1996 CARL Research Award: Final Report
California Academic Library Development:
A Preliminary Survey
Irene M. Hoffman
Library Advancement Director, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Amy Smith
Director of Development, CSU Fresno
Leslie DiBona
Library Development Director, San Diego State University
 IN
1996, CARL awarded one of its first Research Awards to fund a survey on
academic library advancement in California. This survey, which was conducted
as a subset of a broader national survey on academic library fund raising,
was completed in 1997. The findings are presented here. It is our hope
that these findings can be used to establish baseline information on the
practice of academic library fund raising that can become a useful tool
for library administrators in the planning stages of building a library
advancement program.This
survey was the outcome of preliminary research conducted within the California
State University system. In 1994, there seemed to be a sudden surge in
the number of library fund raising programs starting up within the CSU
libraries. It was assumed that these new programs were a direct result
of the CSU Strategic Plan [Transforming CSU Libraries for the 21st Century:
A Strategic Plan for the CSU Council of Library Directors, September 23,
1994]. This plan outlined several goals including one that stated that
each campus will "implement initiatives to establish a broader base of
resources characterized by multiple and diverse funding sources." This
goal was implemented and within 3 years, the number of development directors
on staff within the 23 CSU Libraries grew from four in 1994 to more than
nineteen by 1998.There
also seemed to be a concurrent trend nationally in the growth of library
advancement programs and initiatives. Sparked by this rapid increase and
interest in library fund raising, we began to ask ourselves several questions.
Was academic library fund raising becoming a new area of specialization
within the profession? Who was responsible for fund raising at the libraries?
What were the indicators for a successful program? How much was being
raised? All of these questions led to development of a broader understanding
of this new trend and emerging area of interest within academic libraries.About the Survey In
fall 1996 we developed and distributed the academic library development
survey instrument (appendix). The goal of the survey was threefold:1. To better understand the growth of this area of expertise 2. To better understand the background and training of these new specialists 3. To better understand the indicators that lead to success There
were 206 surveys distributed to academic libraries in the state of California,
which included all public and private institutions of higher learning.
(NOTE: A broader, national survey was distributed at the same time. Findings
reported in this article pertain to California findings only. National
results of the survey are being analyzed separately). We received responses
from 100 California libraries, a 48.5% response rate.Assisted
by Dr. William Stock, Ph.D. at California State University, Fresno, we
began the analysis of the survey results using SPSS. Crosstabulations
and correlations were used to understand the data and begin developing
answers to some of our questions. Using the responses, we hoped to begin
to understand the types of institutions, the educational and professional
background of development officers, and how these individuals are classified
and compensated. Since many of us were new to this area of work, we were
also curious to learn how other libraries have fared; what fund raising
programs were used and were successful, and finally, how could we begin
to create a profile for success that could be beneficial for library administrators
seeking to establish fund raising programs.Fund Raising Programs The
results of the California Academic library development survey differ from
the national survey primarily due to the relative newness of programs.
Thirty percent of the responses indicated their institutions had some
kind of academic library development program. Seventy percent did not.
Of the 70 who did not have a program in place, 24 indicated plans to begin
a development program within the next three years. This validated our
assumption that fund raising in academic libraries in California is a
new and emerging area of interest and need.Most
academic library fundraising programs in California are less than five
years old, however programs that are seven years or older raise the most
funds. Some younger programs have experienced some 'beginner's luck' with
early fund raising success. The most mature program, 25 years old, raised
the largest amount of money of the respondents.Library
development programs that are coordinated in some way with the central
campus advancement effort raise more funds than those who are not.When
it comes to the cost of raising money, most left this question blank.
This indicates that either there is no line item budget for library advancement,
or, as was stated in many responses, the development program is allowed
to use fiscal resources as needed to get the job done. Seven responses
did indicate an actual budget amount ranging from $11,000 annually all
the way up to $180,000 annually. In the case where the budgets were above
$100,000, these libraries were also involved in a capital campaign.Library Development Directors Of
the respondents, 23 were librarians and 6 were non-librarian fund raising
professionals, and one declined to state. The results indicated that those
development directors who were also librarians were the most likely to
have other library responsibilities unlike their development professional
counterparts. The data indicated that those without other library responsibilities
(those who focus exclusively on fund raising) raised the most funds. Development
directors hired specifically and solely to do fund raising raised almost
four times as much money as those who have competing responsibilities.Development
directors with four or more years in fund raising raise more funds. Again,
seven appears as a 'peak' number of years. When it comes to time spent
on task, there are no surprises. Development directors who spend at least
75% of their time with donors raised more funds for their libraries than
those who spent 50% or less of their time with donors. Overall, development
directors who spend at least 75% of their time fundraising have the greatest
success.Average funds raised It
was also no surprise that the survey results showed that private institutions
are raising more funds annually than public institutions. Survey results
indicated that the private institutions have programs that have been in
existence longer than most public institutions. These results also confirm
the national results that show that age of the program does affect its
success.Public
institutions annually raised an average of almost $600,000 while private
institutions raised an average of almost $1.2 million. Graduate and undergraduate
institutions far surpass all other types of institutions (community colleges)
in raising funds. The annual average for these institutions is $1.1 million
followed by the community colleges at an average of $100,000.Friends
groups that are part of an annual giving program raised substantially
more money than Friends groups that are not included in the annual fund
solicitations.Programs
with the highest fundraising goals raised the most. However, this may
be an indication that fund raising goals are realistically set to match
the fund raising potential of the program, not that the higher the goal,
the more that can be raised. Having a large donor base positively impacts
the success of the fund raising program as well. While 250 donors seem
to be able to raise substantial funds, 2,500 donors can raise even more.Factors for Success The
most significant factor to a successful fund raising program is the fund
raising goal, followed by the number of donors in the donor database.
