| Organization information | |
|---|---|
| Organization Name | Saugatuck-Douglas District Library |
| Please tell us the amount of funding you are requesting Aware to raise for your organization from the Aware annual fundraising event. | $6000 |
| If your organization received Aware funding in the previous years, how many clients were serviced and/or how many services were provided with those funds. If you receive Aware funding this current year, how many clients will be serviced and/or how many services will be provided with these funds? | In February of 2021, the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library received $2500 from West Shore Aware. The funding request was originally for the purpose of holding 5 concerts or educational events for adults. By the time funds were approved, we were under lockdown and were unable to hold large-scale public events. With permission from your organization, we pivoted and hosted a summer-long public art exhibit called "Unmasked." It featured cell phone portraits submitted by our users. We had over 100 submissions. We selected 50 to be printed and displayed. Countless visitors viewed the portraits over the course of the summer. We also had a public reception and a virtual photography class with Kim Zahnow. |
| Please provide a listing of the Officers and Board members of your organization. | Ingrid Steen Boyer, Director |
| Your Contact Information | Ingrid Boyer |
| Phone | 269-857-8241 |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Scoring Criteria | |
| 1. Description of the Organization (maximum 5 points, please limit to ½ pages) | The mission of the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library is to be a welcoming place that supports lifelong learning, inspires the exploration of ideas and culture, and enriches the lives of all our users through diverse materials, programs and services. Thanks to the support of voters, we moved into a brand new building in October of 2020. Our community has discovered and taken full advantage of the new space in ways that were not previously possible. In addition to materials, services and educational programs, we are now a busy gathering space for groups as well as a prime location for individuals who are working or studying remotely. The Library has joyfully embraced these expanded roles. Through our newly adopted Strategic Plan, we continue to find new ways to meet the growing demands of our users while maintaining traditional collections and services. The Saugatuck-Douglas District Library primarily serves the residents of Douglas, Saugatuck and Saugatuck Township, who collectively number approximately 5,600 people. In addition to our resident patrons, the Library also serves non-resident students of the Saugatuck Public School system, summer visitors and neighbors from nearby communities. The Library welcomes all people—regardless of where they live or who they are—and fulfills an important social role as one of the few non-commercial public spaces in our area. |
| 2. Funding Request (maximum 35 points, total, please limit to 1 page) | The Library requests a grant of $6000 to purchase and install a solar-powered charging station as part of a newly designed outdoor space. The enhanced space will offer multiple features for all ages. The plan includes informal seating for small groups, semi-private work spaces for individuals, a shaded patio for larger groups, paths to improve access and eventually a nature play area for children and families. If funded, the solar charging station will be a valuable amenity, providing a convenient, eco-friendly way for patrons to charge their electronic devices, including laptops, tablets, and phones. By installing a solar-powered charging station, the Library will: The grant funding will cover: Specifications: In early 2023, the Library board began the work of creating a new strategic planning. After months of focus groups and hundreds of patron surveys, the final plan was approved in January 2024. In our patron survey, we asked respondents to react to a list of possible areas for future development. The option to “more fully utilize the green space surrounding the library” was one of the top two priorities identified by our users, with 40% of respondents saying they were “Very Interested” and another 43% saying they were “Somewhat Interested.” Survey data also indicates a critical need for additional quiet spaces. The trend of remote work and online education that began during the pandemic has continued. Demand for our single study room is high, especially in the summer when the building is noisier and there are more part-time residents looking for places to work remotely. We cannot currently accommodate everyone who needs a private space for a virtual meeting. A backyard with multiple semi-private nooks and patios will allow more people to use the Library for this purpose. The added infrastructure of a solar charging station will optimize the space for everyone., especially students and working professionals. It is a cost-effective approach that allows us to expand our capacity and meet patron needs during the busiest season of the year. |
| 3. Funding Justification (maximum 40 points, please limit to 1 page) | The planning of our new-and-improved backyard is already underway. The basic elements will be paid out of remaining construction project funds, already set aside in the Library’s budget. We are asking West Shore Aware to fund the solar-charging station as an add-on to the project. WSA would cover the entire cost of the charging station and installation costs. Although not absolutely essential, it will significantly increase functionality and user satisfaction. If our grant application is not selected, the Library will proceed without this amenity until alternate funding can be attained. In previous years, the Library has received small grants from state and federal sources. Those grant opportunities have been frozen for the last 3 years and will likely remain frozen for the foreseeable future. Private donations to the Library vary from year to year. Last fiscal year, contributions from individual donors represented 1.3% of our annual operating revenue. Our largest source of charitable donations is the Friends of the Library. Last fiscal year, their distributions made up 2.5% of our annual operating revenue. |
| 4. Summary | The Saugatuck-Douglas District Library requests a grant of $6000 to purchase and install a solar-powered charging station as part of a newly designed outdoor space. The overall plan to improve the Library’s backyard includes informal seating for small groups, semi-private work spaces for individuals, a shaded patio for larger groups, paths to improve access and eventually a nature play area for children and families. If funded, the solar charging station will be a valuable amenity, providing a convenient, eco-friendly way for patrons to charge their electronic devices, including laptops, tablets, and phones. In recent surveys, users expressed interest in more fully utilizing the Library’s green space and identified the need for additional quiet work spaces, especially in the summer months. By installing a solar-powered charging station, the Library will: We appreciate your consideration of this funding request. |
| Application Agreement | This is an application, otherwise known as a Request for Funding (RFF), from
West Shore Aware. This RFF is a request from your organization to Aware, for Aware to host a
Fundraising Event for your organization. By completing this RFF, your organization is requesting to be considered by Aware’s membership for an Aware fundraising event to be held during the summer of this year, also known as the White Party.
If your organization is chosen for a fundraising event by the Aware membership, your organization will agree to the following terms and conditions for the said fundraising event. 1. Aware will be given and provided full credit for the fundraising event in all of you organization’s publicity and advertising for said event, to include but not limited to event posters, newspaper advertising, handouts, radio and television advertising for the event, and organizational announcements concerning the event. 2. Your organization will only use the funds raised by Aware from said event for the purpose described in the RFF submitted to Aware. 3. Your organization understands that West Shore Aware is a philanthropic organization of LBGTQ+ individuals and their supporters, and that the funds your organization receives from Aware will be coming from the West Michigan lakeshore community. 4. The funds received from Aware as a result of the fundraising event will be net, after expenses for said fundraising event are paid. 5. Aware may use the name of your organization in its own advertising and publicity as a recipient of funds.. 6. Your organization will supply Aware with written approval to hold, or be part of a fundraising event held by Aware. 7. West Shore Aware reserves the right to audit any organization that receives funding to determine whether the funds were used as described in its RFF. 8. Your organization will allow West Shore Aware to use you organization’s name on the West Shore Aware website. In addition, if your organization has a website, you will link that website to the West Shore Aware website and allow West Shore Aware to link to your organization’s site. West Shore Aware’s web site link must remain on your web site for a full year from the date of the monetary disbursement. Failure to do so will disqualify you from requesting future funding. Once you have completed the RFF and agreed to the aforementioned, please submit it. Please sign this document below, indicating acceptance of the aforementioned terms and conditions. By signing the document, you acknowledge your organization is a registered 501(C) 3 Charitable organization. |
| Signature | |
| Date | 03/31/2025 |
| Ready to Submit |
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