What JOHNSON COUNTY LIBRARY FOUNDATION does

Johnson County Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation established as the exclusive fundraising arm of Johnson County Library, headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. The foundation mobilizes charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and private foundations to fund library programs, services, and collections that fall outside the scope of the library's property-tax-supported operating budget. It manages four core giving programs — Library Lets Loose (an annual signature after-hours fundraiser that drew 650+ attendees and raised over $140,000 in 2025), the Readers Circle cumulative-giving society (with five tiers from $5,000 to $100,000+), the 1952 Society for planned gifts, and the Bookish Birthday Fundraiser peer-to-peer product — supported by corporate sponsorships, matching-gift partnerships (including Garmin), and foundation grants.

The foundation's underlying technology is a conventional nonprofit SaaS stack rather than a proprietary platform: DonorPerfect for donation processing, OneCause for event ticketing and auctions, SafeSave for recurring payment tokenization, and standard website, email, and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter) for donor communications. The foundation does not sell products or services; its "products" are donor engagement programs and the funded library services they support — including HomeConnect (a home-delivery service reaching approximately 270 active patrons with 100 bags weekly), Brainfuse HelpNow (K-12 tutoring), Black & Veatch MakerSpace, Summer Reading, 6 by 6 early literacy, elementia teen magazine, and digital collection funding through Libby (which exceeded 2 million checkouts in 2025) and Kanopy.

The foundation operates with 1–10 employees under Executive Director Shelley O'Brien, supported by a volunteer Board of Directors and Honorary Board. It achieved Platinum transparency status with Candid in June 2026 and partners with the University of Kansas on ROI research documenting a claimed 300% return on investment in library services. Revenue is best characterized as annual charitable support mobilized for the library, with $355,952 in direct support reported in 2021 and incremental growth driven by programmatic expansion across Johnson County's 14-branch library system.

Name

JOHNSON COUNTY LIBRARY FOUNDATION

Legal name

Johnson County Library Foundation

Website

https://jocolibraryfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Johnson County Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Overland Park, Kansas, that raises and manages charitable donations to fund programs, collections, and services for the 14-branch Johnson County Library beyond what public tax funding supports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Library Fundraising

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation
• Library fundraising
• Donor cultivation
• Planned giving
• Community philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Overland Park

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Charitable contributions from individuals supporting library programs and collections. Includes one-time donations, monthly recurring gifts, and birthday fundraisers.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorships from businesses for Library Lets Loose annual event at various tiers (Booker $10,000, Hugo $5,000, Caldecott $3,000, Newbery $1,500, Edgar $750).
3. Planned Giving: Bequests, trusts, and estate planned gifts through the 1952 Society recognition program.
4. Matching Gifts: Corporate matching gift programs where employers double or triple employee charitable contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Johnson County Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraising organization that raises and manages charitable donations from individuals, businesses, and private foundations to support Johnson County Library programs, collections, and services beyond what public tax funding provides. The foundation operates donor recognition programs (1952 Society, Readers Circle), signature fundraising events (Library Lets Loose), peer-to-peer giving (Bookish Birthday Fundraiser), and stewards restricted funds that finance library initiatives such as HomeConnect, Brainfuse HelpNow, MakerSpace, Summer Reading, and digital collections.

Product overview

Johnson County Library Foundation is a nonprofit fundraising organization (501(c)(3)) that supports Johnson County Library through private donations. The Foundation offers a portfolio of donor engagement programs including Library Lets Loose (annual signature fundraising event), the 1952 Society (planned giving program), Readers Circle (cumulative giving recognition with five tiers), and Bookish Birthday Fundraiser (personalized peer-to-peer giving). Foundation-funded library services include HomeConnect (home delivery for homebound patrons), Brainfuse HelpNow (free K-12 tutoring), Black & Veatch MakerSpace (hands-on creative space), Summer Reading Program, elementia teen magazine, 6 by 6 early literacy, Library Field Trips for Title I schools, and digital collections through Libby and Kanopy. The Foundation generates approximately $355,952+ in annual support for library programs and services beyond public funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Library Lets Loose: Annual signature fundraising event - after-hours celebration and fundraiser at Central Resource Library
• 1952 Society
• Readers Circle
• Bookish Birthday Fundraiser
• HomeConnect

