Rockingham Free Public Library
Library Board of Trustees Fundraising Committee Meeting – August 19, 2020
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Minutes
- Call to order –
Meeting called to order at 5:02 p.m.
- Additions to the agenda –
Brady would like to talk about email versus letters, discussed in agenda number 5.
- Public comment –
No public comment
- Approve minutes –
Ellen moves to approve the minutes of June 22, 2020 meeting. Don seconds. No discussion. Motion passes unanimously
- Discuss Fundraising and Annual Appeal –
Celina report:
Winter appeal was sent to 700 people, 5580 dollars was brought in December. We did not do a letter appeal in May because of COVID19. This year the plan is to use a donate button on the website set up by the Friends of the Library for an online portal to donate for the appeal. By the time we send out the letters we will have an option to send donations by check OR give instructions for how to donate online.
Annual Appeal:
Brady discusses email blasts that can be used to keep in touch with patrons and used to thank donors. We would save money by sending an email, and we could send a thank you in the middle of the year, and in general keep up communication with donors outside of annual appeal. This can also be used to keep people informed on what their money is being used for.
Sam confirms that the library does collect email addresses, and the library does have mail chimp. The 1500 people on that list are primarily patrons, or people who sign up for newsletters. There is no separate list for donors only.
Celina would like to go through the list and sort out people who are not card holders and organize them to be more useful, and add new people who should be on the list. We can start by getting in contact with old contacts and new contacts by explaining the grant money given to restaurants to create meals for folks who are struggling. The library should serve as a point of communication to the community as well.
Points of email:
Celina: Keeping people updated, educating people on current events
Brady: Keeping up communications with past donors, through the forms of thank yous and updates.
Dale agrees that emails can be used to supplement mail in appeals but doesn’t agree that they should be a replacement. She personally believes it is very easy for an email to get overlooked and deleted without opening, whereas a letter is a physical reminder and easier to put in front of people.
Celina would like to send out letters this year that allow people to choose in the future how they would like to be communicated with, either by mail, emails, or both. People can choose what way works best for them.
Celina will go through the lists with aid of Brady to identify new people to reach out to important donors.
Book Sale:
The library is setting up the book sale and will allow people to shop by appointment, and they will leave the sale up for the foreseeable future. This money will also go to fundraising.
Holiday fundraising:
Friends of the library cannot count on having any physical events at the library, so they are focusing on the raffle. Each board member, on the friends and the library board, will get two envelopes to sell. Tickets will also be available online and at the library. The cash raffle will be held whenever all the tickets are sold, with a goal by Nov. 30th. All money made by raffle will be donated to the library by the Friends.
They may also host an online auction to help raise funds. We can donate to the silent auction which should be held in November, in line with the two raffles.
- Other Business –
Celina will clean up the appeals list and mark off new grants list, property owners, voting list, and invite board members to come in and mark off anyone else they know that we should add to the email blast list. Maybe look for new members to join
- Agenda items for next meeting –
Update on all fundraisers happening this fall
Looking forward to annual appeal
- Next meeting date:
Feb. 10, 2021 at 5 p.m.
- Adjourn –
Ellen moves to adjourn, Don seconds, meeting adjourned at 5:50