Original listserv message to start the thread:

Can you describe a successful fundraising event held by your library or Friends of the Library? What practical tips can you offer to others? What lessons were learned?

Visit the website of Friends of Canadian Libraries and contribute ideas, documents and links: Please think about what you can contribute, so that we can share more resources, expertise and ideas. (http://www.accessola.com/focal/fundraising.html)

I have also started a blog on this topic, http://www.libraryng.com/, and welcome a dialogue on this topic.

Jami van Haaften
Friends of Canadian Libraries
jvanhaaften@sympatico.ca 

Book & Bake Sale, Friends of the Mattawa Public Library partnered up with high school students. They taught the kids how to bake homemade pies. Then they had a big book sale with fresh home made pies in the library. For small communities, We do not have kitchens in our libraries. But, we can partner up at school or get together with the community centers.

Just a little suggestion.
Lise Moore

Commentby Jami van Haaften

That is very smart Lise - good use of volunteer expertise and community partnerships.

The "selling pies" idea reminded me of this item, in FOCAL POINT newsletter Sept. 1998:

FRIENDS OF THE ARGYLE/PUBNICO LIBRARY hoisted their sails on the south shore of Nova Scotia in November 1997. Over $600 was raised with Christmas raffles. Still gung-ho in February 1998, eleven friends participated in a marathon pie "make and bake" resulting in 140 pies which netted $500. With this money, plus a community donation of $1,000, the Friends purchased two proper library tables with chairs and put $250 into the "Adopt-a-Book" program in their library. Experience is teaching us that companies will contribute product donations, while the Lion's Club willingly allows rent-free use of their hall, which cuts down on costs. Projects are presently being discussed for the remainder of the year. Submitted in 1998 by Judy Ferron, President, Friends of the Library, Argyle/Pubnico, Pubnico, Nova Scotia

In Powell River we had a 'Food for Thought ' evening. We invited 6 Powell Riverites to discuss 'My Favourite Book and Why'. There was also a live and silent auction. A gourmet dinner was catered by Malaspina Cooking School and the charge per dinner was $20 per person which enabled us to keep our total price low. 80 people attended and we made a profit of $1000 which we considered pretty good for such a small town and library.

Cheers
Charlotte Schulz.

We at the Yellowknife Public Library have a book sale two times a year. Our first evening is called sneak a peek where the people pay $5.00 entrance fee and pay the usual book fees $2.00 for hard cover, $1.00 large soft cover and $.50 for pocket books and other soft covers, etc). Make quite a bit of money on this evening of only 3 hours. Then on Friday and Saturday and now Sunday we have a donation jar and people are encouraged to take as many books as possible so we have no books left over as we can only send so many to the Salvation Thrift store, other Thrift stores, women's shelter and the Hospital store. We have no way to recycle our books up here so left overs if they are in good shape can be held over for the next sale, although space is limited and the rest are taken to the dump where there is an area were people come and collect items. Great deals some days as a lot of people moving away just take their household items there when they can not sell them and it is way to expensive to try to ship home across the country. Our last sale raised $3400.00.

Anna Clark

Most of the money we raise is through our book sales and Author evenings called An evening with..... We do two of these each year usually we feature a local author. On April 29th we had Linwood Barclay, the former Toronto Star columnist and now an internationally known mystery writer. We had so many people attend, there was standing room only and we do not have a really large room. To accommodate big crowds we would have to rent space outside the library.

Margaret Moreau
Friends of the Lindsay Branch of the Kawartha Lakes Public Library