Library Friends
and Foundations:
Time for a Merged Model?
By Peter D. Pearson, with
Stewart J. Wilson
The Situation
In recent decades, the library world
has been in flux. Whether it has been
the ups and downs of the economy, or the tremendous changes brought by
computers and technology, today’s public libraries are very different than
those of only twenty or thirty years ago.
A major, but perhaps less
well-known, area of change for libraries is the growth of private support
organizations. As public dollars have
diminished, many library Friends organizations have emerged to provide more support
for libraries, and in many larger cities, library foundations have now been
created specifically to increase private funding for public libraries. Yet, for many libraries, the roles and
functions of these private support groups remain unclear, ill-defined, or even
at odds with each other. In some
library systems there are both a Friends group and a foundation. In these cases, the organizational roles are
even more blurred, often resulting in a lack of effectiveness, duplication of
effort, mismatched missions and messages, or even conflict.
Is there a better way? Can Friends groups and foundations
contribute more to their libraries and function more effectively? These are difficult questions to
answer. However, this paper examines an
alternative Friends/foundation model, based on more than twelve years of
practical experience at The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library (FSPPL). One of the oldest Friends groups in
Minnesota, FSPPL underwent a significant change in the early 1990s when it
shifted from an all volunteer organization to a staffed institution. Today, FSPPL looks neither like a
traditional Friends group, nor is it solely a foundation. Yet, the results are very successful – raising
millions of dollars, advocating strongly for increased public funding, and
winning national awards for cultural programming, public relations and outreach
activities – all in support of the Saint Paul Public Library.
This examination of a Friends/foundation
merged model will be of most interest to public libraries currently looking at
one of three scenarios:
§
Merging a currently existing Friends group
and foundation into a single organization,
§
Creating a library foundation where a
Friends group already exists, or
§
Expanding an existing Friends group to
include major fundraising activities, such as planned giving, donor
development, or capital campaigns.
This
brief look at the merged model will explore the following topics:
§
The history and traditional roles of Friends
groups and library foundations
§
A description of the merged Friends/foundation
model
§
The advantages of a merged model
§
Local factors to be considered in creating a
merged organization
§
Cautionary notes and lessons learned
§
Steps toward the merged model
The History and Traditional Roles
of Friends Versus Foundations
Library Friends organizations have a
long, successful history, dating back at least 100 years. Library Friends were originally organized as
non-profit organizations to provide grassroots support, and this is one of
their main functions today. Sometimes the impetus for creation of a Friends
group originated in the surrounding community, and sometimes it came from the
library itself. Leaders and members of Friends
groups are usually very attached to the public library and often continue to serve
as the library’s main corps of volunteers.
The majority of Friends organizations are volunteer groups, without paid
staff. In addition to volunteers, Friends
groups historically have been successful at a number of other activities,
including book sales, other small-scale fundraising efforts, author programs,
and membership campaigns. In most
systems, the library director, public relations officer, or other higher level
librarian serves as a liaison to the Friends organization. Typically, Friends organizations have not
been asked to conduct large fundraising efforts, such as capital campaigns or
major planned giving campaigns.
In contrast, most library
foundations have come into existence only in the last 15 to 20 years. Usually organized by the library or library
board, these institutions were created with the express purpose of engaging in
large, private fundraising efforts to provide enhancements, create endowments
or conduct capital campaigns for the library.
Directors of foundation boards are recruited specifically to support
fundraising activities, and thus usually reflect local business, corporate or
philanthropic interests rather than the community as a whole. Some library foundations are independent,
private, non-profit organizations, with the library director serving ex-officio on the board of
directors. Others are library
departments with the lead staff person reporting to the library director. In either case, library foundations typically
are staffed by fundraising professionals.
In focusing on higher end donors, most foundations are not membership
organizations. Led by local “movers and
shakers,” library foundations sometimes suffer from being detached from the
broader community, the average library patron and library volunteers.
The Saint Paul Model of a
Merged Friends/Foundation
Library Friends and foundations are
traditionally quite distinct. They both
exist to support the library, but do so in very different ways, with very
different missions and constituencies.
What then, would a merger of these two distinct types of organizations
look like?
The answer to the above question may
vary slightly depending on the local community, but based on Saint Paul’s
experience, an organization combining the functions and missions of traditional
library Friends and foundations would do the following:
1.
Organize
itself as an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, with a paid staff,
overseen by a community-based board of directors.
2.
Conduct
major
fundraising efforts,
including annual solicitation of major individual donors, corporate and
foundation grantwriting for special library projects, planned giving, and
capital campaigns.
3.
Have a
membership
program to enable a
larger cross-section of the community to participate in supporting the library.
4.
Coordinate
author
readings or other special cultural events,
both for donor/members, but also potentially for the broader community.
5.
Continue
to conduct or support library book sales or volunteer programs, depending on previous local
success with these activities.
6.
Build
an advocacy
program, to broaden the
scope of activity for sustaining or increasing public support of the library.
Why Change?