These results differ from the results of the national survey in which
the factor for the greatest success in a fund raising program is the age
of the program. This difference could be caused by the fact that California
has more libraries with newer programs.Other
factors that lead to success include whether the development officer was
hired specifically to do fund raising, followed by how long the development
officer had been in the position, followed by the age of the library development
program. The next significant factor is percent of time spent with major
donors.Advice for New Programs The
results of this survey indicate there are definite do's and don'ts in
planning a successful fund raising program for your library.1. Like fine wine, give your fund raising time to mature. Successful programs do not happen overnight. The older the program, the greater the return. 2. Whenever possible, create a program that ties into the campus wide advancement effort. 3. Regardless of professional training, development directors with experience in fund raising are more successful raising funds. 4. Help your fund raiser to be successful by providing him/her with a budget (it takes money to raise money) and a focused set of responsibilities that concentrate on raising external funds and working with donors (the more time on task, the greater the success). 5. If you have a Friends group or plan to start one, be sure to integrate them into the overall fund raising effort by including them in annual fund solicitations. 6. Finally, the size of the donor pool impacts success. Special attention should be given initially to donor acquisition strategies that can help grow the donor database. This, like your program, needs time to mature. Summary These
results echo many of the findings from the national survey, except that
library fund raising seems to be a much newer trend in California than
in the rest of the country. The reasons for this may be the obvious -
- decreased funding for higher education coupled with increased demands
for expensive new technologies and capital improvements for outdated facilities.
Whatever the issues, it is clear that academic library fund raising is
an important new area of need and specialization within the academic library
community.Given
the growth in this area, even more questions surface, such as: What kind
of skills and training do we need to provide for our library staff in
the area of fund raising? How can fund raising goals be included in performance
evaluations for librarians as well as staff? Are our library schools providing
continuing education in this field of study?As
our library fund raising efforts mature, it will be interesting to note
the collective contributions these efforts have made on our libraries.
One critical piece is the donor and the new partnerships we are creating
with them. These alumni, friends and corporations will all be a part of
the future of our libraries. Perhaps one day, these efforts will create
a community of California library supporters who will all join together
in helping us provide the ongoing, private support that will take our
libraries into the 21st Century.Appendix The
purpose of this survey is to examine, analyze and assess the growing trend
of fund raising in academic libraries. This survey will be used to construct
a profile of the academic library fund raiser, what our backgrounds are,
how our positions vary, how much we raise, who are our donors, what are
our programs.SECTION I: ABOUT YOUR LIBRARY 1. What kind of institution? ___ graduate ___ graduate & undergraduate ___ undergraduate ___ community college ___ other 2. Is your library a member of the ARL (Association of Research Libraries)? ___ yes ___ no 3. Is your institution ___ Public ___ Private 4. What is your annual library budget? __________________ 5. Do you have a fund raising program for the library? ___ yes ___ no (IF NO, COMPLETE QUESTION #6, AND RETURN SURVEY IN ENVELOPE PROVIDED) 6. If no, do you have plans to begin one within the next 3 years? ___ yes ___ no 7. Who manages your fund raising program? ___ a fund raising professional and/or librarian ___ the library director ___ the friends of the library group ___ no one SECTION II: ABOUT YOU 8. What is your gender? ___ female ___ male 9. What is your highest education level? ___ Bachelor ___ Masters ___ Doctorate ___ other: __________ 10. In what area(s) is(are) your degree(s) or certificate(s)? ___ librarianship ___ fund raising ___ both ___ other: ___________________ 11. How many years have you worked in fund raising? ____ years 12. How many years have you worked in libraries? ____ years 13. Is this your first fund raising position? ___ Yes ___ No 14. Have you had any continuing education in fund raising? ___ Yes ___ No Please describe: ________________________________________________ 15. What is your annual salary (or equivalent)? ___ 18K-25K ___ 26K-40K ___ 41K-50K ___ 51K-65K ___ 66K-75K ___ 76K and above SECTION III: ABOUT YOUR JOB 16. What is your position title? ____________________________________ 17. Is your position (check all that apply): ___ full-time ___ part-time ___ temporary ___ permanent ___ volunteer ___ other (please describe) _______________________ 18. What is your current job classification? ___ staff ___ management staff ___ faculty ___ other: _________ 19. Is your position tenure track or tenured? __ Yes, tenure track or tenured __ Not tenure track or tenured __ Does not apply 20. Do you have retreat rights? __ Yes __ No __ Does not apply 21. Was this a newly-created position when you were hired? __ Yes __ No 22. Were you hired specifically to do fund raising? __ Yes __ No 23. If