#NYLA2021: Fundraising Without Book Sales

This year, the New York Library Association held its annual conference in both virtual (Oct. 28-29) and in-person (Nov. 3-6) formats, as well as having on-demand content. Below are notes from one of the on-demand sessions.

Description

Friends groups are always searching for new ideas that go beyond the book sale. Come discover how our panelists are using new and trusted out-of-the-box thinking and creative ideas to redefine fundraising.

Speakers

• Emily Cullings, Friends of the Hampton Bays Library
• Mary Giardini, Friends of the Olean Public Library
• Helen Rados,  Friends of the Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library
• Kerstin Cruger,  Friends of Libraries Section (moderator)
  

 

Notes

Helen Rados 

• Pave the Way
• LilyDale Trip
• Holiday Cookie Bake Off
• Chair Auction 
• Commemorative Journals
• Taste of Sullivan County
• Gift cards donations from over 30 restaurants. 
• Make specific requests (e.g., $25 gift certificate). 
  
• Restaurants were given a decal marking them as a participant. 
• Gift cards were bundled to make four unique prizes worth $500, $200, and $100 (x2). 
• Friends members and local businesses sold tickets (1 for $5.00 or 6 for $20.00).
• Told restaurants what was in it for them. They were seen as "proud contributors."
• When approaching the restaurants, they talked with the owner or manager.
  
• One of the benefits was raising library awareness.
• Tried to keep costs low by having local businesses donate printing, etc. or provide those services at a low cost. 
• Prize totals, etc., all depend on how many donations are obtained.
• They do this every other year.
• Do check with NYS Gaming Commission on raffles as well as local laws/guidelines.  Make sure you are compliant.

Mary Giardini

• "Our Library Can Read Between the Wines"
  
• Got the idea from Cuba, NY. 
• Olean Friends only had been doing author receptions.
• Did both a wine tasting and a beer tasting, six months apart.
• The wine tasting was 7:00-9:00 p.m. on a Friday night in the library. Having it in the library allowed them to show of recent library reservations.
  
• Tickets were $20/each or $35 for two, purchased in advanced.
  
• Had wine tasting and an educational talk from a sommelier. Sommelier did two talks in the gallery room.
• Also had a basket raffle. (25 baskets)
  
• Had light appetizers (donated by the friends) and non-alcoholic options.
• Did constant communications with her committee members.
• Contacted all of the wineries within 1-2 hours drive by letter and received zero responses. A friend - former bartender - drove to wineries and asked in person, and he was able to get wine donations.
• Created pouring stations using tables already in the library. Decorated the tables with existing materials and with rented materials. Rented wine glasses.
• Had about 100 guests.
• At the end, gave thanks, made announcements, and ensured people were able to get home (e.g., Uber, Lyft).
• For this event, needed approval from the Board of Trustees and the library's insurer.
• Workers need TIP training, which is good for three years. ($40 per person)
• They hired a professional security guard.
• Had to get a liquor license.
• Considered different music options.
• Used social media and other options for advertising.
• Their first event brought in over $3000 in total.  It also brought people into the library, who had not done so in a long time.
• They learned from their events and made changes over time.
  

Emily Cullings

• They decided to do a calendar fundraiser, which was an idea they got from other library.
• Wanted to do a 2021 calendar, but produce it in summer 2020 so it could be sold to tourists.
• They reached out to photographers on Facebook and received a good response.
• However...then the pandemic happened. They decided to highlight local businesses and first responders in the photos.
• They went to every store and restaurant. A business photo could be in the calendar for $25. (This covered their cost.)
  
• They also asked that businesses wanted to buy calendars to sell in their businesses, but that didn't work.
• The businesses that said "yes" were indeed very local businesses. The friends made better connections with these businesses.
• The calendar also had a page about the library and a page about the friends group. 
• There were also a couple pages dedicated to highlighting local first responders. This helped them build relationships with them.
• There was a page decided to the local schools.
• They stapled their membership form in the middle of the calendar. It did yield a few new members.
  
• The created the calendar online and used an online printing service, which was cost effective. Someone in the friends, who was tech savvy, was able to help with the production.
• They bought 500 calendars. Sold about 200 at $10/piece.
• For 2021-2022 they are doing different photography (more scenic). Business donors gave $100 each to sponsor a page, as well as sponsors on the back page.  These sponsors covered the cost of production.
• 16 month calendar.
• Giving partial proceeds to the photographer, which had previously been in a life altering accident.
• Calendars will be sold in a variety of different ways, including at local grocery stores.
  
• $12/each.
• Calendars are a lot of work, but she says the work is worth it, because they built new connections in their community as well as raising funds.
  

Questions

How do you define a successful funding raising program? 

• How much money raised
• Visibility of the library and friends increased
• New friends members - active members
• Get new people on their mailing list
• Making community connections
  

Advice to other friends groups?

• Get out there so the friends group is not a secret anymore.
• Allow the friends to brainstorm ideas without immediately dismissing ideas.
• Get all of the friends involved in the ideas.
• Don't expect that the event will go as envisioned. Be adaptable. 
• Don't try to control everything. 
• Leave your ego out of it. 
• Delegate and coordinate.
  
• Give people tasks within their range of abilities.