PVLD Director's Blog

More reasons I love this job

While I love my job, some days and weeks seem to be more of a struggle than others andthe past couple of weeks fit that category.  Little issues to be resolved, too many meetings, not enough time in the sunshine, and the lingering effects of being sick over the holidays have been sapping my energy. 

Even during this low-period, though, things happen that remind me that this is a great job in a great community -

1.  Last week we opened an envelope that was probably dropped off at the library over the holidays but didn't get opened due to staff vacations and illnesses.  Inside was $50 in cash and a letter, written in pencil on looseleaf notebook paper, that read

"Dear Librarians,

I would like to donate my birthday money, $50, to this library.  I enjoy coming here to rent books and use the study areas.  This library is a very important and helpful place to me.  Thank you and I hope you have a great holiday.

Sincerely,

[Name withheld to protect privacy]
5th grader of Montemalaga

Now if that doesn't lift your mood I don't know what will!

2.  Yesterday a local family came to the Annex with their arms loaded with boxes which turned out to be the hot video game "Rock Band" which they were giving to the Annex.  Within 1/2 hour the kids had the drums, guitars, and microphone set up and it has been in constant use ever since. 

3.  Over the year-end period there has been a steady stream of donations to both the Friends of the Library and PVLD.

All of this is evidence that the library is making a difference in our community, and people appreciate what we do...and that's what makes the tough days and weeks worthwhile!

Tough Times Ahead

I just got back from a meeting of the California Library Association Legislative Committee in Sacramento, and the news on the budget front is not good.  The State budget is facing a nearly $10 Billion shortfall, and department heads have been asked to develop plans to cut their budgets by 10% next year.

We've been making a real push to have funding for the Public Library Fund (which provides a small amount of per capital funding to every public library in the state) and Transaction-Based reimbursement (which partially reimburses libraries for the costs of serving non-residents) restored. Neither program has ever been fully funded, and in this years budget both were cut severely.

Our efforts have included trying to mobilize the library community, but the results have been disappointing.  Only a handful of people have taken the time to make phone calls or  write letters.

In the face of the huge budget deficit and with the challenge of getting people in the field engaged in the advocacy effort it is going to be a real struggle just to maintain this year's funding levels, and achieving a funding increase next year seems nearly impossible. 

A discouraging day, all told....

Donors and Library Customers

PVLD, or more accurately the Peninsula Friends of the Library, is on the cusp of launching its biggest fundraising campaign ever in support of major facilities improvements at our Malaga Cove and Miraleste branches, as well as to raise an endowment that will provide a stable source of future supplemental funding. This is unknown territory for just about everyone involved. The Friends have been highly successful with their book sales, library shop, and other "grassroots" efforts, but it has been 20 years since they have conducted a major capital campaign (for the library district's first automated system) and raising and managing an endowment is brand new.

Since I personally have virtually no fundraising experience I have been trying to learn as much as I can as fast as I can by talking to people who have done it before, and by reading everything that I can lay my hands on that seems relevant. One of the blogs that I have found very useful is Donor Power, found at www.donorpowerblog.com

Today Donor Power had a link to a fascinating report by the United Kingdom fundraising think tank nfpSynergy (www.nfpsynergy.net )on "The 21^st Century Donor". The report is lengthy – the executive summary alone is 20 pages long – and I haven't yet digested it all, but I was struck by the first page, which summarizes what the 21^st century non-profit will need to do to raise money from the 21^st century donor. The list of action items follows. Read it, and then substitute the word "library" for "charity" and the word "library userr" for "donor". Guess we're not allowing in grappling with changing expectations and changing perceptions of value!

To raise money from the 21st Century donor effectively

the successful 21st Century Charity will need to…

1. Become as distinct, competitive and appealing as the best commercial brands. Charities compete with an individual's personal and leisure spending as much as with other charities.

2. Demonstrate and communicate value-for-money and impact, so that donors can see how their contribution makes a difference to clients and beneficiaries.

3. Engage donors by motivation and giving 'products', as much as on the basis of demography and wealth. Donors like and respond to opportunities to give where the price, the rewards, the package and the relationship are all clearly set out.

4. Offer a wider choice of giving products which match donors' motivation. For example, some donors want giving centred around social interaction such as challenge events and others around the impact of their donation.

5. Blur the boundaries between giving and living – create more active and rewarding lifestyle events, from fun runs to peak challenges, from dinner parties to midnight walks. The best social fundraising makes it unclear whether people are primarily fundraising or primarily having a great time.

6. Make donors stakeholders, with a real say in how they give and how their money gets spent. While this does not mean that donors have the final say in how the money gets spent (unless they are government!) it does mean that their views are really important. Therefore dialogue between donors and service deliverers becomes more important.

7. Stress what a donor can expect out of the giving experience: this might be about the emotional return of giving, the recognition process or the involvement. The more money people give, the more they want to be involved.

8. Appeal intensely to specific, defined target audiences. A lukewarm appeal to the general public is worth far less than a burning passion amongst a key demographic or attitudinal group.

9. Woo more big givers, corporate and individual, via the offer of recognition and the opportunity to change both their own lives and the lives of beneficiaries.

10. Integrate the experience of giving time, money or activism so as to retain loyal supporters able to give different things at different life stages, from nursery to nursing home. Giving and volunteering are better seen as one activity which focuses on giving time or money, depending on life-stage, circumstances and wealth.