Zac (age 8) and Bea (age 6) demonstrating their commitment to libraries Photo credit: S. Bock

What does a pickle have to do with advocacy? Nothing—unless it’s hand-drawn on a young child’s poster, held high at a city council meeting while the library’s budget is being discussed. In moments like these, a bit of levity can provide much-needed relief during intense public testimony. This simple act reminds us that advocacy is about more than facts and figures—it’s about creating connections and engaging the community in meaningful ways. The pickle artist was the son of a long-time donor to The Seattle Public Library Foundation. He is a ferocious reader and he, his sister, and his mother attended the hearing to share their love for the library and ask Seattle City Council to restore funding—and it worked!

As libraries face increasingly challenging funding landscapes, a key to securing public support lies in mobilizing a coalition of foundation donors, Friends members, and board volunteers. Successful advocacy campaigns happen when these key stakeholders unite behind the library’s mission, reinforcing its value and amplifying its message to decision-makers.

To that end, library directors can use several types of advocacy to strengthen their budget campaigns, including community-driven advocacy, public-private partnerships, and the concept of advocacy through fundraising.

COMMUNITY-DRIVEN ADVOCACY: MOBILIZING CORE SUPPORTERS

At its core, advocacy involves rallying the community to champion the library. Community-driven advocacy leverages the voices of donors, Friends members, and volunteers to speak on behalf of the library in public forums, editorials, and speaking engagements. These stakeholders, who represent the heart of the community, bring credibility and passion to the cause.

For example, the Great Falls Public Library in Montana successfully passed a critical levy in 2023 by mobilizing its Friends group and foundation to emphasize the library’s role in protecting intellectual freedom and providing essential services. Their coordinated messaging resonated with voters, allowing the library to secure much-needed funding and avoid service cuts​. “Community-driven advocacy is a powerful force that amplifies the (sometimes hidden) value that public libraries provide,” said foundation director Brianne Laurin. “The Vote Yes for Libraries committee’s success in passing a crucial levy in 2023 is a testament to the impact of individuals coming together to knock on doors, make calls, and present to service organizations across the county. They rallied the community to use their voices to protect and expand the services they value most.”

In this model, volunteers and donors take an active role in advocating for the library, offering public testimonies, writing letters, and sharing personal stories that highlight the library’s impact. This type of advocacy is essential for building strong community support and influencing public officials to prioritize library funding.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS: UNITING RESOURCES FOR STRONGER ADVOCACY

Another powerful form of advocacy involves the strategic use of public-private partnerships . In addition to their direct and indirect financial support, library foundations and Friends groups play a critical role in showcasing the value of public libraries. This approach highlights the library as a valuable public investment and celebrates private contributions while finding creative ways to fill in the advocacy gaps with private funding and volunteerism.

The Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library (CHCPL) successfully applied this strategy ahead of a levy in 2023. Prior to the levy being placed on the ballot, board members and leadership staff from the library, the Friends of the Public Library, and the Library Foundation strategized on how to best meet the needs of their customers. This coordinated effort resulted in a dual grassroots and grasstops outreach strategy, combining community-driven support with influence from key community leaders and stakeholders. One tangible result of this planning led to the offsite Friends’ Used Bookstore and Warehouse serving as the levy’s campaign headquarters.

“It was tremendous to experience the energy when our library board, staff, foundation board, Friends board, and volunteers were all rowing in the same direction during this levy campaign,” said Staci Dennison, Thomas W. Jones executive director of the library foundation and CHCPL chief development officer. “Communication within and between groups made all the difference. Strategic discussions started with a ‘yes’ approach—let’s make that happen. With ‘yes’ as the goal, that ultimately meant finding common ground solutions, not only common cause.”

Library directors can utilize a style of public-private partnerships by engaging key stakeholders early and often—seeking help (philanthropic, in-kind support, or advice) consistently. Open, common-ground relationships complement how a library can do what it does more successfully.

ADVOCACY THROUGH FUNDRAISING: LEVERAGING FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC INVESTMENT

One of the most impactful yet often overlooked forms of advocacy is advocacy through fundraising. The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library (SPPL), MN, have long recognized the power of this approach, which emphasizes the synergy between fundraising and advocacy. By leveraging their fundraising success, library leaders can influence public officials and advocate for increased public investment.

Beth Burns, president of the Friends of SPPL, explains how this approach works: “When we are partnering with the mayor and our city council to advocate for increased public investment for the library, we are coming into the conversation as a philanthropist—bringing our own resources to the table. We work to leverage private dollars to stimulate additional public investment, and then are able to point to public investment to inspire private philanthropy from our donors.”

This strategy highlights the library’s ability to attract private funds while demonstrating that public investment will amplify those efforts.

At a practical level, this approach involves inviting public officials to high-profile fundraising events, such as galas, where they can see firsthand the community’s financial support for the library. It sends a powerful message: The library is not just asking for public money; it’s using private donations to enhance services above and beyond what public funding provides. In other words, supplementing, not supplanting. This fundraising-as-advocacy model is particularly effective in building long-term relationships with decision-makers, ensuring that libraries are seen as smart investments with community backing.

ADVOCACY IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

Key strategies to consider for your advocacy efforts include:

1. Engaging Stakeholders Early: Begin engaging donors, Friends members, and volunteers well before budget season starts. Regular communication and clear roles will keep everyone aligned.
2. Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships: Show how public and private funding work together to create a stronger library. Highlight your foundation’s contributions when meeting with public officials.
3. Integrating Fundraising-as-Advocacy: Use fundraising success as a tool for advocacy. Invite public officials to fundraising events and showcase the financial backing your library already has.
4. Amplifying Community Voices: Encourage community supporters to attend city council meetings, write letters, and share their stories of how the library has impacted their lives.

BUILD YOUR ADVOCACY COALITION

Advocacy isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy, and libraries that succeed in securing public funding are those that recognize the need for multiple approaches. Whether through community-driven advocacy, public-private partnerships, or leveraging fundraising as advocacy, library directors can ensure their message is heard by decision-makers. (For more about these and other advocacy examples, see also American Libraries, “Referenda Roundup 2023: Campaign Stories.”)