The Meridian Library District (the “District”) welcomes and encourages gifts, bequests, endowments, grants, sponsorships, and support from individuals, families, foundations, businesses, and other organizations.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The following principles will guide the District in the solicitation and acceptance of gifts and sponsorships that support, enhance, or develop the District’s facilities, collection, programs, and services:
- All gifts, sponsorships, and support must further the District's mission, goals, objectives, and priorities. No gift, grant, or support will be accepted if the donor or sponsor seeks to limit, restrict, or impose any restraint on access to the District’s facilities, collection, programs, or services or otherwise drive the District's agenda or priorities.
- All gifts, sponsorships, and support must protect the principle of intellectual freedom as guided and guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. No donor or sponsor may restrict the District’s maintenance of its existing collection or the selection of books and other materials that will be added to or removed from the District’s collection. The District may accept gifts, grants, and/or support offered with the desire and intent to establish a collection of books and other materials on a specific topic or topics subject to all of the guidelines expressed herein. The donor or sponsor may d fine reasonable guidelines for the selection of books and other materials to be included in the sponsored collection in consultation with the District Library Director (the “Library Director”), who retains the right of refusal of any such guidelines. No donor or sponsor may require endorsement of any products or services in exchange for the gift, grant, and/or support.
- All gifts, sponsorships, and support must ensure the confidentiality of patron records. The District will not sell, donate, or provide access by any means to patron records in exchange for gifts, grants, and/or support.
- All gifts, grants, and/or support must leave open, and cannot restrict, the opportunity for other actual or potential donors, known or unknown, to have similar opportunities to provide support to the District or to make a gift or donation of money, goods, or services.
- Gifts of books or other materials, on any form of media, will be accepted in accordance
with the terms outlined in the District’s Collection Development Policy.
TANGIBLE GIFTS
Print, audio visual, other physical media, and electronic materials will be evaluated using guidelines set forth in the District’s Collection Development Policy. The District reserves the right to add any donated item(s) to the District’s collection or distribute, sell, or discard such items. No conditions regarding location, use or eventual withdrawal from the District’s collection or facilities can be imposed.
The decision to accept gifts such as furnishings, artwork, or equipment shall be made by the Library Director. Among the criteria on which the decision will be based are: need, space, impact on staff time, security requirements, expense, and frequency of maintenance. Such gifts will be accepted only on condition that they may be used, sold, given away or discarded at the discretion of the Library Director.
The acceptance of gifts for inclusion in the District’s collection or for public display on any District premises shall be considered with attention to location and suitability and, to the extent applicable, evaluated using the guidelines set forth in the District’s Collection Development Policy as aforesaid. All gifts become the sole property of the District to use or dispose of. No guarantee is made that any gift will be permanently displayed or retained.
The District cannot assess or suggest a value for non-monetary gifts for income tax or other purposes. Letters of acknowledgment will not contain a statement of value.
The District reserves the right to refuse any tangible gift.
MONETARY GIFTS
The Library Director may route gifts of cash, securities, and bequests of less than $500 to the Friends of the Meridian Library District or to the Meridian Library Foundation (the “Foundation”). Gifts of cash, securities, and bequests of $500 or greater that support the mission of the District will be handled by the Library Director who will work out terms of acceptance that are compatible with District policies, the donor’s intent, and applicable law.
The District welcomes major gifts including those directed towards a renovation, expansion, or other large projects. The Library Director, or Foundation Manager, will work with large project donors to determine if the District, or the Foundation, is best suited for the funds.
Monetary gifts without restriction are added to the District’s General Fund to be used for District materials, equipment, programs, or other operating expenses. Monetary gifts to be used as a restricted gift or endowment fund are appreciated. Such funds require a minimum donation of $25,000 and will be accepted on condition that if a specific use is requested, that it is consistent with the mission, goals, and objectives of the District, and must be approved by the Board of Trustees. The Library Director, or Foundation Manager, will work with donors to determine if the District, or the Foundation, is best suited for the funds.
The District reserves the right to refuse any monetary gift.
Except as otherwise agreed with the donor, the Board of Trustees may remove all restrictions from a restricted gift fund when, as a result of any restriction, there has been no expenditure from the fund for at least two (2) years and the Board determines that the restrictions do not reasonably provide a benefit for the District.
The Foundation may accept monetary donations in memory or honor of community residents or others, as determined by the Foundation. Although the purchase of specifically identified titles cannot be guaranteed, donors may suggest subject areas for the use of their donation. A bookplate may be affixed to material with wording determined by the donor in consultation with the Foundation, District staff, and in compliance with the District’s Collection Development Policy.
SPONSORSHIPS
The District may have sponsorship opportunities available throughout the year. Sponsorships provide valuable support and further the District's mission, goals, objectives through targeted District initiatives and may provide marketing or promotional benefits to the sponsor.
The District reserves the right to refuse any sponsorship.
RECOGNITION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The District will ensure that donors and sponsors receive acknowledgement and, to the degree that the donor or sponsor is willing, public recognition. The following guidelines will be used in providing acknowledgement to and recognition of donors and sponsors:
- A letter of acknowledgement for monetary gifts and in-kind support of $500 or greater. Any special recognition agreements will be stipulated in the letter.
- Public acknowledgement of sponsorships in District promotional materials; this may include a statement of the sponsor's name and/or a display of their logo. Such acknowledgement will not take precedence or have prominence over the
District's logo or promotional material. - For gifts and/or sponsorships valued at $500 or greater, the District may (unless otherwise agreed to):
- Develop a press release for local media outlets;
- Publish an article in a newsletter;
- Develop social media announcements and digital signs;
- Post on the District website.
In all cases, the type and scope of donor or sponsor recognition required by the donor or sponsor will be weighed against the benefit to the District.
APPROVAL
All gifts, sponsorships, grants, or support given with special requirements must be approved by the Library Director prior to receipt (and restricted gifts or endowment funds must be approved by the Board of Trustees as provided above). Any application for grants, or solicitation of gifts or support on behalf of the District, must receive prior approval by the Library Director or
designee.
IMPLEMENTATION AUTHORITY
The District reserves the right to make decisions regarding the implementation of each gift, grant, sponsorship or offer of support without setting precedent in any future decisions and without regard to past decisions. Subject to the guidelines of this Policy and any acceptable guidelines requested by a donor or sponsor, the Library Director will make all decisions regarding the purchase of books and other materials, equipment, furnishings, and other necessary components required to accept a gift, grant, and/or support. Likewise, subject to the guidelines of this Policy and any acceptable guidelines requested by a donor or sponsor, the Library Director will make all decisions regarding the design of programs and services supported by a gift, grant, or sponsorship.
The District reserves the right not to accept any gift, grant, sponsorship and/or support for any reason consistent with these guidelines and to end any arrangements at any time if, in the opinion of the Library Director or the Board of Trustees, acceptance might cause harm to the District’s services, the District’s image, or to the preservation of the District’s good will in the community.
Approved by the Meridian Library District Board of Trustees October 9, 2013
Revised November 20, 2024