Strengthening library resilience, even as budgets shrink
Providers of critical community services, including to local nonprofits, volunteers, and supporters of good causes, learn what Candid is doing to help strengthen library resilience as uncertain federal funding shrinks their budgets.
Libraries are more than cultural institutions. They connect residents to critical services and provide patrons with tools and information to support the causes they care about. When library funding is cut, communities—and the nonprofits that operate within them—lose access to the services and tools they need to thrive.
Libraries as community infrastructure
From grant writing workshops to digital literacy classes, libraries offer opportunities for nonprofits and individuals to strengthen their skills. Meeting rooms and shared spaces give local organizations space to gather, collaborate, and learn. Libraries also subscribe to specialized resources for patrons to use. For example, we partner with nearly 1,700 libraries and community organizations across the United States to provide access to Candid and all we offer to help nonprofits tell their story, increase visibility, and connect with donors and funders.
Libraries are also where residents can learn about the nonprofits operating in their area, what services they provide, and how to get involved. Using Candid, a graduate looking for job placement support can find local nonprofits specializing in that service. A donor interested in supporting food security can see which organizations are active nearby. Volunteers can find out where they can give their time to causes that matter to them. A librarian can refer patrons to nonprofits or help nonprofits identify partner organizations to collaborate with. By connecting residents with nonprofits—whether as clients, donors, or volunteers—and organizations with one another, libraries strengthen civic life and community trust.
The impact of federal funding uncertainty on library capacity
Despite the vital role libraries play in communities, recent federal actions have placed the future of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency dedicated to libraries, into uncertainty. Ongoing litigation continues to shape what comes next. But the impacts are already visible: suspended programs, canceled grants, and staff reductions.
The dismantling of the IMLS would represent an erosion of library capacity nationwide—reducing access to education, technology, cultural preservation, critical services, and other resources. For nonprofits that depend on libraries to conduct research, hold convenings, and receive training, the loss of federal support is a direct blow to the infrastructure that sustains their work and their communities.
How Candid is responding
Candid is working with library partners to strengthen their resilience, even as budgets shrink. At the American Library Association conference in June, we partnered with Boston Public Library to highlight how libraries across the country are positioning themselves as indispensable hubs for nonprofits and the residents they serve.
We’re also helping library staff use Candid for their own fundraising. Our Foundation Directory lists over 12,000 funders who have supported public libraries in the past five years. Fundraisers at library systems or “friends of the library” organizations can leverage this data to find funders who understand what’s at stake for their communities.
And for nonprofits in communities where local libraries cannot offer Candid tools right now, we’re providing:
- Increased visibility and fundraising potential through Candid profiles. Organizations with a Candid Seal of Transparency averaged 62% more in donor contributions than those without a Seal.
- Free access to Foundation Directory, our premier prospect research tool, for nonprofits with annual revenue or expenses under $1 million that earn Candid’s Gold Seal of Transparency. Learn more about the Gold for Gold program.
- Free live and on-demand trainings on a range of topics from starting a nonprofit to proposal writing, management, governance, sustainability, and transparency.
- Candid’s online librarians provide real-time, personalized assistance on philanthropy, nonprofit management, and fundraising.
The bottom line
When library funding is cut, the ripple effects are immediate and far-reaching. Nonprofits lose access to the data and training they need to sustain their work. Residents lose a vital entry point to services and tools and information to support the causes they care about.
At Candid, we’re committed to standing with libraries, the nonprofits, and communities they serve. When libraries are strong, nonprofits are strong—and communities are stronger.
