Better World Books

Last updated
Better World Books
Company typePrivate
B Corporation
IndustryOnline bookseller
Founded2002
FounderChristopher “Kreece” Fuchs
Xavier Helgesen
Jeff Kurtzman
Headquarters Mishawaka, Indiana, US
Revenue$65 million [1]
Number of employees
340 [1]
Parent Better World Libraries  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Website www.betterworldbooks.com

Better World Books (also known as Qumpus, Inc.) is an American online bookseller of used and new books, founded in 2002 by students of the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. [1]

Contents

Better World Books' used book inventory comes primarily from regular book drives at over 1,800 colleges and universities and donations from over 3,000 library systems, in addition to donation boxes found on corners and on college campuses. [2] The company has distribution warehouses in Mishawaka, Indiana; Reno, Nevada; York, Pennsylvania; and Dunfermline, Scotland. [1] [3] [4]

History

In 2001, shortly after their graduation from the University of Notre Dame, Better World Books founders Christopher Fuchs, Xavier Helgesen and Jeff Kurtzman sold their used college textbooks online. [5] [6] [7] The three then formulated a business plan using their experience selling books online. [5] [6] [7] In 2002, Fuchs and Helgesen held a book drive benefiting the Robinson Community Learning Center in South Bend, Indiana. [5] [6] [7] During the drive, they collected and sold 2,000 books, which raised $10,000. [5] [6] [7] Half of the drive's proceeds went to support literacy initiatives at the community center. [1]

In 2003, the three entered their business plan into the Notre Dame Social Venture Business Plan Competition, which was sponsored by the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. [6] They won the competition, with a grand prize of $7,000 and mentorship from entrepreneur David Murphy. [6] Murphy served as Better World Books president and CEO from 2004 to 2011, before leaving to direct Notre Dame's Master of Entrepreneurship program (ESTEEM). [3] [6] [8]

Sign outside the Better World Books world headquarters in Mishawaka, Indiana Betterworldbooksjpg.jpg
Sign outside the Better World Books world headquarters in Mishawaka, Indiana

Better World Books acquired a US Small Business Administration-backed credit line in 2004. [5] In April 2008, Better World Books secured an additional $4.5 million in venture capital via Good Capital, LLC and 18 private investors. [9]

In 2008, the company opened an operation in Dunfermline, Scotland, and started a UK website in 2010. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] In 2016, the company opened a new distribution center in Reno, Nevada, creating 150 new jobs. [4]

The non-profit B Lab has certified "Better World Books" as a "B corporation", meaning it meets certain standards for social welfare, because it donates books or a percentage of its profit to literacy programs around the world. [15] As of 2013, the company had donated an estimated $14 million under this program. [1]

In March 2019, Better World Books announced the closure of their last retail location in Goshen, Indiana. This was done in order for the organisation to improve its e-commerce operations and reach more people. [16]

The company discloses information about funds raised, books re-used or recycled, and books donated in a ticker on its "Impact" page. [17] [18] [19]

As of 2019, Better World Books handled about 30 million incoming books per year, of which ten were sold and ten donated to partners.

On November 6, 2019, Better World Books was acquired by Better World Libraries, a mission-aligned, not-for-profit organization that is affiliated with longtime partner, the Internet Archive. The plan is to digitize many more books and put them online. [20] Between July 2019 and March 2020, Better World Books donated over 700,000 books (counted by distinct ISBN) to the Internet Archive. [21] Over 1.4 million books were donated in 2020 and nearly a million in the first half of 2021. [22]

Partners

Better World Books donates one book to Feed the Children, Books for Africa, or smaller donation recipients for each book sold on BetterWorldBooks.com. [23] [24] Better World Books provides additional support to literacy non-profits, including:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Bend, Indiana</span> City in Indiana, United States

South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. At the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourth-largest city in Indiana. Located just south of the border with Michigan, South Bend anchors the Michiana region and is 72 miles (116 km) east of downtown Chicago. The metropolitan area had a population of 324,501 in 2020, while its combined statistical area had 812,199.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Notre Dame</span> Catholic university in Notre Dame, Indiana, US

The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Catholic religious order of priests and brothers, the main campus of 1,261 acres has a suburban setting and contains landmarks such as the Golden Dome main building, Sacred Heart basilica, the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the 134 foot tall Word of Life mosaic mural, and Notre Dame Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michiana</span> Geographic region in Indiana and Michigan, United States

Michiana is a region in northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan centered on the city of South Bend, Indiana. The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County, Indiana defines Michiana as St. Joseph County and "counties that contribute at least 500 inbound commuting workers to St. Joseph County daily." Those counties include Elkhart, La Porte, Marshall, St. Joseph, and Starke in Indiana, and Berrien and Cass in Michigan. As of the 2020 census, those seven counties had a population of 867,747.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mendoza College of Business</span>

