Friends of the Morgan Hill Library (Morgan Hill, CA)
From left to right: Sarah Flowers, Deputy County Librarian, Santa Clara County Library; Carol O'Hare, Treasurer, Friends of the Morgan Hill Library; and Rosanne Macek, Community Librarian, Morgan Hill Library
The Friends of the Morgan Hill Library planned and implemented a one-time fundraising campaign, dubbed the Beyond Books Campaign, ahead of the construction of a new facility for the Morgan Hill Library which opened in July, 2007. The campaign raised funds for the purchase of art and furnishing beyond what was provided by the city budget for the new library building.
The Beyond Books Campaign was planned and implemented entirely by volunteers and was headed by the president of the Friends. A 15-member steering committee began meeting in January, 2006, to plan the fundraising effort. The campaign, which raised $180,000, concluded on July 21, 2007, with the grand opening of the new library. The campaign committee represented a wide range of community members, including political leaders (the major and a school board member), an artist, members of the local media, library staff, and other library supporters. The committee brainstormed fundraising ideas that would reach all segments of the community, researched artists and library furnishing needs, created a campaign logo, and networked with other community groups to garner wide support for the campaign.
Two large events were planned in conjunction with the campaign: An Afternoon in Tuscany and Silicon Valley Puzzle Day. Afternoon in Tuscany, an author reception hosted at a supporter’s home, was the designated kick-off event for the campaign and raised $11,000. Attendees enjoyed refreshments donated by local restaurants, wine from a Morgan Hill winery, a silent auction of books, art, trips, gift certificates and gift baskets, and a chance to meet and hear from 13 authors and buy their books. The event was attended by more than 100 people.
The Silicon Valley Puzzle Day featured sudoku and crossword puzzle competitions held at a local public high school. It was the only ticketed event of its kind on the West Coast. In addition to the tournaments, the event featured puzzle-themed workshops and non-competitive puzzle fun for all ages, including a giant community crossword puzzle and a marketplace. The Friends partnered with the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM), which is building a new headquarters and conference center in Morgan Hill, and other community groups as well. Puzzle Day was so well receive the Friends have turned it into an annual event!
The Friends also coordinated a direct solicitation of donations via mail, email, personal contact, and grant applications. Donors at various levels were offered premiums that ranged from listing in the grand opening program to a campaign-themed tote bag, from inclusion on a donor wall in the new library to naming rights for a part of the new library.
Extensive volunteer participation was required to establish donor levels, contact potential donors, and prepare solicitation materials. Potential major donors were visited by the major and president of the Friends and were shown a slideshow presentation to solicit contributions of $5,000 to $10,000. The campaign raised more than $180,000, a sizeable sum for a community of approximately 38,000 residents. In addition, the Friends donated $50,000 from the prior year’s book sales to the campaign.