What Westerville Library Foundation does

The Westerville Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable foundation established in 1987 and headquartered at 126 S. State St., Westerville, Ohio. Its sole mission is to ensure the long-term financial stability of the Westerville Public Library through fundraising and endowment management. The foundation funds specific library programs including the Summer Reading Challenge, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten early literacy initiative, and three Story Trails installations in local parks (Johnston-McVay, Hilmar, and Ridgewood). In 2025, donor support enabled the library to distribute free books to over 7,000 students.

The organization is governed entirely by a volunteer board of trustees led by President Suzanne Schultz, Treasurer Morgan Billings, and Secretary Anne Malone, supported by one part-time Development Specialist. It operates with no paid executive staff beyond the Development Specialist role and runs on lean infrastructure with five total personnel. Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary contributions and has not been publicly disclosed, though the foundation displays a $365,000 annual campaign goal on its donation page.

Donations are accepted via PayPal online, mail-in checks, the Kroger Community Rewards passive giving program, and the Columbus Foundation's Giving Store for endowment contributions. The foundation also generates revenue through fundraising events, including the annual Sips for Stories event (next scheduled for August 8, 2026, with proceeds funding children's-area tablets) and the inaugural 'A Day at the Derby Experience' launched in 2025. The foundation holds a Platinum GuideStar Transparency Seal (Candid profile 7326733), reinforcing donor confidence in its accountability standards.

Name

Westerville Library Foundation

Legal name

Westerville Library Foundation

Website

https://westervillelibraryfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Westerville Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that fundraises and manages an endowment exclusively for the Westerville Public Library in Westerville, Ohio, funding programs like Summer Reading Challenge, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, and Story Trails.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Nonprofit Fundraising

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Library fundraising
• Nonprofit philanthropy
• Endowment management
• Community literacy programs
• Public library support

Headquarters

HQ city

Westerville

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters via PayPal or mail. Donors can set up monthly giving starting at $10 per month to sustain library programs throughout the year.
2. Planned Giving / Legacy Gifts: Estate gifts through wills, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) for individuals 70½ or older, life insurance beneficiary designations, and Donor Advised Fund (DAF) contributions.
3. Endowment Contributions: Donations directed to the endowment fund through the Columbus Foundation's Giving Store to support long-term financial stability of the library.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Kroger Community Rewards program allows supporters to designate the foundation as a beneficiary, receiving a percentage of total purchases at no additional cost. Also includes corporate sponsorship alignment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Westerville Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds and manages an endowment to support the Westerville Public Library. It collects individual donations (one-time, monthly recurring, and legacy/planned gifts), facilitates endowment contributions through the Columbus Foundation, and hosts fundraising events such as Sips for Stories and A Day at the Derby Experience. Proceeds fund literacy programs including 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, the Summer Reading Challenge, and Story Trails in three Westerville parks.

