Posts by Kim Horton
WEBINAR: Merging a Friends and Foundation
United for Libraries Webinar: Merging a Friends and Foundation Tuesday, October 4 at 2:00 pm Eastern $75 ($50 for United for Libraries members) Click Here to Register In the library world today, there is a huge need for support organizations – Friends & foundations – but often the lines between these two groups are blurred…
Read MoreDonor Stewardship: Managing Your Donor Assets
What does stewardship really mean, anyway? Webster’s defines stewardship as “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” While most of us recognize that this refers to the responsible management of an organization’s financial assets, for nonprofits it also means the careful and purposeful management of donor relationships. These relationships have significant…
Read MoreCapital Campaigns Don’t Just Happen: Planning for Success
We’ve been fundraising for many years. While some things have changed on the margins, fundraising remains simply this: people give to people. In other words, major donors give to campaigns because someone (preferably a peer) asked them to do so. In a face-to-face meeting. With a very specific request for a gift. These very thoughtfully…
Read MorePeter Pearson to Retire, Spend More Time with Library Strategies
After 25 years with The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, Peter Pearson is set to retire at the end of 2016. During his tenure as the President of The Friends, Pearson has grown the organization from a staff of two with an annual budget of $200,000 and a seven-member Board, to the entrepreneurial organization it is today:…
Read MoreHow to Sabotage Your Capital Campaign
Conducting a successful capital campaign requires careful planning, consistent execution, and strong leadership. If you are anticipating a capital campaign for the first time, there is much to consider. We’ve compiled a list of actions that will surely sabotage any capital campaign. Avoid these mistakes and you will significantly improve your potential to achieve your…
Read MorePlanning Can Be Deadly: Keep It Light and Quick
Strategic planning is a fundamental tool to moving your library or support organization forward. This is truer than ever, as libraries face so many community and technology changes and choices. But let’s face it, most people dread strategic planning. If you haven’t done strategic planning before, you are likely to have heard unfavorable stories about…
Read MoreTaking the Fear Out of Fundraising Events
Fundraising events can be daunting at their worst, or they can be an extremely successful vehicle for raising significant unrestricted dollars for your library—and much more. If you are implementing a comprehensive development plan, think of a special event as the icing on your fundraising cake! What Can a Fundraising Event Do for Your Library?…
Read MoreTributes and Memorials
When someone donates to your library or its fundraising organization, they get a great feeling of satisfaction in return. That great feeling goes a long way toward motivating people to donate to any nonprofit organization. What can give a donor an even better feeling? Making a donation that honors someone while it supports your library.…
Read More8 Fundamental Principles for Your Board
Most public libraries today are connected to multiple boards, including library, foundation, and Friends boards, as well as city councils, county commissions or something comparable. In general, these boards are good at following legal requirements, but more often run into difficulties around ethics or practices that are critical to an effective board. Here are eight…
Read More14 Important Tips for a Successful Annual Appeal
Of all the kinds of support activities your library or its fundraising organization can undertake, one provides the underpinning for all the rest. That is the annual appeal (or annual fund). It’s been called “the cornerstone of fundraising” because it connects to all of the rest of the library fundraising that you do. An annual…
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