Creating a Culture of Philanthropy at Your University Library

Abstract

At William & Mary, raising funds for the university libraries is a team effort: Our goal is to create a culture of engagement and philanthropy amongst staff, faculty, students, alumni, and community members. To drive fundraising success, we invest in building relationships, creating connections, and telling stories about our value and impact. 

In this article, we will share how we have leveraged our community to exceed previous fundraising benchmarks and earn one of the highest alumni giving rates of any national public university, at 21 percent. We will discuss our strategies for engaging current students, who are our future alumni donors, highlighting the importance of cultivating relationships early in a student’s academic career. We will explore managing a library fundraising board and creating community partnerships to engage local community members. Additionally, we will explore the significance of transparency in budgeting and fundraising, ensuring that librarians and staff understand the profound impact of philanthropy on library resources and services. Central to our discussion will be the concept of “fundraising is everyone’s job,” and we will provide insights into training techniques that enable librarians and staff to effectively advocate for W&M Libraries.