Fundraising and advocacy

Why is fundraising important? 

• Reduction of traditional sources of funding 
• Useful for improving or enhancing library facilities or a special project 
• e.g. computer suites 
• Large libraries often have development officers who primary role is to raise funds for the library
• Must be an integral part of library planning 

Libraries most likely involved

• Academic 
• Public 
• Buildings
• Services 
• School
• Trips 
• Some special if mandate is to serve the public 
• Rare 

Where to start 

• Project a positive image of the library
• Be proud of what you do and strive for improvement 
• Be involved as part of the entire operation (e.g. school, university, city)
• Choose goals for fundraising (one or two high profile projects) 

9 Cardinal principals of fundraising*

• Institutional or organizational objectives must be established 
• Why is it important and why is it needed?
• Development objectives must be established to meet institutional goals
• What’s in it for them? Make people see how they would benefit 
• The kinds of support needed determine the kinds of fundraising programmes
• The institutions must start with natural prospects
• The case for the program must reflect the importance of the institution
• Involvement is the key to leadership and support 
• Prospect research must be thorough and realistic
• Cultivation is the key to successful solicitation 
• Develop relationships
• Solicitation is successful only if primary principles are followed 

*Harstock, Robert F. “Why People Give and Why People Don’t.” Resource Development for Libraries. p. 12.

Types of fundraising

• Annual giving campaigns 
• Special events 
• Retail operations 
• New libraries have gift shops, profits go towards library
• Major gifts Annual giving 
• Adopt-a-book or journal o Have new books on display with label saying “Adopt me” 
• Have people donate new books or journals to library
• Instill book plates to recognise donor(s) 
• Retail sails 
• Bequests and memorial donations 

Retail operations

• Library merchandise
• Coffee shop 
• Selling recipe books
• Necessitates thinking about having a cash register at the circulation desk or accepting credit card payments
• Online shopping 

Special events

• Book and bake sales
• Author readings where people pay 
• Walk-a-thons
• Auctions
•  Note that these are very labour intensive 
• May not raise a lot of funds, but may be invaluable for raising awareness of libraries 

Major gifts 

• Foundations (Gates, Winnipeg Library Foundation)
• Corporations o Watch out for strings attached to agreement 
• Make sure you have a policy that sets out parameters of relationships
• Ethical dilemmas can result
• Will they donate equipment or services? 
• Individuals 
• 80-90% of charitable giving is from individuals
• 5 steps* 
• Identify
• Cultivate 
• Solicit 
• Nurture
• Resolicit
  
  * Denham, Rudi. “Fundraising for Small and Medium-Sized Public Libraries” Feliciter 44 (November/December 1988): 28 
• Five C’s of ideal donor 
• Current 
• Support/use
• Close
• Location/attachment 
• Committed 
• Always loyal
• Capable
• Do they have the money?
• Compatible 
• Do their interests match the library’s?
  * Bergan, Helen. “Where the Money is: How to Add Names to Your Prospect List.” Library Administration and Management 7 (Summer 1993): 40 
• Parent organization 
• Never forget that your parent organization provides you with major fund
• Cultivate and nurture this body as well 

Some Canadian success stories 

• Oakville
• Calgary 
• University of Victoria
• University of Toronto 
• Vancouver Public Library 

Library advocacy

• What is it? 
• Key strategies of ALA campaign 
• Mobilize network of library advocates to speak out for libraries
• Increase federal support for libraries o Initiate media campaign 
• This campaign included Academic, Public, and School libraries 

Goals of ALA campaign

• Shatter myth that libraries are frills
• State urgency and scope of public’s need for libraries
• Position libraries as central to America’s information superhighway
• Inspire more Americans to use and support libraries 

ALA’s role 

• Provided training of advocates at conferences and meetings 
• Produced an action pack available at http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/publicawareness/campaign%40yourlibrary 

Advocacy for special libraries

• Special Libraries Association have sponsored several studies showing value of special libraries 
• Has produced a document called Seven Good Reasons to Use a Special Library https://web.archive.org/web/20000818012541/http://www.sla.org/seven.html 

Library advocacy in Canada 

• Under the leadership of CLA
• Library Advocates trained across the country
• CASLIS National produced brochure, post-it notes, pens, etc.
• Book and Periodic Council’s Dividends: The Value of Public Libraries in Canada  http://web.archive.org/web/20101204053525/http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Dividends_The_Value_of_Public_Libraries_in_Canada