Product overview

The Westerville Library Foundation operates as a nonprofit fundraising organization that supports the Westerville Public Library through multiple programs and giving options. The foundation's core programs include the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten early literacy initiative, the Summer Reading Challenge, and Story Trails in three local parks. Beyond direct programs, the foundation facilitates giving through multiple channels: monthly recurring donations, legacy/planned giving options (including estate gifts, IRA QCDs, insurance beneficiary designation, and Donor Advised Funds), and endowment support through the Columbus Foundation. The organization also hosts fundraising events including the annual Sips for Stories fundraiser and the inaugural 'A Day at the Derby Experience' in 2025. All fundraising supports library projects focused on emerging technologies, civic resources, 21st century learning, and literacy achievement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Early literacy program that encourages parents to read 1,000 books to children before kindergarten. The foundation helps fund workbooks and prizes for participants. Targeted at families with young children in Westerville, Ohio.
• Summer Reading Challenge Annual summer reading program for children and community members to maintain literacy skills during school break. Run by the Westerville Public Library and funded by the foundation.
• Story Trails Literary adventure trails located in three Westerville parks (Johnston-McVay Park, Hilmar Park, and Ridgewood Park) that guide families through outdoor reading experiences while building literacy skills.
• Legacy Giving / Planned Giving Program Planned giving program allowing donors to designate future gifts to the foundation through estate planning, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (for individuals 70½ or older), life insurance beneficiary designation, or Donor Advised Fund contributions.
• Monthly Giving Program Recurring donation program enabling supporters to make regular monthly contributions starting at $10 to fund free library programs throughout the year.
• Endowment Support Program Long-term financial stability program where donors can contribute directly to the library's endowment fund through the Columbus Foundation's Giving Store.
• Sips for Stories Fundraiser Annual fundraiser event celebrating early literacy and community support for the public library. Tickets include a drink ticket, food, and admission to Uptown Untapped, with proceeds buying new tablets for the library's kids area.
• A Day at the Derby Experience Inaugural 2025 fundraising event designed to generate support for Westerville Public Library programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2025, over 7,000 students received free books through foundation-funded programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• KrogersupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKroger Community Rewards program allows shoppers to designate the Westerville Library Foundation as their beneficiary, with the foundation receiving a small percentage of total purchases at no additional cost to the shopper. This is an ongoing passive fundraising channel.
• Columbus FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Columbus Foundation serves as the endowment management partner, hosting the foundation's endowment fund through their Giving Store platform (columbusfdn.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/nonprofit?nonprofit_id=1486). This partnership provides professional endowment management and infrastructure for long-term donations.
• IdealistsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBoard member recruitment is facilitated through Idealist's volunteer platform, where the foundation posts board positions and accepts resumes and letters of interest on a rolling basis.
• SquaresupportingTechnology or IntegrationSquare provides event ticketing infrastructure for the foundation's Sips for Stories fundraiser, processing ticket purchases through their checkout platform.
• MailchimpsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMailchimp provides email marketing platform for the foundation's e-newsletter campaigns, hosting archived newsletters and managing subscriber lists.
• Candid (GuideStar)supportingOthersCandid's GuideStar platform provides nonprofit transparency verification and hosts the foundation's profile with Platinum transparency seal, enhancing donor confidence.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Public Library Foundation: Fundraising arm for the Chicago Public Library system. Mirrors the Westerville Library Foundation's role of supplementing public library funding through private donations, with similar literacy and youth-program emphasis but at much greater scale.
• Cleveland Foundation: Ohio's oldest community foundation managing charitable funds and grants across Greater Cleveland. Comparable in grantmaking and endowment management role, though serving a much broader regional mandate than the single-library-focused Westerville foundation.
• New York Public Library (Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations): Foundations supporting the New York Public Library through endowment and annual giving. Same library-supporting nonprofit model but operates at vastly greater scale with multi-branch programmatic reach.
• The Library Foundation of Los Angeles: Large established library foundation supporting the Los Angeles Public Library. Same mission category (private fundraising for public library programs) but at substantially greater scale, geographic breadth, and program diversity than the Westerville foundation.
• Boston Public Library Foundation: Established foundation supporting the Boston Public Library through individual, corporate, and planned giving. Comparable in endowment management approach and library-program funding model, with much broader donor base and program scope.

Direct peers

• The Columbus Foundation: Central Ohio community foundation and the foundation's named endowment partner. While much larger, the Columbus Foundation directly hosts WLF's endowment through its Giving Store platform, making it the most operationally relevant peer for endowment management practice and donor infrastructure.
• Indianapolis Public Library Foundation: Public library foundation that fundraises and manages endowment to support the Indianapolis Public Library. Closely mirrors the Westerville Library Foundation's model of donor-driven library program funding, with similar literacy and community programming focus.

Regional players

• Columbus Metropolitan Library Foundation: Same-region library foundation serving the larger Columbus Metropolitan Library system. Directly comparable in mission (public library fundraising), geography (Central Ohio), and structure (501(c)(3) supporting a single library system), but operates at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westerville-library-foundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Westerville Library Foundation