Welcome!

This is an information and resource portal designed to help library fundraisers. Whether you are a member of the library’s fundraising committee, the Library Friends Group or a Library Foundation, I hope that you will find this useful. Here you will find links to vetted resources, best practices and tools for successful fundraising. And most of all, I hope you find some inspiration for your fundraising journey.

The recommendations here have been informed by nearly 30 years of nonprofit experience working with executive and frontline staff to develop programs, write grants, secure sponsorships, cultivate individuals, organize events and much more. None of the work I do would be possible without teamwork, research and deep listening.

By no means is this a comprehensive list. As an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (Greater Hudson Valley Chapter), I know that this work is always evolving. It is important to keep pace with community needs, technology and the realities of the changing economic picture. From time to time, I will add updates and new resources, and I look forward to hearing from you. If there is something you are looking for and can’t find it here, let me know.

I encourage you to take some deep dives and attend the many webinars, networking events, and professional educational opportunities available through professional organizations in Westchester, take advantage of NPW educational workshops (all WLS member libraries are members of NPW), AFP Greater Hudson Valley, Westchester Association of Development Officers and others. There are also from time-to-time workshops and webinars offered through state-wide Library networks, including METRO (WLS member libraries are members!), including our neighboring library systems. And take a look at national organizations like Candid, and even fundraising vendors like Bloomerang, Bonserra, or Donor Perfect, many of them offer free blogs templates and resources that can help you navigate your fundraising journey.

And please, if you have a success story, or a good resource to share, I invite you to share it here! Send it to me at [email protected] with SHARE in the subject line. Let’s keep learning!