Development Office information report

Kim Olsen-Clark, Acting Director, 312-280-5049, kolsen-clark@ala.org

Since our last report to the Executive Board in July 2008, the Development Office has continued to work on defining and improving internal functions and processes, as well as external activities that will, hopefully, garner new revenues for ALA. Specific activities include the following:

As last reported, due to recent staff changes at the Chicago office of Fleishman-Hillard, a global marketing and corporate communications company, discussions on various programmatic and sponsorship opportunities with the Allstate Foundation were placed on hold until further investigation. The ALA Development Office has been in recent contact with the Allstate Foundation and has learned that they have been restructuring their strategic goals. The restructure of their strategic goals will be completed by mid-October and a follow up conversation is planned.

In August 2008, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) submitted a letter of inquiry to Atlantic Philanthropies in support of Privacy for All: Rallying Americans to Defend Our Freedoms campaign. The LOI was declined in October. The campaign is a three-year public engagement campaign to recommitment privacy rights in the 21^st century.

In August 2008, the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) submitted a competitive proposal to the Foundation in response to their RFP for a Connectivity Awareness Summit Producer. Through this project, the ALA would work with state library agencies to help them develop an approach to ensure that all libraries in their state would achieve broadband connectivity. In September, ALA received notification from the Foundation that they awarded the grant to Connected Nation.

In July 2008, the Carnegie Corporation of New York gave a grant award of $489,173 to the ALA to administer the “The Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.” This award program reinstates and expands The New York Times program which recognized public and academic librarians. Up to 10 public, school and academic librarians annually will receive $5,000 and be recognized at an awards ceremony in New York. The requested grant period is from July 1, 2008 through April 30, 2013.

In August 2008, Demco agreed to support the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator. Demco will be joining other long-time supporters of the award: Johnson Publications, Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book. Book Wholesalers, Inc. was the previous sponsor of the illustrator award.

In July 2008, Hasbro and Dale Lipschultz, Literacy Officer with the ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS), made arrangements for a donation of Hasbro’s game, Pictureka! to all public libraries in celebration of the ALA’s first ever National Gaming Day @ your library (Saturday, November 15, 2008). Their donation also includes all shipping and handling expenses. In addition, a Hasbro-owned subsidiary, Top Trumps is making a donation of their card game with conditional limitations. Wizards of the Coast, another Hasbro-owned subsidiary, is also making a donation of games with conditional limitations, along with sponsorship funding for six banner ads in AL Direct and a downloadable PDF poster. Project managers for National Gaming Day @ your library continue to receive e-mails and telephone calls from various gaming companies looking to ‘partner’ with ALA on its gaming initiatives.

The ALA and Investor Protection Trust (IPT) have decided to amicably part ways. ALA collaborated with IPT on the Investor Education @ your library® program.

In September 2008, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) submitted a letter of inquiry to the Knight Foundation in support of Privacy for All: Rallying Americans to Defend Our Freedoms campaign. Subsequently, the Knight Foundation contacted Patricia Martin, a consultant working with OIF on their campaign, and directed OIF to submit a proposal to two of its programs: journalism and the news challenge fund. OIF is currently preparing a proposal for submission.

At the Foundation’s request, the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) is preparing a proposal for submission on Internet credibility.

In September 2008, Thomas Nelson Publishing requested information on ALA and its literacy initiatives. Materials were mailed to them by Dale Lipschultz, Literacy Officer with the ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS), and the ALA Development Office in October. Follow-up is planned in late October.

The Cartoon Network is currently reviewing a proposal in support of a supplement chapter, entitled “Online Gaming,” to the gaming tool box. The proposal was submitted by the ALA Development Office and Dale Lipschultz, Literacy Officer with the ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS).

Through ALA’s ongoing collaboration with the Verizon Foundation, the Foundation’s Thinkfinity.org Web site now features Thinkfinity @ your library™, a new web page that is tailored specifically for school library media specialists. It can be found under the ‘Educator’ tab. Thinkfinity.org is a digital learning platform that provides interactive activities, reference materials and other online resources for educators, students and parents in an effort to support student achievement. ALA initiatives, such as National Library Week, School Library Media Month and the Youth Media Awards will be highlighted across the Thinkfinity site.

In July 2007, the ALA received a two-year grant of $270,700 from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to create a prototype of an electronic magazine to the public. ALA continues to seek funding for the continuation of the publication, both in print and electronic format, through sponsorship, advertising and foundation support.

Univision Radio, the largest Hispanic radio company in the nation, has committed to airing PSAs about libraries in nine markets: Austin, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, San Antonio, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. – while also promoting the use of the PSAs across its network of 70 stations. The campaign is administered by the Public Information Office (PIO).

ALA, the Public Programs Office (PPO) and the ALA Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee are pleased to announce that more than $1.3 million has been donated by friends, businesses and foundations during the Cultural Communities Fund (CCF) campaign, which concluded on September 12, 2008. ALA raised more than $1 million in response to a Challenge Grant of $320,000 in matching funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities to reach the total. The five-year endowment campaign is the largest in ALA's history and is one of the most successful endowments campaigns ever attempted by the association. The conclusion of the campaign does not mean a diminution in ALA's fundraising efforts for the CCF. Information on how to give to the CCF will continue to appear on the PPO and ALA Development Office Web sites. ALA's online 'giveALA' will also list the CCF as an ongoing giving opportunity.

The ALA Development Office has been working closely with nine individuals who have indicated their interest in making a planned gift to the association or have included ALA or one of its divisions, offices or round tables in their estate plans.

The Development Office has been working closely with the Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) and Executive Office on the following scholarship:

Since March 2008, the Development Office and Mrs. Barbara Oakley have been working together on a targeted mailing campaign to colleagues, friends and family to fund a permanent endowed scholarship. To date, more than $43,000 in gifts and pledges has been raised.

In consultation with Falona Joy, a consultant with the Alford Group, the Office for Diversity (OFD) and the ALA Development Office are developing the case for support for the future Spectrum Scholarship Program campaign. The Alford Group was hired through funding made possible by a grant to OFD from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). In this pre-planning phase, the ALA is identifying appropriate strategies in order to move forward with a feasibility study for the campaign.