How Can I Get Corporate Donations for a Library?

Libraries seek donations from corporations to purchase books or accomplish a major project.

Public libraries are a vital part of a community, but operating a library is a challenge in today's weak economy. Generally, municipalities or county governments provide money to fund local libraries, but some communities are seeing a decrease in tax revenues and an increase in the amount of cuts that have to be made to balance the budget. This means local officials often are cutting back the amount of money they give to libraries. In times like these, some libraries turn to corporate donations to help fund operations or projects.

Instructions

1. Get a list of companies in the library district and major corporations operating in your state. This list can be obtained on the Internet or at your local chamber of commerce. From this list you can find potential corporate donors. It's possible that officials at local companies that participate in community activities personally know library board members or library employees. The personal connection makes it easier for board members to approach businesses to ask for donations.

2. Review each company's corporate giving program. Major corporations usually have a page on their websites explaining their community giving policy. Some companies give donations once a year, while others give after considering donation requests. Reviewing policies will help you determine which companies to approach and when to approach them for donations.

3. Write a letter asking for a donation. Your letter should include details and statistics about the library's operations, annual budget, achievements and future plans. Be specific about what a donation would go towards, such as purchasing books, installing new technology, establishing an endowment fund, constructing a new building or constructing an addition to an existing building. Include a range of donation amounts either in the letter or a brochure. This will help the company determine how much it will give. Enclose brochures or newsletters about the library's services and donation requests with the letter. For companies with a less-structured approach to donation requests, call and ask for an appointment to present this information in person to the company's public relations, marketing or financial officer.

4. Thank companies for their donations. A formal thank you letter is necessary if a company has donated money. Public recognition of companies' donations also is important. It's possible to create a "donor's honor roll" to distribute to the public or host a special program to honor all donors. Install a plaque in honor of the company if all, or a large part, of the company's donation paid for the construction of a library building or an expansion of an existing library building.

References

• Gift Giving Opportunities: Chelmsford Public Library
• Tapping Into Corporate Giving
• USAFundraising.com: Sample Fundraising Letters-Asking For Support