Libraries and Community Foundations
Librarians are more than an information professional. They are project managers, marketers, program directors, social directors, merchandisers and perhaps most importantly full time fundraisers.
Everybody knows that libraries operate on skeletal budgets. Used book sales can’t cover all the deficits, especially if there are special projects and upgrades to be addressed. The very best librarians are out there everyday looking for grants, donations and special funding programs.
Ideas Vs. Money
Great ideas and tight budgets are fierce enemies. Receiving a grant makes it possible to make improvements AND stay within your budget. But grant money doesn’t magically appear in your mailbox like a letter from Ed McMahon. Where do you go for grant money? Who cares enough about your plan to fund it?
If your plan has anything to do with improving the quality of life, culture, education or wellness of your community, your local Community Foundation might have what you need.
What is a Community Foundation?
There are currently over 700 Community Foundations in the United States, but what exactly is a community foundation?
A Community Foundation is an organization that pools charitable donations, manages the investments for those donations, and awards grants using those donations to people or organizations within a specific area or community. People within a community rely on the Community Foundation to be the source of information about charitable giving in their community: Who is most in need? Where and how can I donate? Who has recently received a grant?
Community Foundations are not fund-raising organizations. They are more like a donation management and services organization. Community Foundations offer donors and grant seekers philanthropic knowledge of the communities they serve.
What was your last grant? Where did you get it and how did you apply?
Coming Soon
PS – watch our blog for our upcoming resource guide “Approaching Your Community Foundation For A Grant.” We’ll spell out step by step how to find a community foundation in your area, how to approach the foundation and how to write a winning grant application.