Donations

The Wauconda Area Library is a nonprofit government agency funded through tax revenue, grants, and private contributions.  Donations, gifts and "planned giving" help the Library to make special purchases and to fund projects and services beyond the scope of our operating budget, most of which is funded by tax revenue. 

Your gift can be unrestricted (used for collection development or general operations) or can be restricted to a particular department, collection or purpose within the Library. In particular, the Library offers the following opportunities for giving:

Monetary Donation

Donations made in any amount, large or small, are greatly appreciated and will be put to excellent use.  They are fully tax-deductible and will be acknowledged in writing.  Donations of $100 or more will be acknowledged on an engraved brass plate attached to the library's donor recognition plaque displayed prominently in the library.

Commemorative Gift Fund - Give a Book

A contribution to the Commemorative Gift Fund of the Wauconda Area Library is a special way to provide a lasting memorial, celebrate a birth, anniversary, graduation, holiday or other special event, say thank you to someone special, or honor individuals or organizations.

An acknowledgement of each donation will be sent to the honoree or the family of the person memorialized and to the donor. For each donation of $20.00 or more, the library will place a bookplate in a new book being added to the collection.

Click here for the Commerative Gift Fund Donation Form.

Planned Giving

Recent changes in tax law have made it more advantageous to explore a number of options for charitable giving.  Planned giving is a way of making a sound investment in an important part of your future and that of your community –  while offering you financial planning and other benefits now.

Planned giving includes such options as bequests, bonds, securities or properties, gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and life insurance. Discuss these options with your attorney, financial planner or your professional tax advisor if you wish to take advantage of these options and help the Library at the same time.

Donations of every kind are always appreciated by the Library. Every dollar donated will be put to work expanding the collection or developing new services. For more information about Planned Giving please contact the Library Director at 847-526-6225.

Bequests

Through the generosity of many individuals who have remembered the Wauconda Area Library in their wills, a Special Reserve Fund has been established to fund substantial improvements to the library.  Bequests can also be made for specific purchases, services or types of material.

Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorship of annual programs and special projects and events are available to corporate and foundation donors. The Wauconda Area business community has generously contributed to summer and winter reading programs, and towards the promotion of Library Card Sign-Up Month and the library’s literacy services.

Materials Donation

The library also encourages and appreciates the donation of books, compact disks, cassettes, records, videos, and DVD's. For information on donating special items, please call the library at 847-526-6225. View our Materials Donation Policy and Guidelines.

Where to drop off donations

All donations must be brought to the Information Desk. Donations may not be left outside or placed in book drops.

What to donate

In order to ensure quality and make optimal use of labor and space, donations of materials are limited as follows:

• Maximum of two boxes at a time
• Books must be no older than three years
• Books must be in very good condition
• No textbooks, magazines, Reader's Digest publications will be accepted
• No damaged books will be accepted.

What happens to the materials after donation?

Once a donated book has been accepted by the library, there are several paths the book may follow:

Library Acquisition

The item might be cataloged and added to the library's collection, if the item is approved for acquisition by library staff. In some cases, this may be the expressed intention of the donor, as indicated on the Material Donation Form.

Friends of the Library On-Going Sale of Used Books

The items might be accepted for sale in the library's ongoing sale of used or discarded items. All multiple-copy library-owned bestsellers which are withdrawn from the library's collection are placed on the ongoing sale shelves, along with many other library-owned books which have been withdrawn from the collection. Many donated books have been sold from these sale shelves.

Proceeds from these sales are given to the Friends of the Library, even though many of these books are library-owned. Pricing for the ongoing book sale is to be determined by the library. Members of the Friends of the Library are given a 50% discount on the purchase of these books.

Friends of the Library Annual or Semi-Annual Used Book Sale

The book might be accepted for sale in the Friends annual or semi-annual book sale. Books which are accepted for this purpose will be stored compactly in a closet designated for this purpose. Because these boxes will be stored compactly, there will be no access to them until the week of the book sale. Until the week of a book sale, all handling of donated books within the library shall be done by library staff only. The library will notify the Friends on a monthly basis how full the closet is. The library will not be able to store books outside of this closet. Books donated after the closet has reached capacity will not be accepted at the library for book sale storage.

Disposal

The book might be unacceptable and disposed of immediately. Examples of such books are books with mildew or damage from moisture, books which are severely worn or damaged, or books which have no apparent sale potential (i.e. textbooks).