The Advantages of the Merged Model
Friends organizations and
foundations have long-standing traditions and missions. Why should any library consider a new
model? Clearly one will need to look at
the particular library, support organization(s) and community to consider
whether a merged model is right. In the
following sections, some of the local factors to consider and some possible
downsides to the merged model will be addressed. However, our experience at FSPPL indicates that the merged model
presents numerous advantages over the separate Friends and foundation patterns
of organization.
The
most significant advantages of the merged model are:
§
Eliminates confusion
of having two separate
support organizations.
§
Maximizes private financial support across the whole community.
§
Improves accountability to the library due to professional
staffing of key organizational positions.
§
Streamlines communication
between the support
organization, library administration and library board.
§
Decreases competition for strong, active board members.
§
Lessens the need for library staff
involvement, but
increases the effectiveness, focus and professionalism of staff interactions.
§
Broadens the range of community participants – individuals, donors, media,
politicians, businesses, etc. – available to support the library.
§
Increases the flexibility and responsiveness
of the support organization. An organization
with a multi-faceted mission can shift more quickly and effectively to address
the library’s most pressing needs.
§
Enhances visibility and
credibility in the
community.
§
Expands potential advocacy efforts, which are often
problematic for both Friends groups and foundations due to their more focused
missions.
Local Factors to Consider
Is the merged model right for your
library? Here are some additional
points to consider as you examine the possibilities of the merged model for
your library:
The need for larger amounts of private
funding is forecast
Many Friends organizations are not well structured for major fundraising, due
to lack of staff, board members and experience. A capital campaign or other major push for outside funding may
lead you to explore the merged model, or create a foundation. But, if your future needs are small or
incremental, a new organization may in fact create added burdens.
Competition exists between the foundation
and Friends group
If you currently have two library support organizations, you should examine how
well they work together in support of the library. For instance, do both organizations regularly share member and
donor lists? Is one group less
effective than the other, tending to negatively affect the reputation of the
better functioning organization? Again,
if everything is working well there probably is no reason for a merger, but if
there is conflict or competition, it may be time to explore alternatives.
Public funding is eroding and strong
advocacy efforts
have not materialized
Friends groups often shy away from advocacy as being too political, while
foundations worry that large donors won’t contribute to an advocacy
organization. A new organization based
on a merged model may be able to tackle advocacy as a core mission area, and be
multi-faceted enough to alleviate concerns about involvement in the political
process. On the other hand, if public
funding is secure, an alternative structure may be unnecessary.
The reputation of the existing Friends group
Many Friends organizations are very well connected in the local community. If so, you need to assess the potential
“political” impact of trying to make the Friends organization assume new roles,
and whether or not a change will have negative fallout on the library. A new approach may be in order, however, if
your Friends group has little standing in your locale.
The Friends group is successful, and is open
to expanded roles
If you have a great Friends group, with a good board, a history of productive
activities, and an excellent relationship with the library, there may be no
need to consider a change. If the
current group is up to new challenges and innovative roles you incrementally may
be able to make needed changes. Conversely, if your Friends group is unhelpful
or unproductive, it may be time for a new structure.
The ready availability of productive board
members
Organizations are only as good as their leaders. Two separate organizations require twice as many leaders. If your region has a plethora of talented
leaders, having two groups may increase the number of active library
supporters. But in many areas, trying
to find good board members for just one organization is a struggle. If the latter is the case for you, you may
be well advised to stick with only one support group.
Cautionary Notes
Organizations are dynamic, fluid,
organic entities. As such, no
organization is ever perfect, and all too often, just when everything is
working well, new problems arise to challenge an organization. Thus, a merged Friends/foundation will
probably provide new, effective answers to current problems, but simultaneously,
it may create additional, unforeseen concerns.
Not all of the problems can be predicted, but based on Saint Paul’s
experience, there are a few areas of caution to watch out for in the move
toward a merged model.
First,
there is a much stronger need for library staff and the Friends/foundation
staff to check-in more regularly to ensure they are performing tasks aligned
with library needs and priorities. As
the merged organization grows, this may mean additional channels of communication
at various staff levels. It most
definitely means more time spent on communications and relationship
building. While Friends/foundation
staff must prioritize the library’s needs, increasingly library staff will also
need to be cognizant of the support organization’s efforts in order for both
sides of the equation to work.
Second,
the staff of the merged organization should be comfortable with a broader,
multi-pronged mission, and the nuances of dealing with the whole
community. Friends groups and
foundations tend to focus on narrower audiences. The merged model forces staff to be less specialized, more
adaptable, and more community oriented than might be true in either a
traditional Friends or foundation. In
short, a merged model creates subtly different staffing patterns than is true
for traditional support organizations.
Third,
a merged organization may be tempted to dabble in library policy. As a multi-faceted organization, a merged Friends/foundation
has a greater interdependence on the library and vice versa. This understandably, but often quite
problematically, leads the support organization into more directly trying to
influence library policies or decision-making.
Clearly understood organizational missions and boundaries are helpful in
avoiding this problem.
Fourth,
a merged organization may become very successful and even begin to upstage the
library in various arenas. Some members
of the community may begin to identify primarily with the Friends/foundation,
and conversely, the merged organization may develop stronger ties to certain
community circles than the library.
