Chapitre 4
Building Room to Read: The Start-up Years
Starting a nonprofit organization from scratch presented challenges similar to launching a tech startup, but with the added complexity of operating across multiple countries and cultures. Wood approached the venture with the same entrepreneurial mindset he'd developed at Microsoft, applying principles of scalability, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. His experience in tech taught him that successful organizations needed both a compelling mission and a sustainable operational model.
His first major breakthrough came when he discovered the Draper Richards Foundation, created by venture capitalists Bill Draper and Robin Richards Donohoe to fund "social entrepreneurs." The foundation's unique approach of treating nonprofits like startup investments aligned perfectly with Wood's vision for Room to Read. When Wood met with Bill Draper, a 70-year-old venture capital legend who looked a decade younger, he impressed him not just with enthusiasm but with concrete metrics and growth projections. Room to Read's coinvestment model, which required local communities to contribute to projects, and their innovative volunteer fundraising approach particularly caught Draper's attention. Despite initial caution from the foundation's executive director about the organization's youth, Draper was enthusiastic, and Wood secured a three-year grant of $100,000 annually-a blue-chip endorsement that would prove transformative for the young organization.
Unlike many charity leaders who prefer discussing program delivery rather than fundraising, Wood recognized from day one that being an effective salesperson was as crucial as program execution. He developed five core principles for approaching donors: remind them how education helped them succeed (creating personal connection), show direct connections between donations and results (transparency), emphasize low overhead (efficiency), demonstrate personal passion and sacrifice (authenticity), and connect with people's desire for meaning in their lives (purpose). He backed these principles with detailed impact reports and specific success stories from the field.
Wood consciously avoided using pity or guilt as fundraising tools-what he called the "Sally Struthers Weep-a-Thon." Instead, he focused on hope and optimism, showing solutions rather than problems. His presentations featured success stories with tangible outcomes-a kid in graduation cap and gown, a girl smiling after a cleft palate operation, or farmers using a new well. This positive approach resonated particularly well with Silicon Valley donors, who were accustomed to investing in solutions rather than problems.
As the organization grew beyond its initial scope, Wood recognized the need for a strong second-in-command who shared his vision and work ethic. Erin Keown Ganju emerged as that person when she offered to work for minimal compensation to help launch Room to Read in Vietnam. Her background in banking and international development proved invaluable. Within weeks, their fundraising efforts exploded-$80,000 in one week from diverse sources including Global Catalyst Foundation, Microsoft, the Tibet Fund, and private donors. This early success validated their strategy of never depending on a single funding source and demonstrated the power of their diversified fundraising approach.
During this expansion period, they faced a crucial branding decision when they realized their organization name "Books for Nepal" wouldn't scale globally. After a wine-fueled brainstorming session with friends in San Francisco, they landed on "Room to Read"-a name both literal and metaphorical that perfectly captured their mission of creating space for education and opportunity. The new name proved to be a marketing success, easy to remember and translate across cultures while embodying their broader vision of educational empowerment.
Chapitre 5
The Network Effect: Creating a Global Movement
With early fundraising successes, Wood envisioned creating a powerful global network of volunteers who would collectively raise millions. This approach would reinvent large-scale philanthropy, which historically required individual fortunes like those of Rockefeller or Carnegie. One night, he wrote in his journal: "The Andrew Carnegie of the 21st century will not be a rich white male. It will be a network of concerned global citizens, and we will create it."
The response was immediate and enthusiastic. Nancy, a friend from Sydney now in New York, offered to host fundraising parties in her apartment. Though limited to fifty people, she'd cover costs and invite networks with two calls to action: donate or help build a chapter. By the end of 2002, Room to Read had active fundraising teams in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and embryonic teams elsewhere.
Not every fundraising event succeeded. In spring 2002, Wood flew to Boston for what he thought would be a major fundraiser, only to discover it was merely an "awareness raiser" with a suggested $10 door fee. The next day, he presented at the Swiss House to skeptical academics who bombarded him with questions about his "pedagogical theory" and job guarantees for students. A woman named Pam later consoled him, noting that Cambridge was full of people with elite degrees eager to prove they're "smarter than everyone else in the room."
Despite setbacks, the chapter model proved powerful. Millions of professionals wanted to contribute their talents to the social sector without quitting their jobs. By 2005, Room to Read's volunteer network had expanded dramatically, with new chapters in Atlanta, San Diego, Washington D.C., and international chapters in Milan, Paris, and Sydney. A spirited fundraising competition developed between chapters, with Chicago raising $75,000, New York reaching $82,000, San Francisco generating $90,000, and London setting a $100,000 record. The Hong Kong chapter, determined to outdo London, organized an event that raised a remarkable $330,000.