The Mendoza College of Business is the business school at the University of Notre Dame, a private research university in Notre Dame, Indiana. Founded in 1921, it offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Apart from its main campus, it also offers an executive MBA, master’s in finance, and master’s in business analytics in Chicago. It has a network of over 40,000 undergraduate and graduate alumni. The school was renamed in 2000 following a donation to the school by Tom Mendoza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College Football Hall of Fame</span> College sports hall of fame in Atlanta, Georgia

The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were voted first team All-American by the media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre Dame Stadium</span> Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana

Notre Dame Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana, the home field of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badin Hall (University of Notre Dame)</span> Residence hall at the University of Notre Dame

Badin Hall is one of the 32 Residence Halls on the campus of the University of Notre Dame and one of the 14 female dorms. The smallest residence hall on campus, it is located on South Quad, between Howard Hall and the Coleman-Morse center. It was built in 1897 and hosted the Manual Labor School until 1917 before being converted into a men's dorm. During World War II, it was part of the United States Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School, and in 1972 it became one of the first two residence halls at Notre Dame to host women.

Cause marketing is marketing done by a for-profit business that seeks to both increase profits and to better society in accordance with corporate social responsibility, such as by including activist messages in advertising.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre Dame School of Architecture</span>

The University of Notre Dame School of Architecture was the first Catholic university in America to offer a degree in architecture, beginning in 1898. The School offers undergraduate and post-graduate architecture programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stepan Center</span>

Stepan Center is a multi-purpose geodesic dome built in 1962 at the University of Notre Dame, and is located on the northeast corner of campus. The $350,000 to build Stepan Center was donated to the university by Alfred Stepan, the founder of Stepan Company, and his wife, Mary Louise. The architect firm credited for the design is Ellerbe Associates, a Minneapolis, Minnesota based architectural firm, who handled a substantial amount of Notre Dame projects in that period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Building (University of Notre Dame)</span> Building in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States

University of Notre Dame's Main Administration Building houses various administrative offices, including the office of the President. Atop of the building stands the Golden Dome, the most recognizable landmark of the university. Three buildings were built at the site; the first was built in 1843 and replaced with a larger one in 1865, which burned down in 1879, after which the third and current building was erected. The building hosts the administrative offices of the university, as well as classrooms, art collections, and exhibition spaces. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ignition Park is a technology park under development in South Bend, Indiana, United States on roughly 140 acres (57 ha) of land south of the city's downtown that were formerly the site of the Studebaker manufacturing complex. Though originally the park was only around 80 acres (32 ha), after much talk of doing so by city officials, it was expanded to 140 acres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campus of the University of Notre Dame</span> College campus in Notre Dame, Indiana, US

The campus of the University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and spans 1,250 acres (510 ha) comprising around 190 buildings. The campus is consistently ranked and admired as one of the most beautiful university campuses in the United States and around the world. It is particularly noted for the Golden Dome, the Basilica and its stained glass windows, the quads and the greenery, the Grotto, Touchdown Jesus, its collegiate Gothic architecture, and its statues and museums. Notre Dame is a major tourist attraction in northern Indiana; in the 2015–2016 academic year, more than 1.8 million visitors, almost half of whom were from outside of St. Joseph County, visited the campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bond Hall (University of Notre Dame)</span> United States historic place

Bond Hall is a building on the campus of the University of Notre Dame which hosts student learning initiatives and a number of institutes including the Graduate School. It was originally built in 1917 as the Lemmonier Library and it housed the Notre Dame School of Architecture from 1964 to 2019. The architect was Edward Lippincott Tilton, a neoclassical architect who specialized in libraries. Its front steps are famous as the location of the Notre Dame Marching Band performances before the football games.

Maria Keller is an American woman who is the founder and executive director of Read Indeed, a nonprofit literacy organization that donates books to children who lack access to reading materials. Keller founded the charitable organization in 2009 to donate one million books to in-need children by the time she turned eighteen, a task she accomplished at age thirteen. By 2024, Read Indeed has donated nearly four million books to underprivileged youth in each U.S. State and seventeen countries. For her work with Read Indeed, Keller received the Jefferson Award for Public Service and the Prudential Spirit of Community Award, as well as recognition from CNN Heroes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeBartolo Performing Arts Center</span> Building in Indiana, United States

The Marie P. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC) is a performing arts venue located on the south end of the University of Notre Dame campus and open to the South Bend, Indiana, and wider community. The 150,000 square foot facility, which opened in September 2004, was financed in large part by a gift from Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., and the building was named in honor of his wife. The current executive director of the facility is Ted Barron. In addition to performance spaces, the building also contains offices, teaching spaces, and production facilities for Notre Dame's Department of Film, Television, and Theatre, as well as for the Department of Music, the Department of Sacred Music, and the Shakespeare at Notre Dame program.

