Fundraising through social and economic

impact

Margarita Taladriz Mas. FESABID

EUROLIS Seminar 2013Europe House

November 21th, 2013. London

«The difference between what we do and what we are capable of

doing would suffice to solve most of the world´s problems»

Mahatma Gandhi

Contents

•Fundraising •Fundraising in libraries. IFLA´s

position•Fundraising why?, how?, when? •Fundraising in spanish libraries•Some conclussions

FUNDRAISING

• Wide development in the anglosaxon world around the 70´s

• At a first stage, very much in relation with philantropy and public relations

• Great importance when the so called «third sector» shows up in the 90´s

• After that, things must be done in a more professional way, planned, evaluated, with more transparency to society…

FUNDRAISING

• Is a great opportunity to improve the libraries visibility in the society, to get in touch with possible private and public partners to widen libraries perspective and possible action and a way to assure the community and the users products and services they are ready to appreciate and that would make libraries «unique and specials» by the kind of services they are ready to offer (Di Domenico, 2009)

FUNDRAISING

• Is a management technique• Is part of the planning process• Is a marketing technique• Is a communication tool• Is the core for sustainability for any

organization• Is not «just money»

IFLA BSLA Programme

Module 1. Library Associations in Society

Module 3. Developping strategic Relationships:

Partnerships and Fundraising * Financial sustainability * Organisational culture, retaining members, partnerships

Module 5. Libraries in the agenda. Advocacy

Module 6. Library statistics for Advocacy http://www.ifla.org/bsla/training-package

FUNDRAISING PRACTICE

Some principles:• Balance between what the sponsor gets/what the

library users get• In relation with the library general strategic

planning• Is not a different project from the daily library

work. Must be assumed as part of the day to day operations

• Continuous evaluation to show patrons the library outcomes

• Librarians as community partners

Different legal forms for Fundraising (Spain)

• Sponsorship. (Regulated in 1988)

Communication Strategy that implies investing money to get profitability and public credibility for the library. Association to a commercial trade

• Patronage. (Regulated in 2002) New legislation to come!

Economic support or pay in kind to promote the participation of Civil society in culture and historic heritage

• Donation/gift. (Regulated in 2002)

Long tradition in libraries. IFLA (2010) protocolizes best

practices for accepting “in kind donations” to libraries • Collaboration agreement. (Regulated in 1992)

Agreement between institutions, individuals to promote programas and services

FUNDRAISING, why?

• Economical crisis and budget reductions

• Good way to get in contact with civil society • A good way to show society what are

libraries doing and how they contribute to society and how they improve and innovate daily.

• Show outcomes

opportunity

FUNDRAISING, when?

Always Everyday Catching opportunities around Support for new projects to

become real Not for daily basic operations

Like quality service

FUNDRAISING, how?

Planning Program (Flotats, Sonia, 2011)

Main objectiveAnalysis Campaigns and actions Planning how to get to

institutions/organizationsEvaluationSponsors loyalty

PositioningPublic objectivesCommunication techniques and fundraising

The spanish case

Fundraising is a difficult task in Spain No tradition, 11% spanish donors VS 33% European donors

Spanish are not used to volunteer No tax benefits/ incentives for giving at this

time, only for specific projects. Law 49/2002 is going to be reviewed about tax

regime for NGO´s and patronage/sponsorship

The spanish case

At this point, 2 main projects

Report on Information services socioeconomic impact (FESABID)

Spanish Libraries Cooperation Board strategic group to develop a National Libraries Outcomes System (MECD)

Information services socioeconomic

impact (FESABID REPORT)

• To know where we are• To show patrons, users and society

our outcomes• To put on the table that libraries are

not an expense but an investment• As an important tool for advocacy

DATA IS YOUR FRIEND

Information services socioeconomic

impact (FESABID REPORT)

How to present data

1 page of findings1 page of recommendations for action

DATA IS YOUR FRIEND

Short + clear + understandable

Information services socioeconomic

impact (FESABID REPORT)

• The study/report is being developped by a Sociological Consulting Company

• FESABID is getting the contacts for participation with professional focus groups, different kind of libraries (Public, university/scientific, school), administration… “Logistics”

• FESABID has got a grant from the MECD• The study/report will be presented next

December

Information services socioeconomic

impact (FESABID REPORT)

Operative Goals Improve a methodology that could estimate

the libraries contribution to social welfare

Develop a tool that would allow to argue from the economic logic of the decission making process in public institutions

Get data and information that would allow to transmit to society the libraries social value

Information services socioeconomic

impact (FESABID REPORT)

Expected resultsKnow about the libraries image as tangible and

intangible services providerKnow about libraries value as cultural legacy, services

availability even if they are not being used…Know about how public opinion and users perceive that

libraries improve their professional knowledge, culture and social integration

Get indicators that would allow to transform into economic valuations the libraries social contribution

Position libraries in the scientific production value chain.

