Campaign Results

Library Giving Day 2019 Campaign Results

Through the hard work and vision of the Seattle Public Library Foundation and Carl Bloom Associates, what started as an idea has turned into an exciting and successful day of nationwide library support. But the real success is due to the many library organizations across North America that responded to the opportunity, took advantage of the positive momentum and launched their own #LibraryGivingDay campaigns and celebrations.

The results have been compiled and are listed below.

Background

The #LibraryGivingDay website was launched on January 31, 2019, just 10 weeks prior to the first official #LibraryGivingDay, April 10, 2019.

In just 10 weeks, 192 library organizations from 39 US States and 4 Canadian Provinces joined the #LibraryGivingDay movement.

Of those that joined, 89 responded with campaign results and 78 reported positive fundraising revenue — 40% of the 192 who joined the movement.

Main reasons for lack of revenue:

  • Learned about #LibraryGivingDay too late
  • Had other fundraising initiatives planned for the same timeframe

What was the total dollar amount raised?

Of the 78 organizations that reported fundraising revenue, the total projected fundraising goal was approximately $580,000.

The actual amount raised was approximately $737,000 — 27% higher than projected.

How many people donated?

The total number of donors across 78 organizations was 4,288, with an average gift of $172.

How did organizations celebrate #LibraryGivingDay?

Organizations reported conducting multifaceted fundraising campaigns, with a variety of fundraising initiatives and activities.

This is a breakdown of the different channels, methods and marketing materials organizations used to promote #LibraryGivingDay:

Social Media Platforms Utilized

Facebook topped the list of social media platforms used by 74 organizations that reported revenue. Twitter (39) and Instagram (33) had similar usage.

What impact did more planning time have on campaign success?

Of the organizations that submitted their fundraising revenue results, only a handful were able to start planning their campaigns well in advance.

There’s a direct connection between how much time was put into #LibraryGivingDay campaign preparation and the amount of money raised.

The average amount of dollars raised in comparison to the amount of time spent on campaign preparation indicates that more time yields greater results.

Note: Seattle Public Library Foundation (SPLF) was one of five organizations that got started early — 8–10 weeks — planning their campaign, which brought in a significant fundraising revenue. If we removed their revenue from the total for that category, the average fundraising revenue for that category would still be over $26,500 across the remaining four organizations.

How many organizations were able to secure a matching grant?

Most organizations were not able to secure a matching grant, most likely due to lack of time. Of those who were able to secure a matching grant (14), 10 achieved or surpassed the match goal.

Thank you to all the organizations who participated in the first-ever #LibraryGivingDay!

Given the time constraints that many organizations faced  – with only ten weeks between the official launch of the #LibraryGivingDay initiative and the day of celebration – 2019 was a huge success.

For 2020, plan ahead, build upon what worked in 2019, consider additional fundraising channels, share ideas and success stories and reach out to other organizations for inspiration. Collectively let’s make a difference for public libraries everywhere!

Library Giving Day logo

Together, we can make it a success!