case study
Reading Assist
Reading Assist has been a leader in helping struggling young readers achieve reading proficiency through its accredited, science-backed literacy program for 35 years. Every year, the organization recruits and trains tutors for its fellowship cohorts, providing one-on-one, high-dosage reading support to students who need it most. In 2021, as learning gaps grew due to virtual learning during the pandemic, Reading Assist needed to scale fellow recruitment to meet increased demand. They partnered with First Ascent to launch targeted digital marketing campaigns that would attract more of the right candidates, helping them expand services and reach even more students.
Scope of Work
- Social Media Advertising
- Search Engine Advertising
- Landing Page Design
- Website Maintenance
Reaching the Right Candidates with the Right Message
Through research, we identified two key segments of potential fellows for Reading Assist: young professionals eager to make an impact and experienced, late-career individuals looking to give back to their communities. Using these insights, we tailored digital campaigns for each group, creating ads across Meta, LinkedIn, Google Display, and Search with a mix of video and image content to drive engagement and action. We also identified the application form’s complexity as a barrier and created a dedicated landing page to streamline the process, making it easier for potential fellows to apply. This allowed us to track campaign performance and optimize ads in real-time.
Measurable Impact, Meaningful Growth
Building on the success of our initial campaigns, we’ve continued partnering with Reading Assist as they advance key areas of their mission, including Tutors for Teachers, a program created with Wilmington University to address the educator shortage by preparing more fellows to enter the classroom. For this initiative, we developed the program name, coordinated PR with a press release, designed a landing page, and ran a LinkedIn conversation ads campaign that delivered personalized messages directly to potential candidates’ inboxes. We also contributed to Reading Assist’s year-end fundraising by developing a toolkit with strategic recommendations and ready-to-use email and social media assets.
Results That Make a Difference
Since launching the campaigns, Reading Assist has experienced significant growth in recruitment. Our ads have generated over 6 million impressions and 84,000+ clicks. By running ads consistently, we’ve made the recruitment process more efficient, securing leads at a lower cost-per-conversion than traditional methods. As Reading Assist expands into Pennsylvania and Washington, DC, their mission to provide essential literacy services becomes even more critical, and we’re proud to help them reach new communities and make a lasting impact on students.
“We have worked with First Ascent for years and can’t say enough about the customer experience. They’ve been with us as we’ve grown from 20 to 120 tutors and from serving 100 to nearly 2,000 students.
The team is extremely responsive and accessible. They communicate regularly and thoroughly, and are always willing and able to pivot when needed. As a nonprofit, we often have to adapt quickly based on changing needs and priorities. The digital marketing team has deep knowledge in their field and is ready to lean in to learn more on our behalf when we ask them to explore new options.
Reading Assist knows how to teach reading—we are experts when it comes to helping young, struggling readers. We don’t always know how to market our programming. John and his team are truly thought partners. By working with First Ascent, we have access to knowledge and resources we otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford as a medium nonprofit.”
Caroline O’Neal
Chief Executive Officer, Reading Assist
