly spoken about the formative role that reading played in her upbringing.
“Reading and education have always been hugely important in my life,” Clark said in a statement released by her foundation. “I remember picking out the books from the Scholastic flyer and how empowering that was for me as a child, and how motivated I was to read. I want to help kids have the same experience, to develop their reading skills and open their imaginations to dream big. I am thrilled that my Foundation will support reading as Literacy Champions by collaborating with Scholastic and the United States of Readers” .
The reference to Scholastic flyers — the catalogs distributed in classrooms nationwide that allow students to browse and order books — underscores the personal connection Clark feels to the mission. Her foundation has identified education as one of three core pillars, alongside nutrition and sports, areas Clark has said were foundational to her own success .
Scholastic Partnership and the United States of Readers
The collaboration with Scholastic brings together one of the most recognizable athletes in American sports with the world‘s largest children’s book publisher and distributor. Scholastic‘s United States of Readers program currently serves approximately 65,000 students nationwide, providing them with access to books they choose themselves — a model that research suggests increases reading motivation and engagement .
Judy Newman, Chief Impact Officer at Scholastic, emphasized the urgency of the initiative and the value of Clark’s involvement.
“We need to make radical moves and inspire meaningful improvement to change the trajectory of child literacy rates in America. To do this, we need champion-level advocacy and support, which is what makes collaborating with Caitlin so exciting,” Newman said. “As we‘ve seen from the 65,000 students nationwide who participate in the United States of Readers program, access to quality books and positive reading role models are key to developing motivation, self-confidence and increasing literacy. Caitlin is a proven role model, and we are thrilled to work together with the Caitlin Clark Foundation to make reading more accessible to kids everywhere” .
Distribution Strategy: Schools, Hospitals, and Nonprofits
The initial donation of 22,000 books will be distributed across a range of venues designed to reach children who may lack consistent access to reading materials. According to the foundation, distribution will include elementary and middle schools, children’s hospitals, and other nonprofit organizations serving under-resourced communities .
The hospital component of the distribution builds on Clark‘s existing philanthropic work in pediatric care settings. In 2026, the foundation launched “Turning Pages, Healing Hearts,” a program that installed book vending machines at children’s hospitals in Indiana and Iowa, including Peyton Manning Children‘s Hospital in Indianapolis and the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital . The program provides young patients with tokens they can use to select their own books, an approach designed to give children a sense of agency during hospital stays .
The $5 million commitment will fund the expansion of these efforts and support the ongoing collaboration with United States of Readers, though specific allocation details were not immediately disclosed.
A Broader Philanthropic Footprint
The literacy initiative is the latest in a series of philanthropic endeavors by the Caitlin Clark Foundation, which has rapidly expanded its reach since its establishment. The foundation focuses on three pillars — education, nutrition, and sports — and has undertaken projects ranging from community basketball court construction to hospital donations.
In May 2026, the foundation partnered with Eli Lilly and Musco Lighting to open three multi-sport community courts in Indianapolis, including two at Indianapolis Public Schools sites and one public court downtown . Earlier that year, the foundation donated $50,000 to Peyton Manning Children‘s Hospital’s Child Life Services .
Clark‘s on-court achievements have provided the platform for this philanthropic expansion. The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year and Time’s 2024 Athlete of the Year has become one of the most visible athletes in the country, and her foundation has moved to translate that visibility into tangible community impact .
What Comes Next
The partnership between the Caitlin Clark Foundation and Scholastic is described as an ongoing collaboration rather than a one-time donation. Both organizations have committed to working together to “create awareness and measurable impact of early age reading access in under-resourced schools” through the United States of Readers and other programs .
For Clark, the initiative represents a continuation of a philosophy she has articulated since her college days at Iowa: that her platform extends beyond basketball. Whether through book vending machines in hospital hallways, community courts in Indianapolis neighborhoods, or the 22,000 books now headed to children across the country, the foundation‘s work reflects a deliberate effort to address systemic gaps in access and opportunity.
As Newman of Scholastic noted, the challenge of child literacy in America requires “radical moves” and “champion-level advocacy.” With this partnership, Clark and Scholastic are betting that a combination of resources, reach, and a personal story about the power of picking out a book from a Scholastic flyer can help move the needle.
