Posts by Kim Horton
9 Friends Group Best Practices
Library Friends groups have been around for over 100 years. There are great Friends groups that provide terrific support for their libraries – from volunteers who help with library events to funding for programs and activities to advocating for public support. But there are also Friends groups who are struggling to find their purpose and…
Read MoreBoard Roles and Responsibilities
Library’s operate under many structures and with many boards, including governing library boards, Friends and foundation boards, advisory library boards, and municipal boards or councils. In order to maximize your library’s performance, it is essential that all of your boards have a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and limitations, too. For most libraries, the…
Read MoreUsing Data to Tell Your Story
If your library is using or investigating Orangeboy, Analytics on Demand, or one of the other data mining services entering the industry, you know that data-based decisions are here to stay. If it was ever true, funders, whether they be individuals, foundations or politicians, will no longer give their funds without expecting concrete examples of…
Read More10 Great Ways to Thank and Nurture Your Donors
With year-end fundraising wrapped up, it’s time to thank your donors for supporting your library, Friends, and foundation. Although December may be your busiest fundraising month, these ten tips for recognizing your donors should be followed throughout the year. Properly thanking and honoring donors is a crucial step in fundraising. It helps strengthen relationships with…
Read MoreSecrets to Board Recruitment
What’s the key to being able to recruit the best possible Board of Directors? More than likely, it comes down to two factors: 1) an excellent nominating committee, and 2) a new Board member orientation process. The nominating committee should be considered the most important committee of any nonprofit organization. This is the committee on…
Read More7 Habits of Highly Effective Campaign Chairs
No matter how compelling your mission or case statement, the success or failure of a capital campaign largely rests with the effectiveness of your campaign leadership. A campaign chair or chairs, with a small Steering Committee, will become your champions in the community, communicating your vision and encouraging major donors to join in as partners…
Read MorePlanning: The Key to Capacity Building
Often we talk about building capacity, but what exactly does that mean? At Library Strategies, we look at capacity building as creating skills, tools, resources, and structures that allow your library, Friends, or foundation to do more and provide better service. Under this definition, areas such as fundraising and development, PR and marketing, and board…
Read More15 Tips for Writing a Great RFP
Naturally, we see a lot of RFPs (Request for Proposals) come through our doors each week. Unfortunately, most RFP’s are anything but straightforward and are often complicated by over direction or unnecessary information. We decided to compile a few tips to write a great RFP that will better help your organization fulfil its needs while…
Read MoreLimit Your Board Not Your Org
Determining Board term limits for your fundraising organization can be tough, and you may find yourself asking questions to which you do not have the answer. How long should term limits be for your Board? Are you forcing good Board members out of your organization? What’s the benefit of Board turnover? These questions certainly are…
Read MoreAre You Ready to Fundraise for a Capital Campaign?
Fortunately, many libraries today are looking at constructing new buildings or undergoing significant renovations. In many cases, the new or renovated buildings are funded by public dollars. However, some libraries face the prospect of needing to raise significant private dollars for a capital campaign. Even before a feasibility study is conducted to assess the potential…
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