What Minnesota Library Foundation does

The Minnesota Library Foundation (MLF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1996 and affiliated with the Minnesota Library Association (MLA). Headquartered at a St. Paul, MN mailing address and operating with a 1-10 person staff under a 9-member volunteer governing board, MLF exists to fund leadership and professional development programs for Minnesota's library community. Its mission explicitly emphasizes expanding equity and inclusion within the state's libraries. The foundation is governed by President Maggie Meehan, Vice President Carol Jackson, Secretary Heidi Hammond, Treasurer Stacey Hendren, and board members, with MLA President Liza Shafto serving ex officio.

MLF's core programs include the MLF Scholarships (up to $1,000 per applicant for library staff pursuing library-field degrees or certificates, administered via Microsoft Forms); the Minnesota Institute for Leadership Excellence (MILE), a three-day leadership institute with a two-year follow-up commitment that MLF has primarily funded since 2005; the Minnesota Author Project, an annual indie-author contest operated in partnership with Biblioboard; and the Annual Conference Silent Auction at the MLA Conference. The foundation does not build or sell technology products; its technology footprint consists of a Google Sites website, standard email, and PayPal payment processing.

MLF's revenue model is purely donation-based, with no commercial products or services. Revenue streams comprise tax-deductible individual donations (via PayPal and check), proceeds from the annual Silent Auction, and planned bequest gifts. The foundation operates virtually with quarterly meetings and minimal overhead, channeling contributions into scholarships and program funding for Minnesota libraries.

Name

Minnesota Library Foundation

Legal name

Minnesota Library Foundation

Website

https://mnlibraryfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Minnesota Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit affiliated with the Minnesota Library Association that funds leadership development, scholarships, and author programs for Minnesota libraries and library staff via donations and an annual silent auction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Library Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Library foundation services
• Professional development scholarships
• Library leadership programs
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Library association grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Eagan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tax-Deductible Donations: The foundation accepts tax-deductible donations via PayPal and check, which are used to fund programs for leadership and professional development across the Minnesota Library Community.
2. Silent Auction Fundraising: Annual Silent Auction held during the Minnesota Library Association Conference generates revenue through donated items, with all proceeds supporting MLF programs.
3. Bequest Gifts: The foundation encourages donors to include MLF in their wills as a planned giving option.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Minnesota Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that raises and disburses funds to support Minnesota's library community. Its core offerings include scholarships for library workers, the Minnesota Institute for Leadership Excellence (MILE) leadership development program, the Minnesota Author Project Annual Contest, and an annual conference silent auction fundraiser.

Product overview

The Minnesota Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization affiliated with the Minnesota Library Association that operates as a portfolio of library support programs rather than a unified technology product. Its core offerings include the MLF Scholarships program (providing up to $1,000 for library staff professional development), the Minnesota Institute for Leadership Excellence (MILE) leadership development program, the Minnesota Author Project Annual Contest with Biblioboard, and the Annual Conference Silent Auction. All programs collectively serve the Foundation's mission to fund leadership and professional development across Minnesota's library community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MLF Scholarships Financial scholarships awarded to Minnesota library employees and library school students to support continuing education, certifications, and library-related degrees. Open to individual library staff and students statewide.
• Minnesota Institute for Leadership Excellence (MILE) A statewide leadership development program for library professionals in Minnesota, with a focus on equity, inclusion, and management skills. The foundation has been its primary funder since 2005. Participants are library leaders and emerging leaders identified through the Minnesota library community.
• Minnesota Author Project Annual Contest An annual statewide contest that supports Minnesota libraries and authors through recognition programming, with funding and sponsorship support from the foundation.
• Annual Conference Silent Auction An annual fundraising auction held at the Minnesota Library Association conference, generating proceeds that support the foundation's scholarships, leadership programs, and library programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Primary funder of MILE since 2005

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Minnesota Institute for Leadership Excellence (MILE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005MLF has been the primary funder of MILE since its inception in 2005. MILE grows a cadre of library leaders among Minnesota's library staff through a three-day institute with a two-year follow-up commitment, fostering networking, diversity, inclusion, and professionalism.
• Minnesota Library AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLF is the affiliated charitable organization of the Minnesota Library Association. The foundation fulfills its mission by funding programs for leadership and professional development in support of MLA's mission. MLA President Liza Shafto serves on the MLF Governing Board.
• BiblioboardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLF partners with Biblioboard to provide prizes for the Minnesota Author Project, an annual contest that recognizes indie-published authors in Minnesota. This partnership supports libraries in fostering local authors and offering free digital access to community-created content.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• EveryLibrary: National political action committee and nonprofit supporting library funding and policy. Comparable as a mission-aligned nonprofit advancing library capacity, though focused on advocacy rather than direct program funding.
• Indie Author Project: Library-driven program recognizing indie authors via state-level contests, in partnership with Biblioboard — the same platform MLF partners with for the Minnesota Author Project. Operates a similar model of state-level contests.

Others

• Biblioboard: Digital content platform that partners with MLF for the Minnesota Author Project. Adjacent ecosystem participant providing the technology infrastructure for one of MLF's core programs.
• Minnesota Council of Nonprofits: Statewide association supporting Minnesota nonprofit organizations. Comparable as a Minnesota nonprofit ecosystem participant, though broader than library-specific programming.

Direct peers

• California Library Foundation: Affiliated foundation of the California Library Association funding scholarships, leadership, and library programs statewide. Closely comparable operating model and program mix to MLF.
• Texas Library Foundation: State-level library foundation supporting Texas library professionals and programs. Directly comparable as a state-affiliated grantmaking charity for library staff development and statewide library initiatives.
• New York Library Association - NYLA Foundation: Charitable arm of the New York Library Association supporting library staff scholarships and continuing education. Mirrors MLF's MLA-affiliated structure and scholarship-focused mission.

Broad incumbents

• American Library Association (ALA): National professional association for libraries with affiliated charitable activities. Comparable in mission focus on library development, though operating at national scale and MLA is itself a chapter member.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Minnesota Library Foundation