Donations & Fundraising

Gifts of Materials

1. The Chippewa River District Library system accepts gifts of materials and equipment with the understanding that the library may do with them as it sees fit. The library will not accept materials or equipment that are not outright gifts.
2. Gifts of materials and equipment added to the library collection are subject to the same principles and standards of selection as are applied to similar items purchased by the library. All gifts of materials or equipment must be in usable physical condition.
3. All equipment and materials in the library's collections will be displayed, circulated, or made available for use in a manner consistent with library facilities, mission and policies, good library practice, and the needs of the public.
4. The Chippewa River District Library system has full authority as to when, where, and how any gifts of materials or equipment are displayed or used. Photographs of donors or honorees or special plaques will not be accepted. Special collections of materials located apart from other similar materials will not be established. The library will attempt to comply with the wishes of the donor as long as they do not conflict with the provisions of this policy.
5. A library that is used extensively by its public sustains losses through theft, mutilation and ordinary wear. The library cannot guarantee that any gift will be part of the collection permanently.
6. Because of limitations of space, budget, and staff, the library reserves the right to accept or discard, at its discretion, any unsolicited material sent to the library or its branches.

Gifts of Cash

1. The library encourages and welcomes cash gifts, endowment funds, and bequests for purchasing books, other library materials and equipment, for supporting programming, for improving the library facilities, or for the benefit of the library staff.
2. The library allows credit card payments through its website by adults age 18 and older for the purpose of donating to the library. Credit card details collected via electronic forms on the library's web site are encrypted using secure server technology. At no time does the library store credit card information. This information collected is only made accessible to authorized credit card vendors to complete the transaction.
3. The library reserves the right to refuse service or cancel transactions at any time. Completion of a transaction is contingent upon both the authorization by the applicable credit card company and acceptance by the library. In the event that a credit card transaction is unable to be processed, the library will attempt to notify the patron using the contact information provided.
4. While donors can be involved in choosing a collection or program area to contribute towards the final determination rests with the library staff.

Gifts to Library Employees

1. Organizations should not be led to believe that gifts to the library or the staff are expected as a result of regularly performed duties. However, from time to time, organizations that hold meetings at the library (or that request a library employee to speak at one of their meetings held outside the library setting) wish to give a gift to an employee as an appreciation for service provided. Since many library services are provided during regular work hours when an employee is receiving compensation for regular work duty, the acceptance of any monetary gift in addition to the compensation already provided for in the salary schedule is not appropriate. Moreover, any attempts at cultivating favoritism on the part of any one employee must be avoided.
2. Monetary gifts should be viewed as a goodwill gesture and must be given to the public library and not to the person performing the service.
3. Some organizations may decide to present a small gift other than money to show appreciation for a service, such as flowers, candy, or some other material gift. Library staff may receive such material gifts.

Gifts of works of art

1. The Chippewa River District Library system accepts gifts of works of art with the understanding that the library may do with them as it sees fit.
2. Guidelines for the display and disposition of works of art are outlined in policy #202.

Recognition and record retention

1. The library appreciates all donations and attempts to recognize donors appropriately in order to both demonstrate appreciation and to encourage donations of other potential donors through the attendant publicity.
2. A plate will be placed in each new book purchased with monies donated as memorial or other tributes.
3. The library may recognize individuals in whose name $200 or more has been contributed by inscribing on a plaque that person’s name or the name of a person the donor wishes to honor, and the year. In general, names listed on the plaque will not be repeated when additional donations are received, except in the case of contributions made to the library both by an individual while living and by others posthumously.
4. Upon request the library will provide a donation receipt to the donor.
5. The library will follow the State of Michigan Public Library record retention policy regarding donations. The following information will be retained regarding donations to the library: Name of donor, donation designation, items donated or amount of donation, and date.

Appraisal

1. Consistent with I.R.S. regulations, the appraising of a gift to the library for income tax purposes is the responsibility of the donor since it is the donor who requires an appraisal, not the library
2. The library should at all times protect the interests of its donors as best it can and should suggest the desirability of appraisals whenever such a suggestion would be in order.
3. The library should not appraise items for a private owner. It should limit its assistance to referring him/her to such sources as auction records and dealer's catalogues and to suggesting the names of appropriate experts who might be consulted
4. The donor is at liberty to make his own arrangements for an appraisal. The cost of the appraisal should ordinarily be borne by the donor, and is in itself a tax-deductible item.
5. The acceptance of a gift which has been appraised by a third – and presumably disinterested party does not in any way imply an endorsement of the appraisal by the library.

Fundraising

1. Chippewa River District Library administrative staff will pursue grants that will enhance the services, technology, infrastructure or materials provided to library users.
2. No fundraising activity will be permitted on Chippewa River District Library premises unless it has been approved by the Board or organized by the Friends of the Library. Fundraising is restricted to activities that directly benefit the library.
3. The Chippewa River District Library will make an effort to expand the financial resources of the district through active fundraising.
    

Approved: January 5, 1993

Revised:

• September 4, 2001
• April 11, 2005
• December 3, 2007
• February 15, 2011
• September 18, 2014
• September 18, 2018