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Message: Someone thought you might be interested in this entry at Exquisite Safaris. http://www.exquisitesafaris.com/index.php/journal/more/room_to_read/ Room to Read & John Wood Few individuals choose to walk away at the height of their corporate career to dedicate their life to a social cause. At age 35, John Wood did just that - quitting his position as Microsoft's Director of Business Development for the Greater China Region in order to found Room to Read. He has never looked back. John's career at Microsoft spanned 1991 to 1999, where he ran significant parts of Microsoft's international business, as the Director of Marketing for the Asia-Pacific Division, Director of the Internet Customer Unit for Microsoft Australia, and Director of Marketing for Microsoft Australia. In 1998, John took a vacation that changed his life. Trekking through a remote Himalayan village, he struck up conversation with a schoolteacher, who invited John to visit his school. There, John discovered that the few books available were so precious that they were kept under lock and key - to protect them from the children! Fewer than 20 books, all backpacker cast-aways, were available for more than 450 students. What started with a simple email requesting friends donate used books has grown into Room to Read, an award winning non-profit that over the past six years has established 3,000 libraries, donated nearly 2 million books, built 200 schools, and funded nearly 2,000 long-term girls scholarships - impacting the lives of nearly a million students world-wide. John has strived to bring the lessons of the corporate world to the non-profit sector. Room to Read combines his passion with the discipline of a well-run global company. He has been described by Fast Company Magazine as "all heart, all business." John has received countless honors for his work, including recognition as a "Young Global Leader" by the World Economic Forum and as one of Time Magazine's "Asian Heroes." Room to Read is a three time winner of Fast Company Magazine's Social Capitalist Award, a recipient of the Skoll Foundation Award for Social Innovation, and a recipient of Draper Richards Fellowship for social entrepreneurs. John holds a Bachelors of Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Colorado, and a Masters of Business Administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He lives and works in San Francisco, CA. Room to Read Room to Read's mission is to provide under-privileged children with an opportunity to gain the lifelong gift of education. It was founded on the belief that education is crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty and taking control of one's life. They currently focus their efforts on Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and South Africa; countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their children. Our successful strategy for addressing the lack of educational opportunities for children in the developing world includes: * Partnering with villages to build schools * Establishing libraries and filling them with donated English books and local language books published by Room to Read * Providing computer and language labs to improve employment skills * Providing scholarships for under-privileged young girls who cannot afford fees that are required of all students, even those attending public schools. To increase the likelihood for success and long-term sustainability, Room to Read enlists community involvement and co-investment. Our challenge grants require villages to raise a significant portion of the overall expenditure for building a new school, thereby allowing our cash donations to go further. Our long-term goal is to build 20,000 schools and libraries, thereby educating 10 million children in the developing world. Since our inception in 2000, Room to Read has impacted the lives of over 990,000 children by: * Building 197 schools * Establishing over 2,936 libraries * Publishing 77 local language children's titles representing over 691,000 books * Donating over 1.2 million English language children's books * Establishing 92 computer and language labs * Funding over 2,079 long-term girls' scholarships Room to Read operates efficiently and with very low overhead. Since inception, we have maintained overhead in the single digits and are committed to ensuring that the lion's share of each donation is put to use where it is most needed: our programs! Related Links: Understanding Philanthropic Travel Teaching your Children Philanthropy Why Exquisite Safaris? Exquisite Safaris www.exquisitesafaris.com