Not all supporters were wealthy-Wood received an email from parents in Tennessee whose eight-year-old daughter Kripali, an avid reader with access to over 500 books, had been saving her pocket money and planned to fundraise $8,000 to build a school in Nepal. This young girl's commitment deeply moved Wood, demonstrating how the mission resonated across generations and economic backgrounds.
Chapitre 6
Microsoft Lessons for the Nonprofit World
Despite his painful departure from Microsoft, Wood valued his time there for the financial benefits, brilliant colleagues, and valuable business lessons. When starting Room to Read, he documented core principles from "The Soft" that he wanted to emulate, drawing inspiration from both Bill Gates and particularly Steve Ballmer, whose business acumen complemented Gates' technological genius.
Steve Ballmer's manic focus on results became a cornerstone of Room to Read's approach. Rather than accepting excuses about high piracy rates from the struggling Vietnam team, Ballmer had given them a concrete solution: target multinational companies already accustomed to buying legal software, starting with embassy lists of foreign investors. His bias toward action over talk, his demand for tangible progress, and his refusal to accept excuses became principles Wood brought to Room to Read.
To differentiate Room to Read from thousands of other charities, Wood implemented a results-focused approach. Many donors had expressed frustration about not knowing what their charitable contributions accomplished. He began including their tangible achievements in his email signature-schools built, libraries established, books donated, girls on scholarships-creating constant accountability. This ticker-like approach meant every email showcased their progress, motivating the team to ensure those numbers kept increasing.
Microsoft's culture encouraged vigorous debate regardless of corporate hierarchy-employees could "attack an idea but not a person." As Room to Read grew, Wood sometimes struggled when team members challenged his decisions, particularly about growth pace or overhead spending. He'd unrealistically thought they could operate on 5% overhead while rapidly expanding. Through healthy debate, they reached compromise on expansion pace and hired staff faster than initially planned, decisions Wood never regretted.
Another Microsoft lesson was being data-driven. The expectation to "know your numbers" meant intense preparation for reviews with Ballmer, whose dreaded phrase "You don't know your numbers" haunted Wood's nightmares. This data-driven approach proved valuable when Wood successfully fielded Ballmer's questions about Thai Windows NT certification pass rates during a review meeting.
Ballmer's interrogations tested how much managers cared about their business-whether they were passionate enough to have studied every facet of their operations. Wood applied this standard when interviewing Room to Read candidates, once rejecting an experienced development director prospect who couldn't answer basic questions about their organization's achievements or countries of operation.
Chapitre 7
Expanding the Mission: Girls' Education and Tsunami Response
In developing countries, women face greater hardships than men due to cultural biases that begin in childhood when boys are sent to school while girls remain home. Education statistics reveal the disparity: in Nepal, 75% of adult women are illiterate compared to 39% of men. Globally, two-thirds of 850 million illiterate people are female. Room to Read established the "Room to Grow" scholarship program to address this inequality, believing that educated girls become empowered women who positively impact future generations.
The program helped girls like Anita in New Delhi, who fought against her parents' plan to end her education for marriage. Through persistence and Room to Read's intervention, she received funding for school fees and tutoring. In Nepal, nine-year-old Sujina, whose father died and whose mother lacked education and employment, received a scholarship that would support her through high school.
As a man advocating for girls' education, Wood argued this shouldn't be viewed solely as a "women's issue" but as a human rights concern requiring support from both genders. His own appreciation for education came from three influential women in his life-his grandmother, mother, and sister-who instilled in him a love of learning from an early age.
Room to Read's entrepreneurial spirit was fully displayed in their response to the 2004 tsunami that devastated coastal communities across Southeast Asia. When news broke of hundreds of schools destroyed and thousands of children orphaned, Wood immediately ended his vacation and returned to San Francisco to mobilize a response.
Despite having no established presence in Sri Lanka, Wood committed to helping rebuild schools, telling his contact: "If you visit a village that has lost its school, tell them that we will find the money to rebuild it." National media exposure generated overwhelming response. Donations and creative fundraising initiatives poured in-from corporate matching programs to children's efforts like "Hot Chocolate for Tsunami Relief" stands and a London school's "Sponsored Silence."
Three young cousins (ages 10-12) designed "tsunami wristbands" that became a nationwide sensation, eventually selling over 70,000 units with proceeds going to Room to Read. Wood fortuitously met Suba Sivakumaran, a Sri Lankan-born journalist who became instrumental in Room to Read's tsunami relief efforts, quickly establishing an office, setting up a book warehouse, and hiring their first staff in Sri Lanka.
