London Public Library's Lasting Treasure Appeal
(Originally from SIGNAL, Spring 1999)

By Rob Lavery, SOLS Resource Development Consultant

Many who attended the fundraising session at OLA's Superconference in January 1999 will recall the presentation by Carmen Sprovieri, Director, Community Relations and Development at London Public Library (LPL). LPL has done a terrific job of establishing an annual giving campaign, and has just finished tabulating the results of their third appeal. For the benefit of those who missed the presentation, and to reiterate for those who did attend, here are the high points of their success.

The Lasting Treasure Appeal was established shortly after a very successful capital campaign to build the Masonville branch. LPL used a consultant on the capital campaign who pointed out to the volunteer committee and staff just how much more difficult accomplishing a major project is when there is no donor base of support from which to draw. If there had been an established annual giving program at LPL, the capital campaign planning activities such as donor research on feasibility, would have been much easier. They would not have been starting a major fundraising campaign in a vacuum.

Once the capital campaign was successfully completed, the consultant suggested using all the donor research work to establish an annual giving campaign. The library was facing a cash crunch, and the staff was asked to prepare a report to the board on solutions to this dilemma. Included in this briefing to the board was a legal opinion from the library's lawyer on the use of the membership database to begin a direct mail program. The opinion stated that as long as the mailing was for library business, the library could use that information.

The board agreed that the staff move forward with an initial mailing to the membership to launch the Lasting Treasures campaign. The mailing went to 28,000 households, and received a 3% return rate - a very good response to an initial mail out. The library now has an active donor base of about 1,300 who get one annual mail solicitation, with a thank you and tax receipt follow up.

There are four goals for the Lasting Treasures Appeal program. They are:

1. to provide London Public Library with a base of supporters;
2. to yield financial support on an annual basis;
3. to function as a cultivation tool for major gifts; and
4. to create a foundation on which to expand the development program.

The past two years, the campaign has concentrated on acquiring new donors. The library was very successful in this area by adding 783, or 56.2% new donors to their donor program in 1998.

The dollar goal of the 1998 campaign was to raise $50,000, which represents an 11% increase over the gross fundraising revenue of $45,000 in 1997. At the close of the campaign on January 31, 1999, the library raised $75,442 - or 150.9% of their goal!

The campaign focused on three methods of solicitation:

1. direct mail - previous donors, frequent users, and former staff and retirees
2. brochure distribution at all library locations
3. donation forms in the library newsletter, and a few community publications

The donation brochure used in the campaign lists four areas to designate the gift - highest priority need, community programs, enhanced collections, and information technology. As well donors are given the opportunity to specify a branch location or another fund to benefit from their donation. Over 60% of the donations were designated to highest priority need, giving LPL the flexibility to use those dollars where they are needed most.

London Public Library is very happy (as you can imagine) with the fundraising program they have established. They have plans for future directions for the program.

These include:

• increasing the public profile of LPL;
• developing strong leadership to raise awareness;
• creating an appropriate staff structure to support a more proactive fund development program;
• enhancing the Lasting Treasures annual appeal;
• creating a donor recognition program;
• establishing a LPL endowment fund;
• expanding the fundraising role of the Friends;
• establishing a sponsorship task force; and
• determining the volunteer role in new fundraising activities.

Some other details of the fundraising campaign you might find interesting are:

• the membership list of the library is kept on a GEAC database, though the donor database is tracked on a fundraising specific program called RaisersEdge;
• the library uses a mailhouse to manage the execution of the mailing;
• the Friends group at the library does their own roster of special events, such as book sales and Nevada tickets, allowing the library staff to concentrate on the mail program;
• the library continues to benefit from the advice of a fundraising consultant, who has taken such an interest in the library that she donates her time; and
• the London Public Library has joined its local Leaving a Legacy program, which promotes the library as one of a number of charitable organizations to the professional community in London which deals with people planning their estates.

Establishing an annual giving program can benefit your library in a number of different ways, including;

• having the flexibility of use of your donated funds;
• creating tangible proof of community support through financial support;
• establishing a base for larger scale, more sophisticated funding programs;
• drawing in volunteers with special expertise;
• creating links to different areas of the community;
• drawing in community partners;
• creating interest with corporate partners by your success;
• clarifying your value to community;
• establishing a barometer of "how you're doing" with the public;
• re-evaluating of goals and purpose;
• establishing benchmarks for goal setting; and,
• forcing the need for planning, setting budgets, strategic planning, looking long-term.