ALL IN 100&Change
ALL IN has entered the 100&Change competition for $100 Million to fund a single proposal that promises real and measurable progress in solving a critical problem of our time.
ALL IN: Transforming Communities Through Adult Literacy
The Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network will transform literacy access for millions of adults in the United States, reducing stigma, building capacity for 100,000 teachers, and mobilizing global literacy investment for resilient communities.
Our Shared Challenge
Adult literacy is at the root of today’s global challenges, yet remains an invisible issue. Over 750 million adults worldwide lack foundational literacy skills, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. In the U.S., the National Center for Education Statistics reports that nearly one in five adults reads below a third-grade level, struggling with anything beyond short, simple texts. Low literacy prevents access to healthcare, education, voting, and quality jobs—especially among women, people of color, incarcerated individuals, and those experiencing poverty.
The National Bureau of Economic Research estimates 72% of children with low-literate parents will experience low literacy, are more likely to live in poverty, and much more likely to drop out of school. Employers report that low literacy is a major challenge, and a Gallup study estimates the U.S. is losing $2.2 trillion annually because of it. This is an issue of multigenerational access and investment.
Despite the urgent need for intervention, less than 10% of adults with low literacy participate in adult education because of known systemic and personal challenges. Government funding has not increased. Programs rely heavily on part-time instructors or volunteers, with little training or support. They operate with limited resources, out-of-date materials, and lack the ability to scale what works. For adults, barriers to literacy skills development span awareness, competing priorities, and low self-confidence.
Using technology, it is now possible to activate collective awareness and literacy skills-building opportunities nationwide, engaging prospective adult learners, organizations that serve them, and leaders across sectors in community-wide transformation. We will strengthen intergenerational learning, equip providers to meet diverse needs, and replicate models for improving communities through literacy. Our proposed solution will expand access to literacy services, support providers in applying proven techniques, and amplify what works to drive global investment in lifelong learning.
Our Shared Solution
The Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network (ALL IN) is a collective impact initiative dedicated to expanding access to high-quality services for adults with low literacy skills. Starting in the United States and extending globally, our initiative targets two interconnected groups: eligible adult learners and the providers who serve them.
Guided by the National Action Plan for Adult Literacy, a groundbreaking multi-sector initiative launched with Dr. Jill Biden in 2021 and designed with over 100 expert contributors, our work is informed by adults ages 18-74 who aspire to improve their foundational skills but may not know how or where to start. Research reveals that these adults rely heavily on technology in daily life and desire flexible programs with qualified teachers, in-person or online. Word of mouth remains the most common recruitment tactic for learners, yet it’s insufficient to drive change. Our approach involves reaching millions of adult learners to identify their educational needs and aspirations—such as obtaining a high school diploma or improving foundational reading, digital, or English skills—by combining effective human and tech-enabled methods. We also aim to build capacity for over 100,000 educators and volunteers across community-based organizations, libraries, prisons, and other key literacy access points.
For over 60 years, ALL IN member organizations have strived to close the literacy gap without widespread success. In the past four years, this diverse coalition has made significant strides through shared research, fundraising, and advocacy. We now have systems for exchanging best practices, collaborating on specialized projects, and providing multigenerational support to over 15,000 adult literacy organizations worldwide. This collective action amplifies our efforts beyond what any single organization could achieve.
This award supports three core components of our initiative: access, application, and amplification. Together we will increase access, fortify application of effective practices, and exponentially amplify what works.
Phase One will connect potential adult learners to literacy services, leveraging technology and a whole family approach. Through ALL IN’s vast network of existing providers, we will identify literacy needs and reduce known barriers to participation like lack of awareness or confidence. We will apply a targeted, data-driven approach to transform service access via the National Literacy Directory and learner-centered marketing and outreach. Phases Two and Three will run parallel efforts. We will invest in trusted programs, educators, and volunteers, shifting our collective approach to supporting adult literacy skills beyond reading levels to multiple literacies yielding multiple possibilities. Using proven methods, we will build capacity with local providers, deploying best in class tools, professional learning, and resources to teach learners with multiple literacy needs and goals. Simultaneously, we will drive greater awareness and sustained investment in adult and family literacy on a global scale, creating explicit connections between adult literacy and economic advancement, civic engagement, public health, community safety, and children’s learning outcomes. Success is measured through multiple indicators including direct reach and feedback from learners and educators, social return on investment, industry specific access metrics, scalability tables for nonprofit and community-based organizations, and measurable changes in national and international discourse.
Case for Partnership
Despite its far-reaching influence, low literacy in adults has been largely underfunded, siloed, and ignored, resulting in decades of piecemeal efforts that cannot adequately address this multifaceted issue. The Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network (ALL IN), convened by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, was formed as an antidote to the status quo. Using an evidence-based collective impact framework, our initiative combines the diverse strengths, perspectives, and networks of leading adult and family literacy organizations to amplify our impact and finally reduce the staggering adult literacy gap in the United States. This partnered approach is working. In just two years, we’ve expanded the national conversation about adult literacy to include employers and policy influencers, supported the launch of the first-ever U.S. Senate Caucus on Adult Literacy with Co-Chairs Sen. Susan Collins (ME) and Sen. Jack Reed (RI), hosted congressional staff briefings, and secured six-figure funding to design Adult and Family Literacy Centers in libraries nationwide. With this robust infrastructure and experience in place, we are poised to deliver, scale, and sustain an integrated solution to fundamentally transform the field.
Meet our Team for 100&Change
ALL IN Personnel, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
Sarah Cacicio, Director of the Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network
Megan Mastroianni, Project and Operations Manager
Andri Moloney-Kitts, Project Coordinator
Barbara Bush Foundation For Family Literacy
Andrew Roberts, President
Clare Bonsignore, Vice President of Development
Pam Cote, Senior Director of Literacy Programs and Partnerships
American Library Association
Kevin Strowder, Director, Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services
Aubrey Huff, Assistant Director, Literacy & Continuing Education
Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE)
Sharon Bonney, Chief Executive Officer
Shaketta Thomas, Board President
National Center for Families Learning
Dr. Felicia Cumings Smith, President & Chief Executive Officer
Shea Coughlin, Sr. Vice President, Operations & Strategy
Rebecca Barnwell, Director of Development
Amy Parish, Director of Communications
ProLiteracy
Mark Vineis, President & Chief Executive Officer
Stephen Carr, Vice President of Development
Allison McDonald Bleyler, Senior Director of Marketing
TESOL International Association
Rosa Aronson, Interim Executive Director
Jeff Hutcheson, Director of Advocacy & Public Policy
Sarah Sahr, Head of Education & Events
World Education, a Division of JSI
Priyanka Sharma, Vice President of the U.S. Division
Jeana Davis, Senior Project Coordinator
Jen Vanek, Director of Digital Learning & Research
Learn more about our collective work: https://allinliteracy.org/
For more information, contact Sarah Cacicio, Director of ALL IN at Sarah@barbarabush.org