Products and services

• Library Lets Loose Annual signature after-hours fundraising event held at Central Resource Library featuring live music, food, drinks, silent auctions, and entertainment; supports library programs and collections beyond public funding and raised over $140,000 in 2025.
• 1952 Society Planned giving recognition society for donors who commit a planned gift to the Johnson County Library Foundation through wills, trusts, or estate plans; includes twice-yearly author speaker events.
• Readers Circle Cumulative giving recognition society for donors who have given $5,000 or more over time, with tiered acknowledgment levels above $5,000.
• Bookish Birthday Fundraiser Personalized peer-to-peer fundraising program that lets donors invite friends and family to contribute to the foundation in honor of their birthday via a dedicated giving page.
• HomeConnect Library service funded by the Foundation that mails library materials directly to cardholders unable to visit a branch; serves approximately 270 active patrons and sends about 100 bags (roughly 250 items) each week.
• Brainfuse HelpNow Free online one-on-one tutoring hub for children in grades K-12, available 24/7 with no usage limits, funded through Foundation donations.
• Black & Veatch MakerSpace Hands-on makerspace at Central Resource Library offering sewing, laser cutting, 3D printing, and other creative projects; equipment and supplies funded by the Foundation.
• Summer Reading Program Annual summer program providing free books to children who sign up and helping combat summer learning loss.
• elementia Teen creative arts magazine published by Johnson County Library providing a platform for young people to develop creative writing and storytelling experience.
• 6 by 6 Ready to Read Early literacy initiative helping children develop six skills by age six, with Foundation-supported expansion to additional branches.
• Library Field Trips Program bringing third-grade students from Title I schools to experience library visits; students receive book bags, library cards, and summer guides.
• Joan Berkley Writers Fund Writing program supporting authors and writers in the community through Foundation funding.
• Justice Served Program serving residents at the Johnson County Department of Corrections Adult Residential Center with books, classes, and information access.
• Libby Digital Collections Digital lending platform for eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines available to library cardholders; license renewals funded through the Foundation's Libby Fund.
• Kanopy Video Streaming Video streaming service available to library cardholders offering documentaries, how-to content, and films.
• LinkedIn Learning Online learning platform available free to library cardholders offering courses on business, technology, and creative skills.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of KansasminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration to replicate ROI Study from 10 years ago in 2026, demonstrating the impact of library services in the community based on academic research
• American Heart Association and HCA Midwest HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to place blood pressure monitors at 10 of the Library's 14 branches as part of health education initiative
• Garmin InternationalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate matching gift program where Garmin matches employee donations to the Foundation, doubling the impact of contributions
• Friends of Johnson County LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate 501(c)(3) organization that advocates for public libraries and sells used books through bookstores and Sort-to-Sell Facility at 8279 Melrose Dr. in Lenexa. Both organizations support Johnson County Library.
• Race Project KCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supports Race Project KC's Advisory Board to explore future options for programming and educating

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Public Library Association: National association of public libraries and a division of the American Library Association. Relevant as the industry body that supports public library foundations and provides programmatic and advocacy resources relevant to JCL Foundation's mission.
• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: Major Kansas City-area private foundation that has provided direct financial support to JCL Foundation. Comparable as a regional institutional funder and ecosystem participant, not a direct competitor but a relevant counterpart in the regional philanthropy ecosystem.

Direct peers

• The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation: Fundraising foundation for the Indianapolis Public Library. Comparable as a single-library-system foundation model with donor recognition societies, planned giving programs, and signature fundraising events.
• Wichita Public Library Foundation: Kansas-based public library foundation supporting the Wichita Public Library system. Comparable structure as a community-embedded 501(c)(3) raising private funds for collection enrichment, programming, and capital initiatives.
• Friends of Johnson County Library: Separate 501(c)(3) organization that also supports Johnson County Library — directly comparable as a sister fundraising entity operating in the same geography and donor ecosystem, including a used-bookstore revenue model.
• Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library Foundation: Kansas-based public library foundation supporting Topeka & Shawnee County Library. Directly comparable as a state-level peer with a similar mission of supplementing public tax funding through private donations and signature events.
• Kansas City Public Library Foundation: Sister library foundation serving Kansas City, Missouri — directly comparable as a 501(c)(3) fundraising arm supporting a public library system in the same metropolitan area, with overlapping donor pools and similar programmatic scope.
• Denver Public Library Foundation: Fundraising foundation for the Denver Public Library system. Comparable 1:1 library-foundation model that supplements public tax funding through individual, corporate, and foundation giving, with similar donor stewardship practices.

Regional players

• Douglas County Community Foundation: Kansas-based community foundation serving Douglas County. Comparable in structure and community-foundation mission but operates in a different county; useful as a regional benchmark for community-foundation operating models in Kansas.

Broad incumbents

• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: Regional community foundation serving the Kansas City metro. Comparable as a grantmaking and donor-advised fund organization in the same geography, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader philanthropic scope than the single-cause JCL Foundation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/jclfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/jocolibraryfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/johnson-county-library-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 JOHNSON COUNTY LIBRARY FOUNDATION