Fundraising Begins

Today marks the beginning of a month of fundraising and planning. This month is our serious planning month as we begin to formalize our concept and put it to paper. By mid-April our brochure needs to be camera ready as we plan our school visits and skits. It's a month of brainstorming, teeth gnashing and drilling into our creative side.

Each year our Department somehow manages to raise approximately $15,000-$19,000 dollars of support for our Summer Reading Program. This comes in the way of monetary support, coupons from businesses, a ticket to an organization (museums) or event (baseball) or the donations of goods. Several local small businesses like Snackers give us ice cream coupons and Kirshbaums a tasty cookie.

Our fantastic Friends of the Library Organization support several thousand of our funding as they pay for the bulk of tangible prizes that we give to our kids. I’m always so very grateful for the volunteer work that these kind and giving people do out of the their love for the Library. Without a Friends Organization we wouldn’t have nearly as many cultural programs for kids or fun activities.

Each year I do always dread fundraising a bit. There is more of a social worker ethic in a librarian, but organization and planning is indeed part of what we do. With approximately 1,000 kids that participate there isn’t a way to do it without outside support on our small budgets. We frequently write and obtain grants, but regular fundraising requires a bit of gumption that most of us muster inside of ourselves.

My letters this year also reflect a change in our planning. Part of my sponsorship letter reads:

This year we are trying something very different, and in fact we’re one of the
first libraries in the nation to try to change our ways. Our theme, Earth
Rocks @ the Library will be earth science theme full of fun and information.
This year we are focusing on conservation and appreciation of nature and will
only be giving away prizes that are made from sustainable resources, banning
plastics and landfill bound trinkets, recycling all of our papers and products,
and using recycled materials in our programs and crafts. We’ve
recognized that as role models for our children we bear a responsibility in what
we encourage and give to youth. Our program is harder for us to
launch this year as it’s never been done, so won’t you join us?

I’d like to get sponsors excited about participating in something new and fresh for kids. This program will require a great deal more planning and probably more money so I do hope I get a good response.

Right now about 25 letters are making their merry way to folks throughout our community and the Chicagoland area. Wish them good luck as they land in the hands of potential sponsors.

Our quarterly newsletter came out to patrons this month, and I've received several positive comments from folks that are excited to see a change in our dynamic. One patron left a congrats note on my desk! I think we may be hesitant to change our ways our of fear of acceptance, but I think that parents are looking forward to a program that is healthier for their kids.