Donor Relations as Public Relations: Toward a Philosophy of Fund-Raising - library fund-raising

Library Trends, Wntr, 2000 by Robert Wedgeworth

Overall, the best protection the library can have to sustain its autonomy, while advancing its fund-raising objectives, is the institutionalization of the fund-raising process. To the extent that the organization's mission and purpose is firmly incorporated into the campaign goals, it tends to minimize inappropriate gifts. To the extent that library fund-raising campaigns are led by fund-raising professionals based in the library, they are likely to be more knowledgeable about the specialized needs and constraints of the library in fund-raising campaigns. For smaller institutions or institutions where professional fund-raising personnel may not be available, special programs to educate and inform these professionals responsible for library gifts may suffice. To the extent that the fund-raising process articulates well with the overall efforts to manage communications with external as well as internal constituencies, it will tend to minimize tensions between fund-raising personnel and other staff.

While research, cultivation, solicitation, and recognition will still be the fundamentals of the fund-raising process, its incorporation into the broader efforts of library management to improve the library's visibility, tell the library story, set a vision for the library of the future, and gain support from key constituencies is likely to result not only in successful fund-raising campaigns but also in a more effective organization.

Ensuring that the leadership of the academic institution understands these objectives and periodically evaluates the effectiveness of communication with the several library publics is essential to the development and implementation of an effective philosophy of fund-raising.

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