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Trustees, Friends, & Foundations |
March 2025 |  |
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Welcome to the Trustees, Friends, & Foundations Newsletter!
A monthly update on items relevant to those
who work as or with Library Trustees, Friends, and Foundations.
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| March 3, 2025
Fiscal trends in 2024 showed mixed results, from robust forward motion to defunding—with more uncertainty ahead.
As the United States adjusts to the changes brought about by the new presidential administration, the economic forecast feels cloudy. While only time will tell if the country experiences the benefits promised during election season, public libraries rely on funding structures that are in flux.
LJ’s 2025 Budgets and Funding Survey, sponsored by Baker & Taylor and Hoopla, received responses from 292 U.S. public libraries between November 17, 2024 and January 10, 2025...
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| March 3, 2025
On January 22, 2025, the American Library Association (ALA) launched the Show Up for Our Libraries campaign, a nationwide initiative designed to get library supporters, community members, and advocates to take an active role in defending and strengthening libraries across the United States. The campaign aims to inspire individuals to engage in library programs, advocate to elected officials, and unite in the fight to preserve libraries’ core values, from intellectual freedom to equitable access to information...
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Sign Up with the Virginia Library Association as an Advocate! |
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Click HERE and sign up for the VLA Advocacy Center Mailing List to make sure you're receiving Virginia action alerts and updates on policy issues related to the library field. This will help you keep abreast of legislation that could affect your local library and community.
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UNITED FOR LIBRARIES RESOURCES |
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Virginia library staff and stakeholders (folks like
you!) have access to a whole host of resources from United for Libraries.
Click to get the CHEAT SHEET signed up and in.
| Already signed up? Click HERE to access everything through the ALA eLearning Platform! |
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Ask the Experts: Library Boards & Trustees Tuesday, April 8, 2025 -- 2:00p-3:00p
A panel of experts will discuss key topics for library Boards/Trustees, including working with elected officials, community outreach, and board development. Each panelist will provide tips and best practices. During a “lightning round” session, speakers will field questions from attendees. |
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| Friends Board Retreat: Shaping the Future for Your Friends of the Library Saturday, March 22, 2025 -- 12:00p - 3:00p
Description
Friends groups make a lasting difference for their libraries. Learn how to ensure your library Friends have a bright future and strategic direction in the areas of recruitment, succession planning, board development, advocacy, and membership. Find out how resources from United for Libraries can help as you grow and strengthen your Friends group. Scalable ideas will be shared for libraries and communities of all sizes. The program will include panel presentations, activities, and idea sharing.
Agenda/Topics - Part 1 – All Ages Welcome: Recruiting Friends (presentation and breakout activity)
- Part 2 – The Changing Role of Friends Groups: Friends & Advocacy (panel discussion)
- Part 3 – Breakout - Planning next steps for Advocacy and Friends
- Part 4 – Lightning Round - Short presentations on recruitment, succession planning, board development, advocacy, and/or membership.
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SAVE THE DATE: July 29-31, 2025
This interactive three-day virtual event will feature expert speakers on current topics facing library Trustees, Friends, Foundations, and staff who work with them. - Participate in live Q&A sessions with presenters.
- Enjoy exclusive access to keynote speakers and authors.
- Receive a certificate of attendance (for live participation or on-demand viewing).
Free registration for Virginia library stakeholders courtesy of the Library of Virginia -- registration opens March 24th! |
Submit a Proposal for United for Libraries Virtual
United for Libraries is accepting program proposals for the sixth annual United for Libraries Virtual: Trustees - Friends - Foundations through April 21. United for Libraries Virtual will be held July 29-31 and as an interactive three-day virtual event featuring expert speakers on current topics facing library Trustees/board members, Friends, Foundations, library fundraisers, and staff who work with them. Library. Submissions may be focused on advocacy, board development, fundraising, membership, and more. |
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| Donor Retention - From First Gift to Lifelong Support |
Are you experiencing high rates of donor churn? Turn it around by crafting meaningful donor journeys. We’ll cover how to avoid common retention pitfalls and how to use data to create personalized outreach that works. You'll leave with practical tips and tools to help turn first-time donors into lifelong supporters.
(Occurs: 3.20.25 - 1p) |
| Register Here
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Tell Great Nonprofit Stories, Ethically! |
Join Carly Euler from MemoryFox in conversation with Jennifer Bennett, CVA as they discuss what it means to tell great nonprofit stories, ethically. Carly joins us to share key takeaways from MemoryFox's 2024 Ethical Storytelling Report and she and Jennifer will discuss how we can tell stories about the communities we serve without exploiting them.
(Occurs: 3.27.25 - 2p) |
| Register Here
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| Simple Nonprofit Newsletter that Boost Donor Retention |
Join fundraising master trainer, Chad Barger, ACFRE, ACNP, for a workshop focused on reporting impact to our donors via newsletters. We’ll examine how print / mailed communications work in tandem with email to ensure our donors are informed and engaged. And we’ll look at processes and tools to simplify the development of these vital fundraising tools. Multiple optimized newsletter samples will be shared as well.
(Occurs: 3.28.25 - 12p) |
| Register Here
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Trustee, Friends, and Foundation members have access to the Library of Virginia's Niche Academy, a place for online learning.
Please note, if you register with a non-library issued e-mail address, someone from the Library of Virginia will follow up with you to confirm that you are affiliated with a Virginia library before you can access the content. |
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Click on the image to learn more about each title, and then use your local library to request them from the Library of Virginia.
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"There are books of all descriptions in a good library, just as there are all sorts of people in the world, and all sorts of thoughts in the mind of man."
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This newsletter is brought to you by the Library Development division of the Library of Virginia. Funding for this is provided through the Virginia General Assembly and the Institute for Museum and Library Studies (IMLS).
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