While not necessarily a problem, this can put the support organization
in the role of seeming to compete directly with the library. Again, communication and joint understanding
between the library and Friends/foundation will help avoid this potential
hazard.
These cautionary notes are raised,
not to discourage exploration of the merged model, but rather to realistically
portray the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of organizational
structure. As external pressures on
libraries continue to mount, it is best to be cautious about dramatic changes
in existing structures without thoroughly examining the pros and cons of a
prospective new direction. Whether or
not a new model is right for your library, I believe that dedication to a
strong focused mission, good leadership and staffing, and effective lines of
communication between the library and support organization are the keys to
overcoming most potential problems.
Getting from Here to There
A merger of the Friends group and foundation
may be on the horizon. Or, the current Friends
group is considering growing into an organization that takes on more
foundation-like tasks. What are the
steps to take to accomplish this changeover?
Obviously, the answer is different for every library, but the Saint Paul
model provides some idea of the steps ahead.
The beginning of the process will
involve extensive study, planning and discussions among your key leaders. In most cases, there will be some driving
need which is pushing the library or support organization(s) to new
models. In Saint Paul, FSPPL and the library
recognized that increased private funding was a necessity in the future. After a few years of examination, the FSPPL
board realized that increased private funding could only come through major
grant writing, donor solicitation and planned giving, and the decision was made
to hire full-time staff to focus on these areas. Simultaneously, the organization also expanded and focused its
mission to include three major areas: raising private funds to support and
enhance library services; advocating for strong public funding of the library;
and raising public awareness and use of the library.
Following these initial steps, FSPPL
launched a more full-fledged annual advocacy effort, with staff leading a very
active community committee including a number of former local politicians. Following initial fundraising and advocacy
successes, a second professional staff person joined the organization. This staff position focused on grant
writing, public relations and awareness programs, and began to more fully
develop cultural programming activities.
In Saint Paul, both the volunteer program and book sales have been
coordinated by library staff rather than FSPPL. This organization continued, although FSPPL began substantially
increasing financial support for the library’s program of volunteer
recognition.
The next phase of organizational
growth occurred about four years after the initial changeover, with the
creation of a capital campaign for the library system. At this juncture, both private fundraising
and advocacy became more important than ever, and an additional staff person
was added to further develop public relations and cultural programming
activities. Organizational growth
continued in all of the mission areas throughout the three years of the capital
campaign.
FSPPL grew from a very successful,
all volunteer organization to the “merged model” of today over the course of 12-13
years. Change was incremental and is
ongoing. Nonetheless, some of the
changes have been enormous. Some of the
most significant changes are illustrated with a simple chart:
|
Area |
1990 |
2003 |
|
Number
of Members |
300 |
1,000 |
|
Annual
Financial Assistance to the Library |
$205,000 |
$1.9 million |
|
Value
of Endowments |
$5 million |
$11million |
|
Number
of annual FSPPL cultural programs |
Approx. 10 |
Approx. 70-75 |
|
Number
of FSPPL staff |
1 - 0.5 FTE |
8 – 7.0 FTE |
|
Number
of FSPPL board members |
17 |
39 |
Additionally, in 1990, advocacy was
not a mission area of FSPPL, whereas in the last ten years (1992-2002), FSPPL’s
active advocacy program has increased or restored more than $10.9 million to
the library’s budget.
To be sure, many of the changes
above are due to growth over time, rather than an organizational change. Yet, there are many support functions that
FSPPL provides to the Saint Paul Public Library, such as advocacy and
conducting a successful $5 million capital campaign, which would not have been
possible under a traditional Friends structure and mission.
Conclusion
It is a large step to contemplate a
merger of a library Friends group and a foundation ─
or a significant change in the direction and function of a Friends group. It is a step worth much study and consideration. In contemplating such a change, involve all
of the significant decision-makers across the affected organizations. Consider asking for input from other
community members who have knowledge of the current situation. Looking at other library models from across
the country, particularly from library systems of a similar size, is always
useful and instructive. Revisiting the mission and purpose of the support
organization(s), and how you will staff the organization(s) are key questions
to answer in the early stages. Finally, as a change moves closer, calling on
the resources of a professional strategic planner may be worthwhile. A profound change of this nature necessitates
a longer term plan (3 to 5 years) to set realistic, achievable goals for both the
library and support organization.
In Saint Paul, the merged model,
combining the functions of a foundation and a more traditional Friends
organization, continues to work well.
In particular, this merged structure has allowed The Friends of the
Saint Paul Public Library to be unusually effective in advocacy, major
fundraising, innovative cultural programming and public awareness efforts for
the library. Friends groups and
foundations continue as well-grounded, effective organizational structures for
many libraries and communities. The
merged model simply provides an additional alternative to libraries seeking to
improve or maximize the effectiveness of the support organizations in their
community.
For more information, contact:
Peter D. Pearson,
President
The Friends
of the Saint Paul Public Library
325 Cedar
Street, Suite 555, Saint Paul, MN 55101
(651)
222-3242