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Windsor
Public Library's Gift and Memorial Fund Honours and Remembers Loved Ones
(Originally from SIGNAL, Summer 1998)
By Virginia Allibon Kampe
Remembering a loved one with a gift to a favourite charity is an integral part of the fund development mix for most established not-for-profit organizations and their donors. However, as fund development is still in its infancy at many Canadian libraries, a memorial giving program is a relatively new and untried fundraising strategy.
The Windsor Public Library's Gift and Memorial Fund is one of the first of its kind for Ontario libraries as it offers the opportunity for donors to celebrate many of life's special occasions as well as remembering those they have lost. The campaign, which was launched in April, has raised over $1,300 to date and generated much interest from the community and the media.
When a favourite patron of all Windsor Public Library branches was accidentally killed, the Library used the Fund to honour his memory and received media attention and donations from the community at large. The donations were used to purchase children's picture books in his memory.
Campaign materials were widely distributed throughout the Windsor area, making it convenient for potential donors and supporters to contribute. More than 1,000 Gift and Memorial Fund booklets, each containing 20 gift forms, were mailed out to Windsor Public Library donors. Booklets are also available at all library branches as well as funeral homes throughout the community.
The Gift and Memorial Fund booklet is designed to ensure that the donor has tear-off gift forms readily available to mark special occasions throughout the year. This is an excellent way to honour or remember friends and family members on special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and marriages. Donors may choose to allocate their donation to the collections of the Windsor Public Library location of their choice. To acknowledge the gift, a bookplate commemorating the donor's loved one is placed in a new item being added to the collections.
Ensuring that library staff is well informed about the details of the campaign is key to its success. A manual comprised of anticipated questions and appropriate responses, news release, covering letter to donors and staff procedures was sent out to all staff a week prior to the launch. Campaign materials were also presented at a staff meeting. As a result, staff has been extremely responsive and supportive of this campaign.
The Windsor Public Library's Gift and Memorial Fund artwork and procedures are available to purchase. This makes it easy for your Library to start up and manage a Gift and Memorial Fund, ensuring ongoing support for many, many years to come. For more information, please call Virginia Allibon Kampe at 519-255-6770, extension 4456.