Approved 1-20-2026

MNG 12- Fund Raising Policy

The Lake Bluff Public Library welcomes and encourages fundraising activities by the community andother organizations to support our mission operations, services, and programs.

“Fundraising” is defined as a project undertaken for the purpose of raising funds or soliciting in-kinddonations for or on behalf of the Lake Bluff Public Library.

The following are policies for fundraising activities associated with the Library:

Tenets

  • The Library will conduct all fundraising activities in a fashion consistent with our mission statement, strategic plan, and policies.
  • Fundraising is for Library purposes only, and can be targeted for specific projects, programs, capitalimprovements, or general operational support.
  • Transparency is an essential element of all fundraising campaigns. Fundraisers should be open, honest,and clear in their use of solicitations. Every effort should be made to avoid misleading donors as to theuse of funds and description of activities.
  • All persons engaged in fundraising activities will maintain accurate records of expenses, donations,and income, reporting that information to the Treasurer of the Board of Trustees.
  • Fundraising activities will be conducted in a cost-effective manner, maintaining our fiduciaryresponsibilities to our donors and patrons.
  • In order to responsibly manage the Library’s limited resources, including staff time, Library-ledfundraising and solicitation of donations should be specific and limited in scope, leaving generalfundraising to the Friends of the Lake Bluff Public Library or other outside organizations.

Use of Library Staff

Periodically Library staff are engaged either directly or indirectly in fundraising efforts or solicitation ofboth cash and in-kind donations to support Library programs, services, or operations, such as theSummer Reading Program. Staff shall be provided with appropriate training and details about the use ofthe donations, and such efforts shall not place an undue burden on staff members. Assigning fundraisingwork to Library staff requires prior approval of the Library Director or designee. In accordance with theFair Labor Standards Act, Library employees cannot volunteer for their employer. All time spent workingon Library-led fundraising shall be considered working time.

Work by staff on applications for grant monies or similar is not considered fundraising under this Policy.

Guidelines for Fundraising by Outside Persons and Organizations

The Library’s mission seeks to engage the community through various partnerships. The Libraryencourages fundraising efforts on behalf of the Library by outside persons and organizations. In order tomaintain consistency with the mission and needs of the Library, partnerships involving fundraisingactivities with community, affiliates, and third-party organizations not directly affiliated with the Librarywill be reviewed by the Library Director, who in consultation with the Library Board will determinesuitability and approval.

The Library Director will track all fundraising initiatives to coordinate activities and eliminate duplicationof funding requests and solicitations.

Written approval must be obtained prior to the execution of any fundraising activities in the name of theLake Bluff Public Library. A proposal describing the fundraising plan should be submitted to the LibraryDirector no fewer than 30 days prior to the start of the fundraiser, and should include the following:

  • Specific purpose and scope of the project
  • Starting and end dates of the campaign
  • Financial procedures to be followed, including a full understanding of the expected proportionof fundraising proceeds to be supplied to the Library, as well as any payments expected byoutside persons and/or organizations related to the fundraising campaign
  • Advertising and publicity to be utilized
  • Evidence that the Library and its staff and agents will be fully indemnified against loss or damage
  • Certification that the Library will receive a full and complete accounting of the funds raised onits behalf immediately upon completion of the fundraising project

Fundraising activities or associations with third-party organizations that are inconsistent with themission statement, strategic plan, and policies of the Library will not be approved.

The preceding guidelines are in no way intended to limit or preclude outside persons or organizationsfrom donating funds to the Library or soliciting funds for the Library on their own initiative or at therequest of the Library Board of Trustees or its designated agent, so long as the provisions of this policyare satisfied.

The Friends of the Lake Bluff Public Library

The Friends of the Lake Bluff Public Library was formed in part to provide the Library with communitysupport and fundraising. The Friends of the Lake Bluff Public Library is specifically authorized to conductfundraising efforts on behalf of the Library. The Library Director is tasked with ensuring that anyadditional approved fundraising or donation solicitations, whether conducted by Library staff or outsideparties, does not duplicate or conflict with the regular fundraising efforts of the Friends of the Lake BluffPublic Library.