The Library Foundation

Name

The Library Foundation

Legal name

The Library Foundation

Website

https://foundation.thelibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation for Public Libraries

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Charitable fundraising services
• Library support programs
• Nonprofit donation management
• Community foundation grants
• Planned giving services

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Charitable Contributions and Donations: The Foundation receives monetary donations from individuals through its website, direct mail campaigns, and online fundraising platforms. These include one-time gifts, annual campaign donations, and tribute gifts honoring loved ones.
2. Planned Gifts and Estate Bequests: The Foundation receives planned gifts including bequests, charitable remainder trusts, and other estate planning instruments. Notable example includes the $2.34 million estate gift from Ava Louise Gager Smith.
3. Foundation and Corporate Grants: The Foundation receives grants from private foundations including the Musgrave Foundation, Darr Family Foundation, Greene County Senior Services Fund, Women Connect4Good, Arvest Foundation, Ball Foundation, Republic Community Foundation, and Abilities First.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that raises and stewards monetary contributions, planned gifts, and grants to support the Springfield-Greene County Library District's 12 branches and outreach services. Its core activities include soliciting individual donations, foundation and corporate grants, planned estate gifts, and endowment contributions, and channeling those funds to library programs covering early literacy, senior services, Ozarks history archives, technology upgrades, branch renovations, and community health initiatives such as community fridges.

Product overview

The Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the Springfield-Greene County Library District through strategic fundraising, planned gifts, and grants. The Foundation operates multiple fundraising campaigns and endowment programs including One Donation Unlimited Stories (digital library support), Preserving Ozarks History Endowment (local archives and exhibits), Invest in Readers Transform Futures (early literacy), Technology for Tomorrow (IT innovation), and the Help Write Our Next Chapter annual campaign. It funds library programs such as Large Print Book Club Kits, the Memory Lab for digitizing personal and historical materials, the Rosie Book Club, and supports facility projects including the Republic Branch Library and Midtown Carnegie Branch Library renovations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One Donation, Unlimited Stories Fundraising campaign to expand the library district's digital library offerings, enabling community donors to contribute toward additional digital titles, voices, and discovery tools.
• Preserving Ozarks History Endowment Endowment fund supporting Ozarks history preservation through archives, exhibits, and educational programs.
• Invest in Readers, Transform Futures Early literacy fundraising initiative expanding Annie Busch's legacy by providing early literacy resources to families across Greene County.
• Technology for Tomorrow Innovation fund established in memory of longtime IT Director David Patillo to support technology advancements at the library.
• Name a Seat in the New Hatch Auditorium Named-donation campaign allowing donors to name a seat in the library's new Hatch Auditorium to support performance programming.
• Help Write Our Next Chapter Relaunched annual unrestricted campaign supporting the library's most urgent needs and opportunities.
• Fresh Food for All Fundraising campaign supporting the library's community fridge food security initiative to keep community fridges stocked.
• Republic's New Adventure Capital campaign supporting the new Republic Branch Library to expand learning, connection, and opportunity in the Republic community.
• Large Print Book Club Kits Program providing large-print book club kits for senior patrons, extended through a $5,000 grant from the Greene County Senior Services Fund.
• Memory Lab Community digitization service funded by a $280,000 gift from Larry and Tracy Lipscomb, enabling patrons to preserve and digitize personal memories, family histories, and historical materials.
• Rosie Book Club Community book club program ramped up with funding from Dr. Nancy O'Reilly and Women Connect4Good, Inc.
• Republic Branch Library New Republic Branch Library supported through multiple grants including $50,000 from the Musgrave Foundation for the Teen Department, $8,750 from the Ball Foundation, $4,000 community fridge grant, and an Arvest Foundation gift.
• Midtown Carnegie Branch Library Renovations Historic Carnegie library renovation project supported by a $100,000 grant from the Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.34 million estate gift received from Ava Louise Gager Smith
• +5 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• GiveSmart: Fundraising technology platform used by The Library Foundation to host campaign pages and process donations. Adjacent technology/infrastructure provider rather than a competitor, but a key operational dependency for the Foundation's digital fundraising.

Broad incumbents

• New York Public Library Foundation: Major fundraising arm of one of the largest public library systems in the U.S. Comparable as a dedicated 501(c)(3) foundation supporting a public library district through planned giving, annual campaigns, and capital project fundraising — though at materially larger scale and global donor base.
• Boston Public Library Foundation: Fundraising arm of the Boston Public Library, including a Friends group model. Comparable as a public library foundation supporting branch renovations, special collections, and educational programming through charitable giving.
• Los Angeles Public Library Foundation: Fundraising affiliate of the Los Angeles Public Library. Comparable as a public library foundation that runs capital campaigns, endowment building, and program-specific fundraising for a large multi-branch library district.
• Chicago Public Library Foundation: Independent 501(c)(3) supporting the Chicago Public Library system. Direct functional peer as a library-system foundation that raises funds for literacy programs, technology, branch renovations, and special collections — operating model and donor proposition closely aligned with The Library Foundation.
• Seattle Public Library Foundation: Independent foundation supporting Seattle Public Library. Functional peer running annual giving, planned giving, and capital campaigns for a multi-branch public library system with similar program areas (literacy, technology, accessibility).

Regional players

• Kansas City Public Library Foundation: Foundation supporting the Kansas City Public Library in nearby Missouri. Highly relevant regional peer with similar Midwest public library system, branch network, and donor demographic base; competes for overlapping regional foundation grants.

Direct peers

• Community Foundation of the Ozarks: Springfield-based community foundation serving the same Ozarks region as The Library Foundation. Direct competitor for the same Greene County donor pool, corporate sponsorships, and regional foundation grants, though with a broader (not library-specific) mission.
• Friends of the St. Louis Public Library: St. Louis-based public library support organization. Adjacent Missouri/regional peer that raises unrestricted funds for programs, materials, and community initiatives at a public library system of comparable size and Midwestern character.
• Metropolitan Library System Foundation (OKC): Foundation supporting the Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma City. Closest-size direct peer: a mid-sized public library system foundation running annual campaigns, endowment building, and branch-specific fundraising in a non-coastal U.S. metro.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/springfield-greene-county-library-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Library Foundation