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Stonington Free Library
20 High Street
P.O. Box 232
Stonington, CT 06378
Phone - 860.535.0658
FAX - 860.535.3945
E-mail -
stonlib@stoningtonfreelibrary.org
News
Three Cheers for The Volunteers
By Nancy Z. Young, Head Librarian
Our community—like many others—has built a number of its institutions through private financial support augmented by the hard work of volunteers who bring dine and talent to the many tasks it takes to keep these organizations operating effectively.
The recent Capital Campaign for the Stonington Free Library is no exception. We could never have achieved what we did—assessing exactly what needed to be done; developing a case for giving and taking it to the community in a credible way; raising the funds needed for the tasks that were assigned; overseeing the work— without the many volunteers who helped in profoundly important ways, In this edition of The Librarian we are hosting all those who helped financially; but it is important to note, too, the extraordinary contributions of the many people who volunteered to make this effort succeed.
First, we would like to note Architect Frederick Biebesheimer who spent over six years lending his skills as a volunteer to assess the condition of the building and overseeing, with Trustee Jeff Callahan, a critical engineering study that analyzed, prioritized and estimated the costs of repairing our roof and other parts of our 100+ year old building. Frederick helped choose the craftsmen who did such a fine job; and he spent countless hours of oversight, from making sure every detail was architecturally correct to answering questions about drains to approving interior paint colors. His has been a magnificent gift to us all.
Jeff Callahan’s involvement started when he was a Trustee, but when his term expired in 2003 he continued to work as a dedicated and insightful volunteer on the Building Committee. Dave Atkinson was invaluable as a volunteer, in particular helping us to choose and install the new heating and air conditioning system. Maria McVitty gave generously of her time to draw up plans that were the cornerstone of renovating storage and work areas. Paul Ellithorpe spent many hours and much energy developing a color palette that pulled together and enhanced all of the architectural details in the original part of the library.
The craftsmen who accomplished the work did so under paid contract, but their commitment to excellence, the extra miles taken, their thoughtfulness to patrons and staff must be specially noted. They include: Les Duncklee and the staff at Duncklee Air Conditioning and Heating—installing air conditioning; Dan Lucente of Homeport Painting—all of the interior painting; Marshall Plastering LLC—repairing our walls; Michael McCue—a score of small projects; Charles River Restoration—replicating and replacing our skylight; Harald Hefel Masonry—repairing and re-pointing our walls and chimneys; Dave Mason of D. B. Mason— replacing our copper roof; Office Direct Furniture—design and installation of desks to fit our unique spaces and needs; Dahil Company—refurbishing our entryway doors; DeCiantis Construction shelves and providing design services.
When we started to restore the splendor of our building; we sought to give our public communications a fresh look with a new logo and materials that would better represent the many ways the Library serves the community. Rebecca Sprouse, head of RLSD, a local design firm, contributed countless hours on her computer and bushels of patience as she worked with a small committee to develop the handsome logo that now adorns all our materials. She designed the Case Statement for the Campaign, and The Librarian, our newsletter, which has been a popular hit.
The Campaign Committee deserves special thanks for their generous support in time and resources, which helped us exceed our goal. Their counsel and hard work were keys to our success. Thanks to:
Honorary Chair Helen Brewster, Co-Chairs Peter and Eileen Jachym, Douglass and Penny Lind, Wright and Anna Maria Palmer Campaign Committee Sam and Beth Chapin, Charles Clark, William Griffin, Eleanor A. Haney. Robert and Joell Kunath, Robert and Saren Langmann, Stephen and Wendy Lash, Landine Manigault, Dorothea Moore, David Rathbun, Barclay and Kate Robinson, Lawson and Ruth Willard, Linda Thatcher Visscher, Executive Chair Penny Jones, Campaign Treasurer Marc Ginsberg,
Board Liaison with Committee Beth Harding
Finally, special appreciation to the outstanding staff of the Library. Throughout all the work and disruption, they carried on with grace, patience, and high humor.
Brief History of Philanthropy in America
Sources: Arizona Grantmakers’ Forum, Wikipedia
Volunteers built America. They stood their ground at Concord, pledged their lives to independence in Philadelphia, raised the barns and churches and firehouses and libraries that marked the journey West.
Ordinary men and women charted an untraveled course, since the cultures our forefathers left behind spoke not at all of helping one another, volunteerism, or of sharing ones wealth for the betterment of the community.
History records that the United States was about philanthropy before it was a nation. Volunteers called it “begging’ when, in 1643, Harvard conducted what is believed to be the first fund drive. It raised 500 pounds and was thought a ‘great success.” Every year since, volunteers have asked, and donors have responded.
