Founder of The Literacy Project, Sue Grant, was selected as an honorary speaker at the 2024 LA Times’ OC Inspirational Women Forum and Awards. Gracing the stage to share her wisdom with attendees, Grant touched the hearts of many with her candid sentiments. Sharing the beauty of overcoming struggle to triumph, one reader at a time, Grant discussed how passion and perseverance have continued to drive her as a Volunteer CEO.
On identifying charitable needs within an organization and in a community, Grant shared: “The Literacy Project was really the idea that came out of the California Governor’s office when they recognized a growing illiteracy rate in California. The UC Regents of California brought in the brightest minds and reading specialists and said, ‘Let’s make a product that actually parallels what happens in the classroom and give it to the students that don’t just don’t quite grasp instruction in the classroom.’ There’s always about 5% of students that perform below proficiency, because their style of learning is not perfectly aligned in the classroom – that’s our kid.”
On the pivotal moments of success within a nonprofit: What contributes to success when giving back to the community? Grant shared, “We started in after school programs and we were able to reach kids. We did so well after our first five years that we went back to the Orange County Department of Education and we said, ‘Take us into the classroom.’ We had variables that affected our performance. Kids after school are hungry and they are tired and its not a set educational environment. So, they did a pilot program in one school district, and we improved their statistics by 25%. That’s when everything opened up.”
On data-driven metrics for success in the nonprofit sector, Grant shared, “We are data and evidence-based, and we started our organization by having to prove the data on the students who went through our program. We used a pre and post testing matrix as part of the critical data to prove our significant positive results. We were very fortunate to collaborate with PIMCO, Chapman University, UCI and Concordia University, who came in and structured our data and input. It was a blessing for us to have these institutions come on board and work with our raw data. That’s our backbone, because at the end of the day, we can 100% prove the miracle of our reading program.”
If you are interested in supporting The Literacy Project, SAVOR Newport Beach will be back September 13th at Newport Beach Country Club with all proceeds benefiting the organization. The outdoor “Napa-style” dining experience will once again feature a collection of fine cuisine, wine, and art, along with vintage and luxury automobiles. Open to the public, with tickets for sale late summer 2024, the event will honor and recognize four of the most celebrated professionals in their fields of interest for their contributions to the Newport Beach community (TBD). Learn more: https://literacyproj.org/