Wichita Public Library Foundation, Inc.

What Wichita Public Library Foundation, Inc. does

Wichita Public Library Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable foundation established in 1987 and headquartered at 711 West 2nd St N, Wichita, Kansas. The foundation's exclusive function is to raise and manage funds that supplement public funding for Wichita Public Library, enabling enhanced collections, innovative hands-on tools, educational programming, modern meeting rooms, and digital access initiatives that public budgets alone cannot support.

The foundation operates a diversified fundraising model spanning six distinct revenue streams: one-time and recurring online donations, tributes and memorials, planned legacy and estate giving, an annual fund drive, a dedicated Neighborhood Library capital campaign, and institutional grants from partners including Kansas Health Foundation and United Way. It runs three core programmatic areas — Digital Access, Community Learning, and Share Your Story — each translating donor dollars into specific library services. Donor acquisition is driven by community-led engagement through the foundation's website, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles, and earned media via regular press releases. The foundation recently completed a visual rebrand in June 2025 and earned Candid Platinum Transparency certification in 2025.

The foundation has no traditional ownership structure, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no disclosed management team, no patents, and no disclosed headcount. It is governed by a Board of Directors. All programming is directed at Wichita community residents, with Wichita Public Library serving as the single institutional beneficiary. No technology platform, API, or proprietary system underpins operations beyond a standard website donation portal.

Name

Wichita Public Library Foundation, Inc.

Legal name

Wichita Library Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://supportwichitalibraries.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Library Fundraising Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Library fundraising
• Nonprofit foundation
• Community donations
• Charitable giving
• Library support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The foundation receives charitable donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations supporting Wichita Public Library. Donations are accepted through the foundation's website with options for one-time and recurring contributions.
2. Tributes and Memorials: Specialized giving program allowing donors to make gifts in honor or memory of individuals, providing a meaningful way to recognize loved ones while supporting library services.
3. Legacy and Estate Planning: Planned giving program enabling donors to include the foundation in their estate plans, wills, or trusts, creating long-term sustainable support for the library.
4. Annual Fund Drive: Recurring annual campaign soliciting donations from supporters to provide ongoing operational support for library programs and services.
5. Neighborhood Library Campaign (Capital Campaign): Major capital fundraising initiative specifically focused on supporting neighborhood library improvements and expansions.
6. Grants: Foundation receives grant funding from organizations such as Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) and United Way to support specific programs like summer reading and health-related initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wichita Public Library Foundation raises and manages charitable donations to enhance the Wichita Public Library's collections, innovative tools, educational programming, and modern meeting rooms beyond what public funding provides. The foundation offers multiple giving channels, including online donations, tributes and memorials, legacy and estate planning, an annual fund drive, and a capital neighborhood library campaign, and operates community programs such as Digital Access, Community Learning, and Share Your Story.

Product overview

Wichita Library Foundation is a nonprofit fundraising organization that supports Wichita Public Library. It operates as a single unified fundraising and community support entity with multiple programmatic offerings including Digital Access, Community Learning, and various giving programs (Annual Fund Drive, Legacy & Estate Planning, Tributes & Memorials). The foundation also runs the Neighborhood Library Campaign as its capital campaign initiative. Since 1987, the foundation has enhanced the library's ability to provide access to information through expanded collections, innovative tools, educational programming, and modern facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wichita Library Foundation Support Programs Fundraising and community support programs that enhance the Wichita Public Library through expanded collections, innovative hands-on tools, educational programming, and modern meeting rooms. For Wichita community members and library patrons.
• Digital Access Program Foundation initiative providing free digital access to information and modern tools for community members, targeting children, families, and individuals served by Wichita Public Library.
• Community Learning Program Educational programming designed to deepen engagement with the Wichita community and neighborhoods, making the library a welcoming place for everyone.
• Neighborhood Library Campaign Capital fundraising campaign specifically focused on supporting neighborhood library improvements and expansions for Wichita Public Library.
• Annual Fund Drive Recurring annual fundraising campaign soliciting donations from supporters to provide ongoing operational support for Wichita Public Library programs and services.
• Legacy & Estate Planning Planned giving program allowing donors to include the foundation in their estate plans, wills, or trusts, creating long-term sustainable support for the library.
• Tributes & Memorials Donation program allowing supporters to honor or memorialize loved ones through contributions to the Wichita Public Library Foundation.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wichita Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation exists to support Wichita Public Library through fundraising, community building, and enhancing learning opportunities. This is the primary beneficiary of all foundation activities and the core strategic relationship.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Public Library Association (PLA): The national professional association for public libraries, a division of the American Library Association. Comparable as a broader ecosystem player in the public library space; supports public libraries through advocacy, programming, and grants that complement — rather than directly compete with — local library foundations.

Others

• United Way of the Plains: The regional United Way affiliate covering the Wichita area. Comparable as a key institutional grantmaker that funds Wichita Library Foundation programs (e.g., Summer Reading Grant in 2025); not a direct fundraiser peer but a critical funding partner in the same regional philanthropic ecosystem.
• Kansas Health Foundation: A major Kansas-based private foundation focused on health and community well-being. Comparable as a current grantmaking partner (KHF Mini Grant, August 2025) and a regional philanthropic institution whose funding priorities shape what library foundations can pursue.

Direct peers

• Friends of the Wichita Public Library: A peer volunteer fundraising organization explicitly linked from the Wichita Library Foundation website (wichitalibraryfriends.org). Both organizations raise funds and advocate for Wichita Public Library, dividing the donor pool in the same city.
• Omaha Public Library Foundation: The fundraising foundation supporting the Omaha Public Library system. Directly comparable in mission and structure as a 501(c)(3) raising private dollars to supplement municipal library funding in a similarly-sized Midwestern city.
• Tulsa Library Trust: The endowment/fundraising trust supporting the Tulsa City-County Library. Comparable as a dedicated library fundraising entity in a similarly-sized Midwestern/Southern U.S. city, channeling donations to collections, programming, and facilities.
• Wichita Community Foundation: The community foundation serving the greater Wichita region. Comparable as a place-based 501(c)(3) that raises and deploys philanthropic capital for community needs in the same geographic market, competing for the same local donor base.
• Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library Foundation: The fundraising entity supporting the Topeka public library system in Kansas. Closely comparable as an in-state peer serving a similarly-sized Kansas city, with the same municipal-library support model and donor constituency profile.
• Denver Public Library Foundation: The fundraising foundation supporting the Denver Public Library. Comparable as a major urban library foundation with similar programs (annual fund, planned giving, capital campaigns) and analogous donor cultivation model.
• Kansas City Public Library Foundation: The fundraising foundation supporting the Kansas City Public Library system. Directly comparable as a municipal library foundation operating in a Midwestern U.S. city of similar profile, with analogous giving programs (annual fund, planned giving, capital campaigns).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WichitaPublicLibraryFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wichitapubliclibraryfoundation

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 Wichita Public Library Foundation, Inc.