The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC, is truly a gathering place in the middle of a bustling city. Each day it draws hundreds of readers and community members who come to work, read, research, and escape the noise of the nation’s capital.
A few weeks ago, the library served as host to the 200 public library fundraising professionals who gathered for the International Public Library Fundraising Conference (IPLFC). Attendees explored common areas of interest, networked, and learned from other fundraising experts. We were part of that group attending. NoveList also served as the presenting sponsor for the conference, which was filled with sessions on topics like digital fundraising, partnership, and storytelling.
The attendees of IPLFC 2024 gathered for a group photo.
These organizations face challenges raising money for libraries, whether it’s competition for the emotional heartstrings of donors or running successful annual or targeted campaigns. Funding for public libraries comes from a wide array of sources, depending on the library’s size, programs, and location. But all libraries need money to operate. We learned a great deal about the many ways library friends' groups, foundations, and development directors are doing that work, and present our top takeaways from the conference below.
Top takeaways from #IPLFC24
Strategic alignment between fundraising and the library is key.
Many libraries have strategic plans, but those plans don’t always line up with fundraising efforts in terms of objectives, goals, and success measures. Libraries sometimes don’t think to share their strategic plans with their foundation or friends' groups. But when both the library and their fundraising partners define clear goals and strategies for working together, they see higher rates of success in terms of dollars raised.
Foundations and library directors are eager to tell their library’s story.
Libraries and organizations that raise funds for them know that it takes more than statistics to move donors to action. They want to move beyond transactional campaigns and instead build long-term relationships with donors that will sustain the library over time.
There was a lot of talk about storytelling and its role in building connections with a fundraising audience. We were fortunate to lead a session on storytelling techniques with tips and strategies. Attendees had the chance to write their first library story and came away with tips to show donors how their money will impact their communities.
Momentum is growing.
This was the largest IPLFC conference yet, and each year more library directors attend. There were more sessions available this year as more people submitted proposals, eager to share their successes and challenges, increasing chances for collaboration and connections.
And the momentum is not limited to the conference. This year’s Library Giving Day resulted in a nearly 23 percent increase in the amount of money raised compared to 2023. More than 12,000 donors gave an average gift of $153. That’s proof that people want to support the library!
LibraryAware customers have access to time-saving promotional templates for Library Giving Day. Find flyers, posters, eblasts, social media graphics, and more, all in service of helping this growing annual fundraising day. Type library giving into the search field in LibraryAware to see all the choices. And here is more advice on how to advocate for your library.
Lauren Campbell is a NoveList Librarian and Consultant. She is currently reading How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang.
Angela Hursh is Manager of Library Engagement, Marketing, and Professional Development for NoveList. She is currently reading Democracy or Else: How to Save America in 10 Easy Steps by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor.
