FUNDRAISING

Fundraising Subcommittee Meeting 

Minutes, Sept. 18, 2012

Camden County Library

Voorhees Regional Library

Present: Karen Klapperstuck, Eileen Palmer, Pat Tumulty, James Keehbler, Brett Bonfield, Christine King, Kathy Schalk-Greene, Leslie Burger, Joan Bernstein

After welcome and introductions,functions of the subcommittee as outlined in the NJLA "Code for Committees" were described. Our presidential charge was explained: annual appeal, Pearson Plan (see below), and working with Conference Committee to grow annual conference sponorships.

Budget matters and current funding were discussed: majority of income depends upon annual conference and membership. With the budget being so tight this year, current fundraising is needed for operating expenses.

Ways to boost conference were dicussed, including combining with another library-related organization's conference, such as NJASIL; many of our programs are general enough to appeal to school or special librarians. Maybe another once-a-year event, such as a mid-winter meeting,could be considered.

First parts of 2011 NJLA Fundraising Plan (Pearson Plan) were reviewed; most pressing item to date: Annual Appeal

Solicitation letters to be mailed out mid-October to current members, lapsed members (going back two years),board members, Friends, trustees, NJASIL, NJLA Facebook followers.

Leslie suggested soliciting challenge grant donations from one or two donors to be used as matches in our annual appeal. Karen and Leslie will approach two likely donors, Sharon Karmazin and Betty Turock. 

Princeton Library is raffling off an Vespa. This idea has possibilities for similar raffle at a future conference. Keith  McCoy, Finance Chair, plans to do another chocolate raffle at the 2013 conference.

Brett and Karen will draft new appeal letter; second letter, based on that, will be directed at those who donated in 2011. 

Donors' names will be posted on Web site; anonymous donors will

be listed individually to indicate the number of people who have donated.

Kathy suggested having the letters personalized, as was done by Membership when she was chair. Board members and Fundraising members can help with this. Committee chairs will be invited to join us. Letters will be personalized at the October 16 Board meeting at Mount Laurel Library.

We'll be contacting the Conference Committee to discuss solicitations of sponsorships for 2012 conference.

A fund-raising proposal from Keith McCoy was presented: a pictorial history of New Jersey libraries. Members present agreed it was a worthwhile project but felt it a better fit for the History and Preservation Section.

James described new (free) software, CiviCRM, which NJLA will begin using. "CiviCRM is a web-based, open source, Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) software geared toward meeting the needs of non-profit and other civic-sector organizations". It will be particularly helpful for creating Membership and Fundraising databases.