Raising The Bar: Increasing your library’s visibility to enhance fundraising

Raising The Bar:Increasing your library’s visibility to enhance fundraising Wendy Clark Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Think about… Fundraising Strategies Marketing Strategies ….All Together Now

We know… ...lots of information ....do we know how to turn that into real support for our library?

Library users and public library access users 14 years and older U.S. Impact Studies

basic need

Use is up…

Need is up… WorksSC

Library marketing using social media Social media is media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques… (Wikipedia)

Library marketing using social media • What would a library 2.0 marketing plan look like? • How would you encourage participation? • Can you empower rather than control?

Library marketing using social media • Facebook fans (do you friend your users?) • Twitter about programming events • Instant messaging • wikis, flickr and blogs

Library marketing using social media • Extend the community ‘one stop’ tradition to meet digital divide issues • Addressing information literacy as part of a larger strategy

Library marketing using social media • Internal audience (educators, library friends) • External audience (community leaders, business community)

What do we want them to… • Think? • Feel? • Do?

Our message: Information literacy is a critical life skill in today’s information maze. Libraries and librarians can help you find your way

Our patrons’ message: • Libraries and librarians can help my family. • Our community leaders’ message: • Librarians are valuable partners in building an information literate workforce.

Developing a fundraising strategy • Where to find the "right people" for your fundraising team • Why donors choose your library…making the donor connection • Off we go…determining the best strategy for your fundraising efforts

Who are the ‘right people’? ‘…don't recruit book lovers…Book lovers want a book group. We need fundraisers who know the value of libraries..’ —Peter Pearson, Library Strategies

Making donor connections • Create long lasting relationships • Focus on who you have • Cultivate friends and volunteers • Connect emotionally • Treat everyone as a potential donor

Developing a strategy • In a down economy, do you ask for help with core services? • Do you reward donors by funding visible programs with their money? • How does your friends and foundation fit in?

Developing a strategy • What about endowments? • Multi-year giving? • Do you have a unified voice with your partners and supporters?

As you develop your strategy… marketing and fundraising go together to focus on meeting community needs and wants

As you develop your strategy… Relate your community needs to the services you want to offer so potential funders have a clear picture of your direction

As you develop your strategy • Define your needs • Come up with a program to meet those needs • Then identify potential funders

Ways to identify funders • Who is giving to libraries? • Who is giving in your community? • Who is a good fit?

Effective grant management As you prepare your request: • What about sustainability? • What about evaluation?

Effective grant management As you begin the project… • Set up your grant files • Review what you said you’d do • Read the contract • Clarify grant reporting expectations

Effective grant management As you move through the project… • Document your results • Involve others in the project • Be honest • Be flexible

As a grant manager, I… Look forward to working with folks who… • Explain how this project will help • Involve partners • Have measurable results • Communicate

Putting it together • Think strategically about marketing and fundraising • Involve your users in the process • Challenge yourself

Wendy Clark Loan Star Libraries Program Manager Texas State Library wendy.clark@tsl.state.tx.us

Raising The Bar: Increasing your library’s visibility to enhance fundraising