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Chesapeake Public Library Foundation
Ensuring the Future of the Chesapeake Public Library
Our Mission
The Chesapeake Public Library (CPL) Foundation seeks contributions to support the library's important collection of books and materials and to increase learning opportunities for the City's growing population. The Library Foundation was incorporated in 1998 as a tax-exempt, charitable, non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status, designed to provide funding that complements the City's support for continued operation of the library. It is operated by a Board of Directors and has no membership program.
Accomplishments
The CPL Foundation has a rich history of accomplishment. As part of the effort to build a secure future for our public library, the Foundation has received generous grants and donations from organizations and individuals. The following are a few of the programs and services made possible by the generosity of individual, corporate and foundation donors to the Chesapeake Public Library Foundation:
· Established in 2010, Novel Nights, an annual literary fundraiser, is the premier event for the Foundation. Featuring celebrated authors and poets, fine food and beverages, live music and an upscale silent auction, Novel Nights is an evening of literary decadence filled with good friends and great conversation. For more information on Novel Nights, visit the website at www.novelnights.com.
· The Chesapeake Poetry Festival, hosted by the Foundation from 1994-2010 at the Russell Memorial Library, helped increased community awareness of poetry and literature. A unique cultural program for the Tidewater area, the Poetry Festival featured renowned national poets with ties to Virginia. The intent of the project was to bring together, in an informal setting, Virginia poets and the community at large to stimulate an interest in personal writing and to develop a sense of the importance of putting life experiences on paper. The festival gave the public an opportunity to interact with those who made poetry their life's work, and demonstrated the richness of Virginia's regionally, nationally, and internationally known poets through their readings. The Festival was generously supported through the years by C. Edward Russell, Jr. and the Foundation.
· The CPL Foundation established a long term revenue stream for the Library in 2011 through a donation from the Harry Bramhall Gilbert Charitable Trust that funded the purchase of copiers and printers for use by the public. The Gilbert Trust has also supported expansion of the library's collection, provided two electric disability scooters for the Central library, and helped furnish the new Indian River Library Young Adult room.
· The Library, in partnership with the Foundation, was awarded a $100,000 Smart Investing@Your Library® grant in 2009 to provide financial literacy training to the community. The projects is designed to help build the capacity of public libraries to provide effective, unbiased investor education at the community level by providing high-quality resources and services. Our program teams with Norfolk State University and other community organizations to offer a fun approach to investor education through gaming and other online resources. The Foundation serves as the 501(c)(3) organization that administers the grant funds.
· The Foundation arranged with American Office Systems, owned by Mr. Alan Cole, to provide public copiers for the libraries from 1999 through 2010. The company donated over $97,000 in proceeds to CPLF through this arrangement, enabling the Foundation to support numerous library programs and projects.
· A donation from the Marie Dornhecker Trust in 2006 to the Foundation enabled the Library to establish a special collection of foreign language reading materials for the community. This is a unique collection of popular items available in French, Spanish, German, Chinese and Russian. Additional donations from the Marie Dornhecker Trust to the Foundation were made in 2008 and 2011 to support expansion of the collection.
· A bequest from the Barbara E. Smith Testamentary Trust in 2005 provided additional public access computers for the South Norfolk Library.
· The CPL Foundation teamed up with the Gates Foundation in 2001 to purchase Public Internet access computers for our libraries that were ineligible for the Gates grant.
· Through a donation made in 1999 from The Honorable Linwood L. Briggs, former mayor of South Norfolk, the Foundation made a long-term commitment to purchase books for the South Norfolk Library and enhance the Library's literacy room.
You Can Help Create A Legacy
If you want to help support the Chesapeake Public Library and its efforts to create a more literate and informed community, consider making a gift to the Library Foundation. Your gift will help provide resources for future generations of library users. In addition, you may receive substantial financial benefits and tax savings. There are a number of ways to give wisely through the Chesapeake Public Library Foundation:
· Book Endowment Fun
A contribution to the Book Endowment Fund buys a book in perpetuity. Part of your gift, twenty-five percent, will be used immediately to purchase new material for the library. The remaining seventy-five percent of your gift will go into the endowment to earn interest for buying books in the future. Endowments are truly gifts that live forever. Book Endowment Fund donations are recognized with customized bookplates in the items purchased.
· Adopt-A-Book
If you are looking for a special way to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion, consider a gift to the Chesapeake Public Library Foundation. Adopt-A-Book is a rewarding and lasting way to recognize a loved one or commemorate an important occasion. Gifts can be designated for the purchase of library materials and a gift plate will be placed in the item recognizing the special event.
· Planned Giving
You can give to the future of your community through a bequest in your will or other planned gift to the Chesapeake Public Library Foundation. Or perhaps you want to make charitable gifts during your lifetime which allow you to take maximum advantage of the charitable deduction on your income tax return. Lifetime gifts can also serve to reduce the size of your estate and allow you to see the impact of your donation on the services of the Library.
It's Your Choice
Only you can make the decision about who will benefit from your years of work. We urge you to talk to your attorney, accountant, financial planner, life insurance underwriter, or any Director of the Chesapeake Public Library Foundation about making the Foundation one of your beneficiaries.
Your Support Can Make A Difference
Our libraries are truly centers for community learning, offering free public access to resources that inspire, educate, and entertain. We invite you to join with us by contributing private dollars to create a funding partnership that will make an investment in the future of our community. Through the Foundation you can help make the difference between a good library and a great library.
For assistance or more information about how you can help the Chesapeake Public Library Foundation, contact the Administrative Assistant, Phyllis Schirle, at 410-7105.
Chesapeake Public Library Foundation Board of Directors
C. Edward Russell, Jr., Chairman
Burke H. Craver, Jr., Treasurer
Elizabeth B. Fowler, Secretary
Sheree Best, Director
Dawn Matheson, Director
James A. Roy, Director
Stephen J. Telfeyan, Director
Stuart D. Glasser, Director Emeritus
Contact us at:
Chesapeake Public Library Foundation
298 Cedar Road
Chesapeake, VA 23322-5598
Phone: 757-410-7100 Fax: 757-410-7112