Fresh Chapter: New Ways We're Supporting Our Libraries this Spring

Save the date for the 2024 Giving Challenge! Please join us in supporting our libraries during the Giving Challenge, an exciting online giving event bringing together 700 local nonprofit organizations and passionate donors who support their causes. Hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, with giving strengthened by the Patterson Foundation, all unique donations of $25-$100 will be matched 1:1 from noon to noon, April 9-10. Double the impact of your gift to our libraries by donating to the Library Foundation during the 24-hour Giving Challenge! Thank you, Harry Shapiro Charitable Foundation! We’re grateful to the Harry Shapiro Charitable Foundation, which recently awarded the Library Foundation a $15,000 grant to support the libraries’ county-wide 2024 Summer Learning program!  Summer learning provides engaging educational programs, keeps children safe and healthy, and sends students back to school ready to learn. Last summer over 20,000 attendees participated in 1,200 library programs! Leaders Circle Society Celebrates One Book One Community Our Leaders Circle donors and Community Advocacy Team had so much fun celebrating the library’s One Book One Community program. Pulitzer-Prize winning author Ed Yong spoke to a standing-room only crowd at Selby Library. The Library Foundation is honored to sponsor this special program which brings the community together through a shared reading experience. Thank you to our generous donors for helping make this event possible! Library Advocacy in Action We’re so proud of our board members Sarah Karon and Vic Romano, who traveled to Tallahassee on January 23 to participate in the Florida Library Association’s Library Legislative Day. They spent the day meeting with our elected representatives to thank them for their support and share information about why libraries are such an important community resource. Happy Birthday, Jacaranda Library! We had a wonderful time celebrating Jacaranda Library’s 30th anniversary with an after-hours celebration in the stacks this January. Founded by literacy advocate Frances T. Bourne and funded by a voter-approved one-cent surtax in 1994, this much-loved library has become a cornerstone of the south Venice community. Gulf Gate Library Named Top 50 Library in the US Did you know? Gulf Gate Library has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Libraries in America by ELLE Decor Magazine! Find out what makes Gulf Gate Library stand out and discover other remarkable libraries nationwide here.  Make Your Impact Now Tax season is a powerful moment to support the Library Foundation, and our free tool makes it easier than ever to save while you give. By giving a tax-smart gift — like appreciated stock or an IRA contribution — you can make an impact on our libraries now and feel the financial benefits tomorrow. Make a Tax-Smart Gift Here Great communities deserve great libraries. Your tax-deductible gift helps ensure the future of our libraries as an indispensable community resource. Click on the button below to make a credit card donation, or  click here to learn about more ways to give.  Thank you for your generous support.  Make a Donation Today We champion strong public libraries, support innovation and help to extend the library system’s reach for everyone in Sarasota. sarasotalibraryfoundation.org | 941.404.3139 | hello@sarasotalibraryfoundation.org The Library Foundation for Sarasota County is a qualified tax exempt charity under §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture Consumer Services under §496.405, Registration No. CH35489  Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* *{{Unsubscribe}}*