ola superconference 2005 positioning your library for funding success ann andrusyszyn, development...

OLA SuperConference 2005

Positioning your library for funding success

Ann Andrusyszyn, Development Officer, Barrie Public Library

Rob Lavery CFRE, Resource Development Consultant, Southern Ontario Library Service


Positioning your library for funding success

Session Outline– Diversifying funding sources

• Options• Ways to raise revenue from these source• Most common – strengths and weaknesses

– What are libraries doing?• Trends

– Barrie Public Library experience– Making decisions


Sources of revenue for Charities

Government Earned income Foundations and Corporations Individuals


Sources of revenue for Charities

Government – 60% Earned income – 26% Private Giving – 14%

– Foundations and Corporations – 20%– Individuals – 80%

Over $5 billion!


Fun with numbers!

For more information on charitable giving and volunteering, go to

www.givingandvolunteering.caStatistics from the National Survey on

Giving, Volunteering and Participating- Fact sheets- Manuals- Reports

http://www.givingandvolunteering.ca/


Sources of Revenue

Government– base funding– special funding– gaming and lottery


Sources of Revenue

Foundations– private– corporate– community– special purpose


Sources of Revenue Corporate

– donations– marketing-driven sponsorships– in-kind goods and services– employee campaigns– matching funds– joint promotions– secondments


Sources of Revenue Individuals

– person to person asks– direct mail– special events– door to door canvassing– telephone canvass– major donations, or large specially-named gifts– planned gifts - bequests, insurance– memorial, celebration cards– response to paid ads or PSA’s


Most common methods

Special Events - strengths– the most common way to raise money - competition– donor loyalty, volunteer motivation, fun– profile in community– prospect and first time donors– forum for education – sponsorship opportunities– volunteer and leadership recruitment


Most common methods

Special Events – weaknesses– very resource heavy – time and energy– high risk– lots of planning– sales dependent – cost-effectiveness increases over time


Most common methods

Direct Mail - strengths– lots of smaller donations– cost-effective over time, and numbers,

acquisition expensive– can be very scientific/mathematical – good

reporting, becomes more personal– very predictable, trackable, repeatable– good demographic for libraries


Most common methods

Direct Mail - weaknesses– increasingly competitive– contracted services – investment capital– perceived as impersonal– losing audience


Most common methods

Major Gifts – strengths and weaknesses– assumes active, mature FR program– assumes personal visits and peer solicitations– little or no start-up, very cost-effective– good stewardship of donors and involvement of

volunteers– very successful– long-term – relationship building with donors– reliance on volunteers (competition for volunteers

with influence and affluence, need for many)


Fundraising Trends in Ontario Libraries

Or,

The world according to Rob


Library Trends

Shift from volunteer to staff– Creating staff positions, or partial positions

responsible for fundraising or development– Hiring from outside the library, for special

expertise Resourcing the program

– Donor management software– Contracted services – especially for mail

programs and capital campaigns


Library Trends

Incorporating communications with fundraising– Libraries as charities– Building philanthropy– Raising awareness about the library through

newsletters that have fundraising messages– Raising awareness about the library through

events


Library Trends

Planning for fundraising– Isolated incidents to long range strategies– Friends, Foundations, Boards, staff working

together

Move into mail programs– Small and large libraries– Use of patron database


Barrie Public Library:Developing Resource Development

Capital Campaign for the current library– No real history of donors/gifts– Outside help for campaign– Positive outcomes

Resource Development staff– What prompted the decision?– Special expertise


BPL Development: Establishing priorities

Starting a programme– Board supportive of what is needed to start– Basics put in place

• Policies & procedures• Donor software

Planned Giving– Started simply with bequests– Added more as the programme grew– Coupled with Major Gifts


BPL Development: Shifting priorities

Changing needs Changing staff Reassessment by Board and Director Decision to work towards an integrated

programme Planned Giving and Major Gifts onto back burner

(already established) Start to put lower levels into place in fundraising

programme


BPL Development: Change in Focus

Focus shifted to annual fundraising programme Library has ongoing needs Outgrown current facility

– How do we best articulate that?• community partnerships• positioning in community• awareness• high profile event for both fundraising and

awareness


BPL Development:Specific intent

Barrie Public Library made a conscious decision:– to go with a dedicated

staff position– to bring in special

expertise– to commit to

development– not to set up a parallel

Foundation


BPL Currently: Build community

relationships First annual direct

mail campaign– build a donor base– raise awareness– educate our public that

we’re a registered charity

– how did we create it? Marketing to

articulate needs– to public– to City Council


BPL Future:

Following our Strategic Plan

Working towards capital campaign for branch

Integrated fundraising programme

Progression of donors


BPL: How are we reaching our goals? Took first small steps

– Initial decision Gradual progression

– Grow accordingly Planning

– Donor software– Strategic plan– Privacy/confidentiality– Board on board!– Encourage growth – don’t

stifle it

Use volunteers– Library specific– Special event

Engage our public Build on previous

successes Create excitement

– “the” place to be! Stay focused Become essential

– strong community partner– Good City partner


Essentially, we are reaching our goals by carrying out our mission:

“ Enriching the economic, social and cultural vitality of our community by opening doors to lifelong learning ”


Making decisions

Where do you start?– Who is doing what now?– Knowing your options– Spending $ to make $


Who will do the work?

Who is doing what now?– Friends– Fundraising Committee– Foundation– Board– Staff– Community Foundation



What is working?– Events – book sales, dinners, dances…– Canvass– Adoption, memorial



– Can you work better together?

– What can you add to your FR program that makes sense?


Knowing your options

Assessing your activities– What structure will work for us?– Are we communicating?– Are we planning?

Assessing who is doing what?– Are we making the best use of the people we

have – their talents and connections?


It takes $ to make $

How are we resourcing the fundraising activity?

Can we access specialists to help us? Are there educational, development

opportunities?


Starting Point

Stop talking about it, and start doing it!

Capitalize on leaders’ enthusiasm – and leave the nay-sayers behind!

Capitalize on existing programs and expand, add & grow


Starting Point

Choose a program, and plan it out – learn from your experience

Access professionals in your community

ASK!


Questions & Answers

Ann:

[email protected]

Rob:

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

ola superconference 2005 positioning your library for funding success ann andrusyszyn, development...

Documents

ola superconference

time slide

decisions slide

lottery slide

common strengths

leadership recruitment

common way

time donors forum