What is Big Day of Giving?
Big Day of Giving is a 24-hour online giving challenge that brings together the region’s nonprofit community to help raise much needed funds and highlight the work nonprofits do to make the Sacramento region the place we call home.
Winters Friends of the Library has set a goal for raising $25,000 this year to Refresh and Restock our Winters Community Library.
When is Big Day of Giving?
In 2021, Big Day of Giving is on Thursday, May 6.
Why is this day of fundraising so important?
Participating in Big Day of Giving gives our small, volunteer-run non-profit access to support and training beyond our own resources.
The Winters Friends of the Library(WFoL) collaborates with local business and other non-profit groups to showcase our programs, volunteers, and donors who support lifelong learning and the Winters Community Library.
WFoL raises critical dollars in this 24-hour period and builds awareness and support for creating impactful opportunities to support our library, literacy, and community programs.
How will the funds be used?
Our Big Day of Giving campaign goal for 2021 is to raise $25,000 to Refresh and Restock and Reconnect to each other and all of our valuable library services and programs.
2020 was a busy year for the library! Even though for much the year our library was not open to the public, library staff were working hard to provide services to the community. People at home in the pandemic were still checking out books—both physical and digital—and demand for online services skyrocketed. The library remains a crucial resource for literacy, lifelong learning, and connection to our community.
New or modified programs for 2020 included:
- Online requests and curbside pickup for books, magazines, and DVDs
- New book bundles for children delivered curbside
- 6318 new e-books and audiobooks added to the collection
- Videos in English and Spanish showing how to use digital library services
- Contactless free printing, copying and faxing
- Reference services by email
- Expanded online Story Time programs and community reading programs for children and adults
- Personalized reading recommendations
- New online ESL class with a focus on digital skills
- Mobile hotspot lending program for families with children in school who do not have internet access
Now library staff are planning new ways to enhance the physical set-up for social distancing and move safely back to public hours, while maintaining online options for those who need them.
Winters Friends of the Library provides financial support to help our library meet community needs. Over the past three years, WFoL has raised more than $70,000 on Big Day of Giving to fund enhancements in the children’s and teen’s areas of the library, improvements to the Library Teaching Garden, purchase of a 3-D printer, expanded educational and outreach programs, and new Spanish-language books and materials.
The heavy demand for digital materials and services during the pandemic illustrates the need for new additions to the library collection. Our goal for Big Day of Giving 2021 is to raise $25,000 to Refresh and Restock Our Library. Please make a donation to help us meet our goal!
WFoL members: Please consider making a contribution on Big Day of Giving in addition to your annual membership gift. This is a separate fundraising effort and will fund library improvements above and beyond our usual level of support. Thank you!
How can you give?
Give Matching Funds In Advance
Matching funds are an exciting way to increase the impact of your donation, to encourage others to donate, and promote WFoL’s mission. Matching Donations and Grants are given as checks before April 26, 2021 and used to encourage donations on Big Day of Giving. If you would like to to contribute matching funds, please contact Carol Scianna at reply@wfol.org.
Create a Personal Fundraising Page to Share with Your Family, Friends, and Followers
Participating in the Big Day of Giving gives us access to many resources. One great tool is the ability to create a personal fundraising page in which you share your story about why you donate to Winters Friends of the Library and share your giving page with your family, friends, coworkers and networks to encourage them to give, too. The online donations from your personal WFOL fundraising page will be eligible for matching funds and possible prize boosters. You can set up a campaign as an individual or as a group–say the staff of ( ), or a club, or a classroom. It is easy to set up a page and many possibilities for trying to broaden the support for our library and our community. Please contact Lisa Nalbone at reply@wfol.org for more details.
Schedule Your Donation in Advance Starting April 22, 2021.
Are you worried about remembering to donate during the 24 hours, or not being in town? Not to worry,
- Starting April 22, 2021, you may schedule a donation in advance at www.bigdayofgiving.org/wfol. The donation will be charged in the first hour on May 6, 2021.
Donate on May 6, 2021:
- Starting at midnight May 6, donate online at bigdayofgiving.org/wfol
- Donate in person at the Winters Community Library from 8am – 8 pm.
Help us win big for Winters!
Did you know that participating in Big Day of Giving is the chance to win prizes and booster dollars?
Each year there are a variety of prizes that donors or the organization can win to help serve our mission.
Examples of prizes from past years are the very first donor at 12 am, hourly random prizes, most donors in a given time frame, most new donors to an organization, most donors overall. Check the official Big Day of Giving website in late April to see what prize categories will be offered for the current year.
Don’t miss out on any updates or new events by signing-up for the WFoL email newsletter.
Sign-up here for the WFoL email newsletter.
Questions?
First, here is a little background for those new to Winters Friends of the Library.
Since 1985 the Winters Friends of the Library has worked to support our library and lifelong learning opportunities for all members of our community. WFoL has:
- helped build a new library.
- supported access to technology, the actual computers and laptops, or better broadband to make it easier for people to connect and engage with resources when our library is open, and beyond library walls after hours. Have you seen the parking lot on evenings and weekends? For many people, free wifi access is crucial for their ability to apply for jobs, college, or access information they need to improve their lives.
- provided programs that help people engage with books, reading, cultural events, and creative ways to begin or continue learning for all ages.
- helped people engage with volunteering opportunities that lead to learning, new friendships, connections and collaboration with other organizations and businesses in our community.
- worked to provide alternate programs, online programming, and additional support during the pandemic.
And on Big Day of Giving we give our community a chance to engage in working together to improve our library and community right now and for future generations.
Please contact Lisa Nalbone, chair of the WFoL Big Day of Giving committee 2021 for more information or how you can participate. Email her at reply@wfol.org
Please refer to the main website at www.bigdayofgiving.org for general questions about how Big Day of Giving works.
Sign-up below for our weekly Winters Friends of the Library email newsletter to get details about Winters Friends of the Library programs and Big Day of Giving related events.
Sign-up here for the WFoL email newsletter.
Thank you for helping us show that though we may be a small volunteer group in a small community that working together we support literacy, our library, and lifelong learning for all members of our community!
