With nine months of 2020 in the books, private funding now stands at 43.7% of the target, or $47,169 — an increase of $3,798 over August.
Direct gifts accounted for the largest share of September results, followed by the first responses to the annual fund letter, which reached some patrons before the end of the month [copies of the letter are also available at the library or can be downloaded here].
Sales from the ‘book sale nook’ and cash receipts (such as printing, fines and fees), rounded out the rest of last month’s results.
With one more quarter of the year still to go accounting-wise, the thermometer is either (almost) half full or (more than) half empty, depending on how you look at it.
The last quarter is typically the strongest, with contributions to the annual fund and the Friends’ holiday book sale providing a year-end push. In lieu of their holiday event this year — which is canceled due to the pandemic — the Friends held a successful outdoor fall sale this month, raising nearly $2K that is not yet reflected here. They also plan to deck out the book nook for the holiday season with great gift-worthy items for everyone on your list.
Closing the remaining gap of $60K looks extra challenging this year. While we have been proactive about managing expenses, one area we have worked hard to protect so far is the allocation for new materials (see previous article). Public libraries in PA are typically required to spend 12% of their budget on new items if they receive state funding. This year, libraries have been given some leeway in meeting that requirement due to the financial impact of the pandemic, but we have done everything we can to remain at or very close to that target, as well as maintain the same service hours as before, we hope to keep it that way.
You can help the library achieve its funding goal by contributing to the annual fund, purchasing Dan Schantz Monthly Madness cards at the desk (a $75 value for just $20), shopping at the Friends’ Book Nook in the library, or setting up an automatic monthly contribution, among others. Visit the Support EPL page for even more ways to help close the gap by year end — and thanks — we really value your support!
Thank you — we couldn’t do it without you!
Note: For new readers, or anyone who’d like a refresher on what private funding is and why it’s so important to the library, check out ‘Where does the library get its money?’ and ‘A decade of library financials’ from our blog archives.
