MEETING THE NEED
Friends of the Sacramento Public Library is the official nonprofit partner of Sacramento Public Library. The Friends and the library work together to promote literacy and expand community resources and access. A gift to Friends of the Sacramento Public Library directly benefits the library.
Friends of the Sacramento Public Library believes that libraries are vital institutions for building educated communities. Access to books helps children develop reading skills and goes a long way toward helping them reach their potential. Friends provide funds and volunteers to help Sacramento Public Library get books into the homes of first graders with both the Book First and Summer Reading programs, inspiring the joy of reading in a child with a gift that will last a lifetime.
Funds raised on the Big Day of Giving will help Friends meet its goal of purchasing books for more than 14,000 first graders from 170 local schools - that's 550 classrooms! The disruption to early reading that resulted from the pandemic means that there is still a critical need for access to books for young readers. Expanding a child's reading experience beyond the confines of school has a positive impact on their ability to grow and develop as a young reader.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! My students are so excited about their new books. They just want to read, read, and read. You should see the smiles on their faces. They can't wait to tell their family. I hope we can do this again next year." - Trish Saito, White Rock Elementary
"First reading changes children more than anything else in their life." - Heidi Garner, principal, Thomas Edison Language Institute
Friends of the Sacramento Public Library is a volunteer helpmate to the award-winning Sacramento Public Library system. As a membership-supported nonprofit, the Friends advocate and raise funds for, and provide crucial support to the system's 28 libraries. In addition to Book First, hundreds of Friends’ volunteers assist their local branch libraries with funding for books, programs and other resources as needed. The Friends also partner with SPL on special projects, such as election monitoring and opportunities for legacy giving. Just as the Library serves everyone, so does the Friends organization.
Since 2016, funds raised by Friends of the Sacramento Public Library from the Big Day of Giving have been dedicated entirely to Book First and have provided over 100,000 books to new readers. With the addition of the Summer Reading Program, the Friends hope to provide an additional 18,000 books to children.
During the 2022-2023 school year, we provided almost 25,000 books to more than 12,000 students in 517 classrooms. Through the Summer Reading program, we hope to help them continue their reading journey during the summer, building on the foundation laid by Book First.
Book First and the Summer Reading Program also introduce students to the Sacramento Public Library and the resources it offers to new readers. The program help connect children with their local library so that they might become regular users. This not only provides access to materials in the collection, but also to the library's wide array of services, from virtual homework help and tutors to databases and online courses. In the 2022-2023 school year, 501 students visited the library and redeemed coupons for a free book.
Friends of the Sacramento Public Library is an all-volunteer membership organization. In the years prior to the pandemic, our volunteers regularly donated nearly 55,000 hours of services, an estimated savings to the library of more than $1 million. Despite limitations on book sales and other Friends' activities, our volunteers still donated over 36,000 hours of service to the library. We need our volunteer base to grow as the Book First program expands and we provide support to the Summer Reading Program. A greater volunteer base will help us build upon our already substantial contribution of in-person hours across a wide spectrum of work. One of the most rewarding volunteer opportunities is to see the joy in a child's eyes when they pick out a book and understand that it is theirs forever. Another wonderful opportunity will be helping children learn about and register for the Summer Reading Program.
Friends of the Sacramento Public Library actively recruits for diverse, talented members from our community to serve on the corporate board that guides the entire organization, as well as members to serve each of the 28 library locations.
While we have traditionally raised funds to support Sacramento Public Library through donations, membership dues, and the sale of gently used books, Friends of the Sacramento Public Library continues to explore other avenues to support the library and its 28 locations. For example, with the support of Sacramento Public Library, we have developed a legacy giving opportunity for those who want to support the library: Friends Investing in Sacramento Public Library. Please see our website for details on how you can support Sacramento Public Library through your legacy planning - https://saclibfriends.org/fispl/.
As an all-volunteer organization, Friends of the Sacramento Public Library is looking for technical expertise in these areas: social media (to help us reach out to volunteers and the public) and technical expertise to aid us in digitizing our corporate records.
Organization name
Friends of the Sacramento Public Library
other names
FSPL
1963
Tax id (EIN)
68-0005250
Mission Category
Education
Operating Budget
$250,001-$500,000
Organization Need
Funding: Program, Volunteers, Board Members, Funding: Other
Demographics Served
Youth & Children, General population
Local Counties Served
Sacramento
Address
828 I St. Suite 408Sacramento, CA, US