We put books and school supplies in the hands of children where educational resources are hardest to come by, across Arizona and on tribal lands. Founded by two sisters, run today entirely by students.
$25 fills a backpack · $50 stocks a classroom shelf · 100% student volunteer-run
“A #2 pencil and a dream can take you anywhere.”
Joyce Meyers
Nishka cofounded this charity with her sister Bhavya at a very young age and has been working on it ever since. As President she runs every part of it: book drives, fundraisers, corporate grant applications, and getting every donation sorted and delivered into a classroom.
Her focus is where educational resources are most limited. She has adopted two schools on remote Indian reservations. She does all of this as a junior at BASIS Scottsdale, with a team of student volunteers beside her.
Meet the founders →On remote Indian reservations, where classroom budgets stretch thinnest, we commit to the same schools season after season: books, supplies, and a relationship that lasts beyond a single drive.
We partner with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the program that mails a free, age-appropriate book every month to a registered child from birth until they start school, at no cost to the family.
Through this partnership we've helped reach more than 500 children in Arizona, putting a new book in their hands every single month and building home libraries in families that had none.
We also partner with the Booker T. Washington Child Development Center in Phoenix, helping them get the school supplies their children need.
btwchild.org →The Makkar sisters sat down with ABC15 Arizona to talk about running a charity as students, why school supplies change a kid's whole year, and how a Phoenix community turned 13 acts of kindness into a movement.
We're entirely student-run with no paid staff, so support arrives at the classroom almost exactly as it left your hands.
See all the ways to help →{{ w.body }}
Give today and we'll put it to work at an Arizona school this season.
A Dream And A Pencil was cofounded in June 2019 by sisters Bhavya and Nishka Makkar. It has been student-led every single day since.
Junior, BASIS Scottsdale · Phoenix, Arizona
Nishka is the driving force behind A Dream And A Pencil. She cofounded the charity with her sister Bhavya in 2019, at a very young age, and has worked on it ever since, now as President.
She runs it end to end: organizing book drives, holding fundraisers, applying for corporate grants, sorting thousands of donated books, and making sure every delivery lands where it's needed most. Her focus is on communities where educational resources are most limited. She has adopted two schools on remote Indian reservations, Mary Velazquez-Riley Seven Mile Elementary School in Whiteriver and Cottonwood Day School in Chinle.
She does all of it as a junior at BASIS Scottsdale, between classes and homework, with a team of student volunteers she recruits and leads herself.
“Four hours of driving ends at a classroom where a pencil is something you share. No child should have to ration what it takes to learn, so we keep coming back.”Nishka Makkar, President
BASIS Scottsdale alum · University of Arizona, Tucson
Bhavya started it all. On her birthday in June 2019 she challenged herself to do 13 acts of kindness, and with her sister Nishka turned that into a charity for children who don't have access to the same educational resources she did. What began with one book drive became a registered 501(c)(3) serving schools across Arizona.
She graduated high school from BASIS Scottsdale and is now in her final year at the University of Arizona in Tucson, in the Accelerated Pathway to Medical Education program. She begins medical school in 2027.
“I created this charity to help children who don't have access to the same educational resources as some of us.”Bhavya Makkar, 2019
Every drive, sort and delivery is done by students giving up weekends. There are no paid staff and no offices, just young people who think a kid's education shouldn't depend on their zip code.
Volunteer with us →
In June 2019, sisters Bhavya and Nishka Makkar started A Dream And A Pencil. Seven years later it's a registered 501(c)(3) that has collected more than 10,000 books for children across Arizona, still run entirely by students, led by Nishka Makkar.
Provide resources to underserved children in our community by raising money and collecting school supplies and gently used books, distributed directly to disadvantaged schools.
We're purely student-run with no paid staff. Book drives, fundraisers and corporate grant applications are led by our President, Nishka Makkar; donations are sorted by student volunteers and delivered to schools and partners including the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
A Dream And A Pencil does not discriminate on account of race, color, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, immigration status, gender identity, or otherwise.
Nishka Makkar, a junior at BASIS Scottsdale, serves as President and leads the day-to-day work with a team of student volunteers.
Meet the founders →Book drives, deliveries, fundraisers, partnerships and press: our Facebook and Instagram history pulled into one chronological record.
The ABC15 segment with both cofounders, on how a birthday challenge grew into a registered Arizona charity run by students.
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Every gift becomes books and supplies at an Arizona school.
Money, books, supplies, or an hour of your time. All of it lands in a classroom. We're a 501(c)(3), so every dollar is tax-deductible.
Pick an amount. We'll tell you exactly what it buys.
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adreamandapencil@gmail.com
A Dream And A Pencil
3501 N. 24th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85016
Gently used or new books, and new or gently used school supplies. Email us and we'll arrange a pickup or drop-off.
adreamandapencil@gmail.comStudents: help run a drive at your school, sort donations, or join a delivery day. Adults and community groups welcome to host a collection box.
We work with local businesses on matching gifts, grants and supply sponsorships.
See sponsorship options →A Dream And A Pencil is a 501(c)(3) registered charity with the IRS. EIN 84-2913717.
Corporate grants, matching gifts and in-kind donations let a student-run charity operate at real scale. Nishka applies for these herself, and every dollar goes to books and supplies.
We're also grateful to our community book and school partners: Scottsdale Public Library, Mesa Public Library, and BASIS Scottsdale, who host our drives and help keep books moving to the classrooms that need them.
It costs $25 to provide one child with free books for a year. We have four main sponsorship levels, though we welcome any amount of donation we can get.
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Interested in sponsoring a drive or matching employee gifts? We'll send a one-page overview and our 501(c)(3) letter.
Email usQuestions about donating, hosting a drive, or partnering with us? We read every message.
A Dream And A Pencil
3501 N. 24th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85016
