Diversity Campaign Reaches Matching Goal with $30,000 Pledge from Rachel Renee Russell

November 24, 2014

We Need Diverse Books Indiegogo Campaign Reaches Matching Goal with $30,000 Pledge from Rachel Renee Russell

We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) is proud to announce that thanks to all the generous donations from all over the world, WNDB raised $70,000 towards Daniel Handler’s matching pledge. Rachel Renee Russell, acclaimed author of the Dork Diaries series and member of the WNDB Walter Dean Myers Award Committee, donated the remaining amount of $30,000 necessary to fulfill the entire $100,000 pledge made by author Daniel Handler on November 21, 2014. This brings the total raised as of today to $321,901.

“When I heard that Daniel Handler was matching donations for 24 hours to celebrate Jacqueline Woodson’s National Book Award win, I wanted to help him donate the maximum amount of funds to We Need Diverse Books, which is a very worthy cause,” Russell said.

“By matching Mr. Handler’s pledge, Ms. Russell has assured that funding for the Walter Grants and Awards and our WNDB internship program will have long term sustainability,” Lamar Giles, WNDB VP of Communications said. “With Mr. Handler’s generous donation, WNDB has raised over $300,000. Because we are a 100% volunteer run organization, with no plans to have salaried team members through 2015, these funds will have direct impact on all of our programming.”

WNDB programming includes the WNDB in the Classroom project which is scheduled to begin in January 2015 in partnership with An Open Book Foundation, The Walter Dean Myers Grants and Awards, WNDB Internship Program (helmed by Honorary Chair Linda Sue Park working with Anne Ursu), WNDB educational kits in partnership with the School Library Journal, and many more programs. For more information, visit wndb.local.

Contact: Stephanie Sinkhorn

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