Providing cutting edge library service to the Appleton Community

As public dollars become tighter, the library budget is unable to grow as rapidly as the growth in library use. The Appleton Library Foundation helps fill the gap and funds innovative services beyond the scope of public funds.

Each year the Foundation provides grants to the library for

• library materials and special collections
• programs
• technology
• marketing
• special projects

We rely on donations from the community. The generosity of business and individuals allows the Foundation to provided needed help to our library. Maintained as an endowment fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, the Appleton Library Foundation was founded in 1985 to promote excellence in public library service to the Appleton community.

Library Foundation funds have been used for

• starting up public access to the Internet
• support for the children’s summer library program, including funding for outreach sites at schools and the Boys and Girls Club, as well as allowing children to use their library card as a bus pass
• new collections and new formats of materials, started with seed money from the Foundation. These include many items now standard, as the Foundation helped the library get started with DVDs, books on CD, PlayAways, and other collections.
• Fox Cities Reads community reading event
• appearances by major speakers and New York Times best selling authors such as Alice Hoffman, Barbara Ehrenreich, Bob Greene
• children’s performers such as Debbie Dadey, Tom Pease, as well science, nature, and theatrical events

Funds

The Foundation welcomes donations to any one of several special funds. Contact Community Foundation staff if interested in setting up a named designated fund.

• Appleton Library Endowment Fund, an unrestricted fund supporting library materials, programs and services
• FOAL (Friends of Appleton Library) Endowment supporting special event library programs, displays and program series
• Virginia McMahon Endowment, supporting programs and events for children
• Iris Olsen Glidden Memorial, supporting materials for media collections
• Capital campaign fund to support future library building – this fund is under construction; watch for information!

Planned Giving

Individuals who donate to the Foundation have several options available in the Planned Giving Program

• Outright Gifts
• Gifts of Income and Remainder Interest
• Charitable Gift Annuity
• Gifts by Will
• Anonymous Gifts

Planned giving employs tax, financial and estate planning techniques to enable a donor to make a substantial gift commitment to the Appleton Library Foundation that provides significant tax and financial benefits for the donor. Contact Community Foundation staff for more information.

Appleton Library Foundation Board of Directors

• Dave Willems, President
• Ruth Haviland, Vice-President
• Genia Lovett, Secretary
• Terry Bergen, Treasurer
• Peter Gilbert
• Don Hietpas
• Dennis Hultgren
• Thomas Williams

Contact the Marketing & Development Coordinator for more information. To make a donation or send correspondence, contact:

Appleton Library Foundation
225 N. Oneida Street
Appleton, Wisconsin 54911
920-832-6170