Paying for Strategic Plan Ticket Items

In the past two years, Library Strategies has seen a huge increase in clients who come to us with a request to help them create a development plan for their Foundation or Friends group. This seems to be a direct outcome of libraries conducting great strategic planning processes and then saying, “Now we have to find a way to pay for items in our plan that have a price tag!”

Development planning isn’t new – especially for library support organizations that have been around for a while – but it’s becoming much more critical for most libraries as they face increased funding challenges.

Library Strategies has developed a focused, effective development planning process that leaves a Friends group or a Foundation with a clear road map for raising private and public funds. Most development plans include advocacy goals (raising public dollars to support annual operations) – as well as goals and strategies for conducting activities that raise money from private sources (annual campaigns, planned giving, special events, corporate sponsorships, etc.).

Library Strategies recently conducted a Rapid Results Planning® process for the Bozeman Public Library in Montana and then facilitated development planning processes for both the Library’s Foundation and Friends organizations. The outcome was three organizations that are doing a terrific job of working together to provide great library services to the Bozeman community.

A development planning process is a quick, easy way to ensure the success of your library’s strategic plan. For more information, email Sue Hall, Library Strategies Director: [email protected]