The New
Readability Research Foundation
a project of Readability Matters
Imagine a world where every digital screen automatically adjusts to the reader, where evidence-based typography boosts readers from the classroom to the operating room.
For the last five years, a global network of scientists, designers, and engineers has been working to make that world a reality. Our readability research community has grown from a handful of passionate experts to a community of over 200 stakeholders from around the globe.
Now our growing movement needs a stable foundation and a permanent home.
This Giving Tuesday, we are asking you to invest in the launch of the Readability Research Foundation (RRF).
The Missing Piece: Civic Infrastructure
The RRF is a new nonprofit project created to serve you, the community. While our network is strong, it has thrived mainly on temporary arrangements. To sustain this momentum for the next decade, we are building the civic infrastructure that has been missing.
RRF is designed to be the “Digital Commons” where our community can live, work, and grow.
“We are building a home for the community where students can find mentors, designers can find answers, and where we can connect industry and research groups in ways everyone can benefit. The RRF will be a place where the global conversation on readability can grow and flourish, recognizing that each community member brings ideas and approaches that help us all,” said Dr. Benjamin Wolfe, community member and faculty at the University of Toronto.
Instead of a temporary project, RRF provides a stable steward for open science. When research grants end, valuable data and tools often disappear. RRF acts as a permanent archive, ensuring that the open-source tools and population registries we create today remain accessible to researchers tomorrow.
Furthermore, RRF creates a frictionless path for collaboration. By acting as a specialized connector, we help industry partners quickly find and support the experts who can answer their most pressing questions. We make it easier for resources to flow into the ecosystem so that evidence-based solutions can reach the public faster.
Readability Matters is incubating this project with the goal of complete independence. Every dollar contributed is restricted solely to building essential RRF infrastructure, paving the way for it to operate independently and, one day, launch as a standalone nonprofit organization.
Help Us Turn the Lights On
We are currently raising seed funding to stand up this essential infrastructure: legal frameworks, web platforms, and operational support.
Your investment today isn’t just a donation; it is the seed capital for the future of readability research.
Click here to invest in RRF today!
If your employer is enrolled in Benevity or Bright Funds, you can increase your impact!
Call for Volunteers
We are looking for hands-on help to get RRF operational. If you have skills in grant writing, fundraising, contracting, community management, nonprofit admin, legal work, or want to know how you can help, please get in touch with us.
Spread the Word
Beyond financial support, you can help us by spreading the word. Share this post on LinkedIn, X, or your internal company networks.
If you know or represent a corporate entity interested in making a foundational gift to help RRF get off to a strong start, please reach out to our team directly. We would love to discuss how your organization can be a pillar of this new foundation.
Thank you
To our current volunteers and those who have already reached out to help: Thank you! Your belief in this vision is the foundation we are building upon today.
Together, we are creating a world where readability is an everyday term and expected everywhere.
With gratitude,
The Readability Matters Team
Readability Matters is a registered nonprofit 501(c)3 organization (EIN: 83-4462479)