The modern notion of philanthropy was articulated by Andrew Carnegie, who, in an essay titled ‘The Gospel of Wealth published in 1889, gave birth to the idea that the rich should, instead of ‘leaving their wealth to their families, administer it as a public trust during life.” It might well come as a surprise to read Carnegie’s feelings toward the estate tax. “The growing disposition to tax more and more heavily large estates left at death is a cheering indication of the growth of a salutary change in public opinion. Of all forms of taxation, this seems the wisest.” The Carnegie essay prepared the way for John D. Rockefeller, Sr., who in 1891 hired staff to help manage his philanthropic enterprises. The stat-c of New York chartered the Rockefeller Foundation in 1913.
Pressured by the increasingly obvious need for charity in a post war economy, legislation in 1921 finally brought lax relief in exchange for personal giving. Since then, giving has increased steadily, from an estimated $1.7 billion in 1921 to more than $200 billion a year today; more money than many nations produce as a gross national product.
In fact, one of America’s major industries has grown up around philanthropy. In 2003, it included more than 965,000 charitable tax-exempt organizations, employing in the millions, generating hundreds of billions in revenues, harnessing the volunteer efforts of more than 90 percent of the US adult population. The transfer of wealth in the United States will exceed $41-trillion over the next 50 years. And, perhaps the most remarkable thing is that the US is the only country on earth where philanthropy is accepted as the cultural norm.
As they go about their work, grantmakers are compelled to ask, as did Andrew Carnegie, “How best to use this wealth?” Perhaps the ultimate answer was given a few months ago by Warren Buffett, on the announcement, of his plans to contribute approximately 10 million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (worth roughly $30.7—billion, making it the largest charitable donation in history). “I view myself as a capital allocator above anything else. My primary responsibility is to allocate capital to businesses with good economics and keep their existing management to lead the company. These were the principles I used in deciding to make this gift to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.”
The gift may be outsize, but the source is no surprise. In the US, individual giving exceeds gifts from corporations and foundations by an amazing factor of five.
Capital Campaign
Thanks to all our generous donors for putting the Campaign well past our ambitious goal of $750,000
Diamond Bookmark
($100,000 and over)
Mr. & Mrs. Alexander J. Roepers
Platinum Bookmark
($50,000 to $99,999)
Mr. & Mrs. W. Soons
Gold Bookmark
($25,000 to $49,999)
Mrs. Helen Brewster |
Mr. & Mrs. Howard A. Fromson |
Silver Bookmark
($10,000 to $24,999)
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Chapin |
Mrs. Landine Manigault |
Bronze Bookmark
($5,000 to $9,999)
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Adair |
Mr. David Rathbun |
Silk Bookmark
($2,500 to $4,999)
Anonymous |
Mr. & Mrs. John Guyol |
Leather Bookmark
($1,000 to $2,499)
Mr. & Mrs. John W. Ackley III |
Mr. & Mrs. Walter Johnsen |
Linen Bookmark
($500 to $999)
Anonymous |
Mr. & Mrs. John William Kam III |
Velvet Bookmark
($499 and under)
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Y. Abramson |
Ms. Sarah Larkin & Mr. Peter Heyniger |
Matching Gift Companies
Goldman, Sachs & Co. |
“The Campaign for a Future that Builds on the Past”
Final Report
By Helen Brewster, Honorary Chair
In 2003, after going through engineering reports, cost estimates, timetables and what seemed to be endless study, the Board of Trustees of the Stonington Free Library decided to launch a Capital Campaign, with the goal of raising $750,000 for a much overdue new roof and much needed repairs to other parts of our architectural gem; as well as adding to the Library’s endowment to insure its continued service in the future.
Many warned that $750,000 was an overly ambitious goal, but the Campaign Chairpersons, Penny and Doug Lind, Peter and Eileen Jachym, Anna Maria and Wright Palmer, felt that the community recognized the value of the Library—particularly its programs for young people—and would fund it accordingly.
I’m delighted to say the Chairs were right. Thanks to your support we have met the goal and tacked on almost $50,000 extra. On a personal level, I couldn’t be more pleased and grateful, because I believe that a library is the most important public institution in any community. And speaking as Honorary Chair of the Campaign, I can assure you that everyone connected with the Library—staff, volunteers, trustees—shares my feelings of admiration and respect for your wondrous generosity. “The Campaign for the Future that Builds on the Past” is an achievement we can all take pride in. Inside is a list of donors to the Campaign. (The list of donors to the 2005-2006 Annual Appeal is posted in our Annual Report, released in July. Copies are available at the Library.)
This page was last updated on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 .
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