Lafayette Library

What Lafayette Library does

The Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Lafayette, California, that funds the people and programs supporting the 30,000-square-foot Lafayette Library and Learning Center campus. It is responsible for more than 60% of the library's annual budget, covering extended operating hours, staff costs, facility maintenance, and enriched educational programming. The Foundation serves the greater Bay Area community through library patrons, program attendees, teen participants, and event-hosting clients.

The Foundation operates five distinct revenue streams: individual donations, corporate and foundation grants, facility rentals, ticketed public programs, and investment income from its endowment. Facility rentals cover four on-campus venues — Don Tatzin Community Hall, Arts and Science Center, Oak Room, and Amphitheater/Patio — and served more than 300 corporate, nonprofit, SMB, and consumer clients in FY 2024. Ticketed programs include the Distinguished Speakers Series, author events, the regional SWELL teen summer program, and Repair Cafe. FY 2024 total income was $1,624,892, with $1,541,457 in total expenses of which 79.04% went to program services; investment income of $2,977,232 was reported separately from the endowment.

The Foundation has no proprietary technology product and does not develop or license software; the technology footprint is limited to standard nonprofit operations (donor cultivation, a Wix-hosted website, social media channels, and email newsletter). Its competitive position rests on a tightly integrated community ecosystem including Friends of the Lafayette Library (volunteer-run bookstore with 20,000 titles in 94 categories), the Lafayette Historical Society, and a tiered major-donor recognition program anchored by Carnegie Circle ($10,000+) families and corporate sponsors such as the Barlow Family Foundation, Capital Group, Mulvaney Family, and Pease Family Fund.

Name

Lafayette Library

Legal name

Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation

Website

https://lllcf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds over 60% of the Lafayette Library's annual budget through donations, grants, facility rentals, ticketed programs, and endowment income, serving Bay Area patrons, program attendees, teens, and event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community education programs
• Nonprofit foundation funding
• Event venue rentals
• Youth literacy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to fund library operations, programs, and extended hours. Individual contributions exceeded $500,000 in FY 2024.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Corporate sponsors and foundation grants support library funding. The Barlow Family Foundation, Mulvaney Family, Pease Family Fund, Capital Group, and Community Foundation of Lafayette are named major donors.
3. Facility Rentals: Room rentals at the 30,000-square-foot campus generate revenue. The Foundation manages rental spaces including Don Tatzin Community Hall, Arts and Science Center, Oak Room, and Amphitheater. More than 300 entities rented spaces in FY 2024.
4. Ticketed Public Programs: Author events, Distinguished Speakers Series, and other ticketed programs generate revenue while providing educational content to the community.
5. Investment Income: Investment income of $2,977,232 reported in FY 2024, representing returns on the Foundation's endowment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Foundation raises and deploys charitable funds to support the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, providing over 60% of its annual operating budget including extended hours, staffing, facility maintenance, and educational programming. It delivers ticketed public programs (Distinguished Speakers Series, author events, Repair Cafe, SWELL teen program), rents four event venues (Don Tatzin Community Hall, Arts and Science Center, Oak Room, Amphitheater and Patio), and supports a volunteer-run Friends Corner Book Shop retail operation, all funded through individual donations, corporate/foundation grants, venue rentals, and endowment investment income.