The Morris Inn at Notre Dame is a Gothic Revival-style hotel owned by the University of Notre Dame and located on the school's campus in Notre Dame, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baumer Hall</span>

Baumer Hall is one of the 32 residence halls at the University of Notre Dame. It located on West Quad, south of Keough Hall and west of Ryan Hall, on the McGlinn fields. It is the newest men's residence hall, built in 2019, after a donation from John and Mollie Baumer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnson Family Hall</span>

Johnson Family Hall is one of the 32 residence halls at the University of Notre Dame. It is located east of Dunne Hall and north of McCourtney Hall in the East Quadrangle. It is the newest women's residence hall, built in 2019-2020, after a donation from Todd & Susan Johnson. Its mascot is the valkyrie, and its colors are navy and light blue. It was opened during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walsh Family Hall of Architecture</span> Academic building in Indiana, United States

The Walsh Family Hall of Architecture is a building on the campus of the University of Notre Dame and houses of the Notre Dame School of Architecture. Construction started in 2016 and was completed in 2019. The school was previously hosted in Bond Hall. Designed by John Simpson, it is an example of New Classical architecture, for which the School of Architecture is well known for. The complex features a Greek-architecture inspired Hall of Casts, a stoa, a tower and a courtyard. The building design won several awards for its design.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Anne Field (May 4, 2013). "Secrets of a Successful Social Enterprise". Forbes. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ Kristi York Wooten (August 16, 2011). "Can Buying a Book Help Kids and the Environment?". Huffington Post. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Gene Stowe (May 26, 2013). "A decade's worth of doing good". SouthBend Tribune. Archived from the original on October 10, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Jason Hidalgo (January 14, 2016). "Better World Books opens Reno distribution center, bringing 150 jobs". Reno Gazette-Journal . Gannett Company . Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Stephanie Elam (July 2, 2009). "Building better world a book at a time". CNN. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Elizabeth Station (Winter 2008). "Book Value". Notre Dame Business. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Doug DeLoach (August 19, 2011). "Doing good, doing well". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  8. ↑ "David Murphy Biography". ESTEEM (Engineering, Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Excellence Master's Program). esteem.nd.edu. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  9. ↑ Good Capital, LLC (April 7, 2008). "Good-Capital-s-Social-Enterprise-Expansion-Fund-to-Invest-Up-to-2-5-Million-in-Better-World-Books". Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  10. ↑ "'Responsible' book seller opens UK online shop". IT Pro Portal. December 9, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  11. ↑ Zak Stambor (December 8, 2010). "Better World Books opens an e-commerce site in Britain". Internet Retailer. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Ina Steiner (December 9, 2010). "Better World Books Launches Site in UK". eCommerce Bytes. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Better World Books launches UK retail website". UK Fundraising. December 8, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Charlotte Williams (September 12, 2012). "Better World Books launches UK site". The Bookseller. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  15. ↑ Kyle Westaway (December 2, 2011). "New Legal Structures for 'Social Entrepreneurs'". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  16. ↑ Columnist, Marshall V. King Tribune. "Better World Books closes its last retail location to focus on e-commerce". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  17. ↑ "Our Impact". Better World Books. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  18. ↑ Ashley Booker (August 29, 2013). "Students help fight illiteracy through online book vendor". The University Daily Kansan. Archived from the original on September 19, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  19. ↑ Zak Stambor (November 30, 2011). "A broader mission". Internet Retailer. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  20. ↑ Mike (2019-11-06). "For the Love of Literacy–Better World Books and the Internet Archive Unite to Preserve Millions of Books". Better World Books Blog. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  21. ↑ Internet Archive. "Book Donations from Better World Books" . Retrieved 2020-03-20. ia search -f isbn "collection:bookdonationsfrombetterworldbooks" | jq ".isbn | .[]" | cut -f2 -d'"' | sort -u | grep -c ^978 761436
  22. ↑ Internet Archive. "Book Donations from Better World Books" . Retrieved 2021-05-31. $ ia search -f isbn 'collection:bookdonationsfrombetterworldbooks addeddate:[2020-01-01 TO 2020-12-31]' | jq ".isbn | .[]" | cut -f2 -d'"' | sort -u | grep -c ^978 1430873
  23. ↑ David Markiewicz (August 24, 2011). "Better World Books tries to do good by doing business". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  24. ↑ Ariel Schwartz. "Better World Books Takes a Page From Toms Shoes' "One For One" Playbook". Fast Company. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  25. ↑ Michel Marriott (August 21, 1991). "When Parents and Children Go to School Together". New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  26. 1 2 Nicholas D. Kristof (November 5, 2011). "His Libraries, 12,000 So Far, Change Lives". New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  27. ↑ Rebecca Bailey (June 21, 2007). "Dartmouth-based partnership aims to help English teaching in Latin America". Dartmouth News. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  28. ↑ Jamie Reysen (October 1, 2009). "Prison Book Program collects books for prisoners nationwide". JSONS. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  29. ↑ Dara Olmsted (November 5, 2010). "The Great American Book Drive". Boston. Archived from the original on April 16, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  30. ↑ Emily Sweeney (June 10, 2012). "Helping inmates roam world of words". Boston. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  31. ↑ Amanda Gray (February 18, 2011). "Robinson Center celebrates 10th anniversary". The Observer. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  32. ↑ "For the Love of Literacy: Better World Books and the Internet Archive Unite to Preserve Millions of Books" Archived 2022-10-04 at the Wayback Machine , Press release, Nov. 6, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.