Posts by Kim Horton
Following-up On Your Grant Proposal
“Congratulations, you have been awarded a grant!” This is wonderful news and well worth celebrating, but don’t forget to: Call and say “thank you.” This should be done by your fundraising volunteer who assisted with the process, or by you or your organization chair or president—preferably on the same day you receive notification. Write a…
Read MoreWebinar Series: The Importance of Planning
This free webinar series “The Importance of Planning” shows you just how important it is for Libraries and support organizations to prepare for their future. The series includes Library Strategies’ unique and innovative Rapid Results Planning® strategic planning process. The three-part series is produced by Library Strategies and hosted by consultants Sue Hall and Stu…
Read More9 Ways to Make Your Grant Proposal Stand Out
Grant proposals can stand out for any number of reasons. In some cases, it’s because they’re missing two attachments, or they’re trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Or sometimes, they’ve buried the mission statement somewhere in a blizzard of text. Below, we’ve included tips to stand out—for all the right reasons.…
Read MoreCaring for Your Major Donors
First, who are your major donors? You’ll have to analyze your donor base and identify those individuals – not foundations – who have given your most significant gifts. There is likely a small group that rises to the top as your major donors, whether that is gifts of $5,000 or $50,000. This group of your…
Read MoreA Guide to Corporate Sponsorship
Corporate sponsorship opportunities and benefits differ greatly depending on the size and cost of the event, but there should be an incentive for any business to sponsor your event at some level. If you are fortunate enough to have a corporate sponsor who is willing to underwrite the entire cost of the event, you can…
Read More7 Unconventional Library Fundraisers That Worked (And May Work for You)
While there is no good substitute for fundraising fundamentals – such as a strong end-of-year annual appeal – a little outside-the-box thinking can do a lot to stoke donations and pad your library’s budget. We want to share with you seven of our favorite ideas for unconventional fundraising. All have turned a profit and offer…
Read MoreThe Law of 80/20 and Capital Campaigns
The Pareto Principle, or the law of 80/20, seems to apply to many things in our lives – from Pareto’s original observation of wealth distribution to a wide range of phenomenon revealing that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. This principle certainly applies to capital campaigns. In other words, you can expect to…
Read More6 Components of a Grant Proposal
Most grant proposals can be broken down into the following sections: 1) Organization information. This can be up to one page in which you brag about your organization. Everyone has an idea of what a library is and does, but you cannot assume people know what happens in a library today. It is insufficient to…
Read More10 Tips to Plan for an Uncertain Future
The one thing that is certain in our future is change. Unfortunately, we can’t predict the future, but here are 10 ways that your library or organization can more effectively deal with the change and uncertainty it faces: Create a Culture of Continual Improvement – Deal with future change by having your library always look…
Read MoreMarketing vs. Public Relations
Many people use the terms marketing and public relations interchangeably, assuming they mean the same thing. They do not, although they do have some important aspects in common. Both build a strong foundation for good feelings about your library, and both help attract supporters to your library. Both have the potential to change the way…
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