By the tsunami's one-year anniversary, they had reopened 22 schools with 16 more nearing completion, and plans for 60 more. In their first year in Sri Lanka, they began construction on 40 schools and opened 25 libraries-demonstrating that sometimes it's crucial to move quickly and not let obstacles get in the way of urgent humanitarian needs.
Chapitre 8
The Millionth Book and Beyond
Flying toward Kathmandu in 2006, Wood contemplated how far Room to Read had come-from a single library to an organization operating in six countries with 50 paid staff and over 1,000 volunteer fundraisers. Their initial library had grown to more than 2,300, and they were celebrating their millionth book donation.
During his visit, Wood toured fourteen schools in one day. At Shree Bhagawati Primary School, villagers had convinced a riverside cement plant to donate materials and carried everything up 1,000 vertical feet. At Simle School, enrollment had grown from 550 students in 2002 to over 1,150. Most impressively, they'd completed their latest addition without Room to Read's help by securing local government funding-exactly the self-sufficiency the organization aimed for.
As Wood continued visiting schools, he received news that library openings had expanded to 123 simultaneous ceremonies across Nepal. At Shree Ram Janaki Lower Secondary School, students formed a human corridor, offering flowers and garlands. The headmaster announced this as one of the biggest days in the school's history, with their new bilingual library opening doors to knowledge about the world.
Wood imagined floating above Nepal, seeing 123 villages celebrating new libraries, with over 30,000 children gaining access to books. Looking further, he envisioned their impact across six countries: 2,300 libraries, 200 schools, 50 computer labs, 1,700 girls on scholarships, and a million books.
When Wood turned 40 in January 2004, he felt no midlife crisis. Despite the trade-offs-renting instead of owning a home in San Francisco, failed relationships, begging for frequent-flier miles, and perpetual financial struggles-he loved his work more than most people love their jobs. In his journal that day, he reflected that one's forties might be life's most productive decade, with financial stability, supportive networks, and certainty about one's place in the world. He gave himself a birthday present: the decision to devote this potentially most productive decade to universal education.
Wood often thought of Vu, the first student he ever helped, who with a $20 scholarship had become fluent in three languages, pursued graduate studies in software engineering, and started a family with an educated wife who believed girls should be in school. He tried to imagine the potential of the nearly 1 million other students now attending Room to Read schools and devouring books in their libraries. As Goethe wrote about Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, "If all the musicians in the world played this piece simultaneously, the planet would go off its axis." That's how Wood felt about education for the children of the developing world.
Chapitre 9
The Revolution Continues: Advice for World-Changers
Wood's heartfelt advice for anyone wanting to change the world is simple: stop talking and start acting. Don't spend too much time thinking about practical considerations like student loans or business plans-you'll lose momentum. The biggest risk is negative people talking you out of your dream.
When starting Room to Read, Wood implemented several core principles that guided their success:
Think big from day one. When launching Room to Read, Wood immediately declared their goal to help 10 million children gain education. Some called this hubris, but he believed in thinking big. Bold goals attract bold people. Consider two approaches to addressing Africa's water crisis: promising to help 25 Kenyan villages in three years versus committing to bring clean water to 10,000 villages across Africa within a decade. The second statement might scare away small thinkers but will attract attention from funders frustrated by minimal impact from their investments.
Move quickly when opportunities arise. After the tsunami destroyed hundreds of schools, Wood proposed immediately launching operations in Sri Lanka despite having no existing presence. When he presented this to their board, there was hesitation and suggestions for a three-month study. One board member reminded everyone that if Wood had done a similar study before launching Room to Read in Nepal, the organization might never have existed.
Create ownership through challenge grants. Rather than simply donating schools and libraries, Room to Read required communities to contribute land, labor, and materials. This approach created true partnership and ensured sustainability. In Himalaya Primary School near brick factories, the headmaster convinced six factory owners to each donate 10,000 bricks. In the village of Katrak, mothers carried 110-pound cement bags uphill for 90 minutes while fathers dug foundations and built walls.
Build a network, not an empire. The Andrew Carnegie of the 21st century would not be a rich white male but a network of concerned global citizens working together. Room to Read's chapter model allowed professionals to contribute their talents to the social sector without quitting their jobs, creating a powerful force for change that spanned continents.
Focus on results, not intentions. By including tangible achievements in every communication-schools built, libraries established, books donated, girls on scholarships-Room to Read created accountability and motivation. This results-oriented approach resonated with donors who wanted to see the direct impact of their contributions.
Wood's journey from Microsoft executive to social entrepreneur demonstrates how one person's decision to say "yes" to a simple request can cascade into a global movement. By combining business principles with humanitarian passion, he created an organization that continues to transform lives through the power of education. As millions of children still wait for the opportunity to learn, the revolution continues-one book, one school, one child at a time.