Product overview

The Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation operates a unified library facility that combines traditional public library services with community programming and event spaces. The organization offers facility rentals through multiple venues (Don Tatzin Community Hall, Arts and Science Center, Oak Room, and Amphitheater and Patio), runs the Friends Corner Book Shop, and supports a variety of community programs and events. The foundation's portfolio consists of its core library services supplemented by rental revenue streams and retail operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Don Tatzin Community Hall Rentable event hall at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center campus used for ticketed public programs, author events, Repair Cafe, and private/corporate events such as board meetings and celebrations.
• Arts and Science Center Rentable venue space on the 30,000-square-foot campus available for arts and science-related events, educational programs, and community activities.
• Oak Room Meeting room at the Lafayette Library available for rental for community events, workshops, classes, and small gatherings.
• Amphitheater and Patio Outdoor event space featuring an amphitheater and patio area on the Lafayette Library campus, available for community programs and private rentals.
• Friends Corner Book Shop Volunteer-run bookstore at the Lafayette Library campus, managed by the Friends of the Lafayette Library, selling donated books and materials with proceeds supporting library programs and media collection.
• Distinguished Speakers Series and Public Programs Ticketed educational and cultural programming including the Distinguished Speakers Series, author events, Repair Cafe, science and fiction writing workshops, Sweet Thursday author events, and WOW museum docent lectures, sold via Givebutter and on-site at Don Tatzin Community Hall.
• SWELL Teen Summer Program Teen summer program hosted at the Lafayette Library campus, supported by the Foundation to provide regional teens with social and educational activities during the summer.

Quantifiable outcome

• Extended library hours exceeding 800+ hours annually beyond tax-funded baseline
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Friends of the Lafayette LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA volunteer-run 501(c)3 organization that supports the programs, collections, and services of the Lafayette Library. The Friends Corner Book Shop (maintaining 20,000 books in 94 categories) and hosts programs including Sweet Thursday author events, Wonders of the World museum docent lectures, and Youth Bookmark Contest. Proceeds support library programs and media collection.
• Lafayette Historical SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated at the Library, the LHS links Lafayette's history to community lives through collections, programs, publications, and exhibits. Has collected oral histories, photographs, and maintains 'Ol'Betsy,' the community's 1922 Model T fire truck.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: A substantially larger Bay Area grantmaking and philanthropic services organization managing donor-advised funds and education-focused giving. Comparable as a community grantmaker, though at vastly greater scale and with a much broader programmatic scope.
• East Bay Community Foundation: A major East Bay grantmaking foundation supporting education, community development, and civic initiatives. Comparable in grantmaking focus and regional scope, with substantially larger assets under management.
• Marin Community Foundation: A Northern California community foundation with significant grantmaking activity, including support for education and library-adjacent programming. Overlaps in mission and donor-advised fund operations at a larger scale.

Direct peers

• San Francisco Public Library Foundation: A Bay Area 501(c)(3) foundation that funds programming, collections, and capital needs for a major public library system. Direct functional parallel to Lafayette's library-support model, with similar donor cultivation, endowment management, and program-funding economics at a larger scale.
• Fremont Library Foundation: Bay Area nonprofit foundation supporting the Fremont Main Library and branches via donations and grants. Directly comparable mission, donor model, and event programming to LLLCF.
• Pleasanton Library Foundation: A community-based 501(c)(3) supporting a single public library in the Bay Area with fundraising, programming sponsorships, and capital campaigns. Highly comparable operational scope to LLLCF.
• Peninsula Library Friends: Volunteer-driven nonprofit supporting Peninsula library programming and collections through book sales and community giving. Comparable in volunteer-led, community-funded library support model to LLLCF's Friends Corner Book Shop ecosystem.
• Contra Costa County Library Foundation: Operates as a fundraising and grantmaking arm for the Contra Costa County Library system, which serves the same East Bay region as Lafayette. Directly comparable in mission, customer base, and Bay Area community foundation positioning.
• Community Foundation of Lafayette: A named donor of LLLCF and a fellow community grantmaker operating in the Lamorinda area. Compares on grantmaking mission, donor cultivation, and Bay Area geographic scope, though its focus is broader than education alone.

Regional players

• Peninsula Library System: A cooperative library service agency serving San Mateo County libraries. Comparable as a Bay Area library support ecosystem, though structured as a public agency rather than an independent 501(c)(3) foundation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LafayetteLibraryLearningCenter/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/LLLCF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/lafayettelibraryfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/lafayettelibraryfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Lafayette Library