2008 Grants
In 2008, the Friends of The Seattle Public Library donated $110,000 to The Seattle Public Library Foundation to support the following programs:
Opportunity Fund $35,000
Summer Reading Program for Adults $12,000
Teen Programs $30,000
Wallace Endowment Challenge $33,000
Total $110,000
The Friends support the grant amounts and allocation because they fund a mix of programs and projects for current activities and longer term, continuing programs.
The Wallace Endowment Challenge for Cultural Programming was added to the list of recommendations because of its matching requirement. A short description of the Endowment follows:
This endowment is part of a long-term funding strategy for the Library's cultural programming for immigrants and refugees. It is one of the Foundation's highest priorities for funding since monies must be raised by the end of 2009.
Since 2004, The Friends of the Library have taken a leadership role in the Library’s efforts to fulfill the strategic priority of Service to Immigrants and Refugees. Last year FOL approved $50,000 to help the Foundation meet the Allen Challenge Grant for Life Skills for New Americans.
The Wallace Endowment Challenge was awarded in 2006. It is a $1.5 million Excellence Grant to The Seattle Public Library Foundation, a matching challenge grant for the purpose of building a $3 million endowed fund that will sustain cultural programming for immigrants and refugees beyond the initial years that were funded through the Allen grant.
At this point, the library has raised $1,215,000 towards the goal of 1.5 million. That leaves $285,000 to go, which must be raised by the end of 2009.