no, (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY) ___ were you appointed from within to do fund raising? ___ was fund raising delegated to you? ___ did you volunteer to be involved? ___ other, please describe: ______________________________ 24. To whom do you report? ___ Library Dean/Library Director ___ Director of Development ___ Both ___ other: _____________________________________ 25. Is your position ___ funded by the library ___ funded by campus development ___ funded by the library fund raising program ___ volunteer ___ other (please describe)__________________________ 26. How long have you been in this position? ___ less than 1 year ___ 1-3 years ___ 3-5 years ___ more than 5 years 27. Is this position a part of the library management team? ___ Yes ___ No 28. How much of the library fund raising activities are your responsibility? ___ 100% ___ 75% ___ 50% ___ 25% ___ 10% 29. Percent of your time spent on fund raising: ___ 100% (if 100% go directly to question #23) ___ 75% ___ 50% ___ 25% ___ 10% 30. If less than 100% of your time is spent on fund raising, please describe the other type(s) of work: (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY) ____ reference work ____ collection development ____ management ____ human resources ____ strategic planning ____ statistical reporting ____ budget ____ public relations ____ grant writing and grants development ____ other: _______________________________________ 31. Percent of time spent with major donors: ___ 100% ___ 75% ___ 50% ___ 25% ___ 10% 32. Do you have a support staff? ___ Yes ___ No 33. Is your clerical support ___ full-time ___ part-time ___ shared ___ none at all 34. Is your clerical support ___ paid by library ___ paid by campus ___ paid from fund raising funds ___ volunteer ___ student assistant SECTION IV: FUND RAISING 35. How long has your library had a fund raising program? ____ years 36. How would you describe your fund raising program? ___ new program ___ developing program ___ established program ___ mature program 37. What is your annual fund raising goal? ________________________________________ 38. Who sets this goal? ________________________________________ 39. How much is your annual fund raising budget? ________________________________________ 40. Who sets this amount? _________________________________________ 41. Do you have a Friends group? ___ Yes ___ No 42. Percent of time spent with Friends group: ___ 100% ___ 75% ___ 50% ___ 25% ___ 10% ___ less than 10% 43. Is your Friends group: ___ part of main fund raising program ___ run under separate organization 44. Is your Friends group part of the annual giving program? ___ Yes ___ No 45. What is your administrative responsibility to the Friends group? ___ advisory ___ liaison ___ primary manager ___ none at all ___ other: _______________________ 46. What percentage of the library director's time is devoted to fund raising? ___ 100% ___ 75% ___ 50% ___ 25% ___ 10% ___ less than 10% 47. How would you describe your library director's involvement with fund raising? ___ always involved ___ usually involved ___ occasionally involved ___ never involved 48. Is your fund raising program a part of the campus-wide advancement program? ___ Yes ___ No 49. Is your campus advancement program ___ centralized ___ decentralized ___ combination 50. On average, how much do you raise annually through your library's fund raising effort? $____________________ 51. How many donors in your donor database? _____________ 52. Please assign percentages to your donor pool: ___% Friends of the library ___% alumni ___% parents ___% students ___% foundations/corporations ___% community members 53. Do you have a development advisory board? ___ Yes ___ No 54. Do you have a friends advisory board? ___ Yes ___ No 55. Are these boards one and the same? ___ Yes ___ No 56. If not, what is their relationship? ___ No relationship ___ Friends board is a subgroup of development board ___ Development board is a subgroup of Friends board ___ Other (please describe) _____________________________ SECTION V: PROGRAMS 57. What is the breakdown of donations? ___% cash gifts ___% gifts-in-kind ___% bequests/planned gifts ___% foundation/corp gifts 58. What are the fund raising priorities for your library? [1=not a priority, 5= high priority] ___ establish endowments ___ grow endowments ___ establish friends group ___ grow friends group ___ major gifts ___ corporation/foundation grants ___ planned gifts prospecting ___ develop planned gifts ___ establish annual giving program ___ grow annual giving program ___ capital campaign ___ special gifts/mini campaigns ___ other: __________________________________ 59. What types of programs have you done and how successfully? [0=too soon to tell, 1= not successful, 5=very successful] ___ book plating ___ phonathons ___ endowments ___ capital campaigns ___ fund raising events ___ social events ___ bequests ___ athletics partnerships ___ alumni partnerships ___ planned gifts ___ annual fund ___ direct mail ___ emeriti ___ special gifts/mini-campaigns ___ brick campaigns ___ other:______________________________ 60. Are you still involved in any of these programs? If so, which ones? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY) ___ book plating ___ phonathons ___ endowments ___ capital campaigns ___ fund raising events ___ social events ___ bequests ___ athletics partnerships ___ alumni partnerships ___ planned gifts ___ annual fund ___ direct mail ___ emeriti ___ special gifts/mini-campaigns ___ brick campaigns ___ other:___________________________ ___ other:___________________________ THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!!! |
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