Information services socioeconomic

impact (FESABID REPORT)

Which data are being usedNational statistical data (INE, MECD…)

related to librariesNew data asked to users, non users and

professionals as: Professional assistance value, social

integration, job finding help, information technology use in libraries, libraries as meeting point…

Information services socioeconomic

impact (FESABID REPORT)

Market prices analysis

Consulting company previous work

Professionals Focus Groups

4 meetings by lib.type

Non users survey1.000 interviews

Users surveyPublic, universities, Scientific libraries

Information services socioeconomic

impact (FESABID REPORT)

Some preliminary conclussions Libraries value recognition by “non users” who are eager to use

them Libraries are close to any user. Libraries are all over and always Difficulties in assesing some important values that libraries are

offering nowadays to users due to the lack of data “not collected”

* social integration * homework help for children * contribution to job improvement… Libraries are transparent in the services they offer Very many people still think in traditional tasks, just books and

reading

Spanish Libraries Outcomes System

(MECD)

Project born from the Spanish Board of Libraries Cooperation Strategic Plan (2012-15)

The mandate is to work on a tool that would present the main outcomes indicators for any kind of libraries; public, school, academic, scientific, national/regional and the whole libraries system

An strategic multidisciplinary group has been working in the project for the last 6 months and is ready to present results to the Board next February.

Spanish Libraries Outcomes System

(MECD) Information is organized in 4 perspectives,

Balanced Scorecard type: - Financial - Society/users - Innovation and development - Human resources Information is related to all types of libraries Information is based on existing standarized data

systems Information will be updated anually in the central

system

Spanish Libraries Outcomes System

(MECD) Economic perspective

Spanish Libraries Outcomes System

(MECD)

Social perspective I

Spanish Libraries Outcomes System

(MECD)

Social perspective II

Spanish Libraries Outcomes System (MECD)

Innovation and Development Perspective

Spanish Libraries Outcomes System (MECD)

Human Resources Perspective

European Campaign

European Campaign0016/2013Written declaration, under Rule 123 of Parliament’s Rules of

Procedure, on the impact of public libraries in European communities

1. A 2013 survey of public library services across 18 European countries shows that nearly 100 million Europeans visited their public library and 14 million used it to access the internet last year;

2. In the last 12 months 24 million Europeans (most frequently elderly people, members of ethnic minorities and people from rural areas) used their public library to engage in nonformal and informal learning activities;

3. 83% of those using free public library computer and internet services reported a positive impact on their lives – saving time and money, improving skills, gaining access to government services and employment- and health-related resources;

European Campaign0016/2013Written declaration, under Rule 123 of Parliament’s Rules of

Procedure, on the impact of public libraries in European communities

4. Last year 1.5 million Europeans applied for jobs and 250 000 found jobs using free library internet access;

5. Public libraries represent the only source of free internet access for 1.9 million marginalised Europeans;

6. The Commission is therefore called upon to recognise the essential services that public libraries provide to local communities and disadvantaged groups in relation to digital inclusion, social inclusion, lifelong learning and pathways to employment, and the role of those services in assisting with the delivery of the EU’s objectives;

7. This declaration, together with the names of the signatories, is forwarded to the Council and the Commission.

Some Conclussions

Fundraising is not just getting money Fundraising is involving civil society in libraries world Fundraising must be in the Library Strategic Plan. Is a day to

day task Outcomes data are essential for transparent fundraising Taking care of library friends, donors, sponsors is also

essential Keep them informed, constantly about the library projects and

about results, but in an easy way Involve them in library actions Work on general information tools with your partner

institutions and colleagues Think in collecting data that are really important to show civil

society the socio-economic impact of libraries

REPEAT your MESSAGE REPEAT your MESSAGE REPEAT your MESSAGE REPEAT your MESSAGE REPEAT your MESSAGE

¡ Thank you very much !

presidencia@fesabid.org