What is Better World Books?
Better World Books is a self-sustaining, for-profit social venture whose mission is to capitalize on the value of the book to fund literacy initiatives locally, nationally and around the world.
We partner with bookstores and students on more than 1,600 college campuses across the U.S. and Canada, collecting unwanted textbooks in support of our non-profit literacy partners.
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What is a Social Venture?
Social ventures operate under a for-profit business model in which success is measured by the positive impact a company makes in addressing a specific social issue; in the case of Better World Books, that issue is literacy. The primary purpose of a for-profit social venture is to generate a “social profit” by harnessing the power of commerce. By operating as a social venture, Better World Books provides its non-profit partners with a consistent and stable source of unrestricted funding, allowing them to focus on their mission of improving worldwide literacy.
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What are the benefits of partnering with Better World Books?
• Support worldwide literacy – all materials provided at no cost to your store.
• Provide an environmentally-friendly outlet for every book students bring to buyback.
• Increase customer satisfaction – students will appreciate your social & environmental efforts.
• Increase foot traffic – students will choose your store to cover all of their buyback needs.
• Free shipping anytime – no more paying to dispose of unwanted books.
• Our new bulk-buy discount program helps you meet the used-book needs of your students
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What does Better World Books do with donated books?
We find the best use for each book collected in support of our mission to promote literacy. Books will either be sold to generate funding for the literacy program of your choice, sent to one of our non-profit partners for use in their programs, or recycled if unsuitable for sale or partner use, never thrown away.
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What non-profit literacy programs can our book drive support?
Your bookstore can choose to support one of the following:
Books For Africa - the largest shipper of donated textbooks to Africa.
Room to Read - supports education and literacy for children in South Asia and Africa.
National Center for Family Literacy - promotes family literacy in the United States.
Worldfund - supports high-quality education for impoverished children in Latin America.
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What is your relationship to non-profit literacy programs?
We run book drives to benefit four non-profit literacy and education-based organizations, listed above. The books we collect are passed on to our partners or sold to create a sustainable stream of funding that enables these organizations to further their mission.
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How can my bookstore get involved?
• Collect books during buyback: Better World Books can send you collection boxes, posters, flyers & shipping supplies during buyback to provide a great outlet for all “no-value books.”
• Partner with student groups: Increase student traffic and connect with your campus.
• Clear out dead stock: Ship at your convenience with no cost to your store.
• Take advantage of our large inventory: Provide high-quality used books to your students at discounted prices.
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