SUPPORT US

For over a century, the Stonington Free Library has been committed to offering our programs and services for free to the community and to stewarding the beautiful building we call home. But we need your help! As a privately funded 501(c)3 library, we rely on private donations, or Annual Fund gifts, for over 40% of our annual budget. Your financial support is critical to our survival and success! Find out how to support the library below…

2019-2020 Fundraising Goal
 

$0
$236,000

ANNUAL FUND

MONTHLY SUSTAINERS

Join the Library Sustainer program and set up a secure, easily updated, recurring schedule of giving to the Annual Fund at a level that is comfortable for you!

Your monthly donation allows us to fund programs and services directly by providing an automatic and consistent source of revenue.

HOW IT WORKS
  • Choose the quantity and frequency – annually, quarterly, semi-annually, or monthly, whichever you prefer!
  • Your credit/debit card will be charged each giving cycle on the same day as your first gift
  • Your monthly credit/debit card statements will serve as your receipts
  • We will send you a statement each January detailing your total donations from the previous calendar year
  • You can call 860-535-0658 or email our Development Coordinator whenever you want to change or stop your recurring gift.

ONE-TIME GIFTS

Our annual fund accounts for over one-third of our annual budget. We count on your donations to maintain and improve our services to the community. Please do send a one-time monetary donation online!

STOCKS & SECURITIES

A transfer of stocks or securities can benefit both you and the Library! If you are interested in making a donation in the form of stocks or securities, find stock transfer instructions below or contact our Development Coordinator, directly.

Retirement Funds

At the end of 2015, the IRA charitable rollover was signed into permanent law. This is a huge opportunity for generous people like you to make a permanent investment in the charitable causes you love.

How does the IRA charitable rollover work?
If you or a family member are age 70 ½ or older, contributions made from your IRA to The Stonington Free Library (up to $100,000 per year) are not reported as taxable income. A contribution made from your IRA also qualifies as your required minimum distribution (RMD) which can lower your income and taxes. In years past, donors had to wait each year to find out if the IRS would permit these types of distributions. Now that this legislation is permanent, it means you can plan to use your RMD now.

 

CORPORATE MATCHING GIFTS

Matching gifts from your employer are a great way to increase the impact of your gift!

If your employer offers matching funds, please do contact them about the process when making a gift to the Library. Contact us by email, phone, or in-person so that we can help to facilitate the process.

MORE WAYS TO GIVE

LEAVE A LEGACY: PLANNED GIVING

The decision to make a planned gift to the Stonington Free Library is a way to support us into the future. A planned gift is arranged by you legally during your lifetime. Planned gifts take many forms, providing additional income for you and/or your heirs, reducing income and estate taxes, relieving you and your heirs of complicated financial management responsibilities and helping to fulfill your personal and charitable objectives. Planned gifts can be made in cash, real estate, stocks, bonds, personal property or life insurance. Below are several ways to make this gift.  Please contact your financial advisor regarding various gift types.

Bequests by Will
One of the simplest planned gifts is a bequest through your will in which you designate either a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate.

Life Insurance
Contributions of life insurance can provide a substantial gift to SFL.

Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut (CFECT) 
Leave estate gifts to our endowment at CFECT as well. Gifts via will or trust are accepted. CFECT can help you establish Charitable Gift Annuities also. Anything more complicated like real estate would need preapproval from CFECT.

The Babcock-Phelps Society, named for the Library’s two earliest benefactors, recognizes individuals who have chosen to remember the Library in their estate planning documents.

If you have already made such a provision, please let us know—we would like recognize to your generosity. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Babcock-Phelps Society and would like more information, please contact our Development Coordinator by email, by phone at 860-535-0658, or come and see us at the Library.

THE BABCOCK-PHELPS SOCIETY

Anthony Bailey*
John Michael Bass*
Robert Baum*
Jean Blanchet*
Mrs. Helen Brewster*
Peter Megargee Brown*
Donald Charbonnier
Jane Charbonnier
Inger McCabe Elliott
Elizabeth and Charles Harding
Priscilla F. Hodges*
Nan Jernigan
Jean M. Jones*
Cynthia Crawford Lichtenstein
Sheila Lyons*
Maria McVitty*
Mr. & Mrs. Frederic C. Paffard, Jr*
Joyce & Francis P. Pandolfi
Santo Puglisi*
Elizabeth Holliday Ramsey*
Katharine Robinson*
Sheila Rock
Carol and Edward Sauers
Owen Sherry*
Heidi & Robert Simmons
Nora Spens, M.D., Rev*
Anne T. Stevens*
Judith & Andrew Westwood

*deceased


MEMORIAL AND TRIBUTE GIFTS

Tribute gifts are a wonderful way to pay tribute to a friend or family member.

Looking for a way to honor a friend or family member? Consider a tribute gift to the Library. Give in memory of someone who cherished the Library during their lifetime, is an enthusiastic library supporter, or for a special occasion. When you make your gift, we will inform the person being honored or the family of the person you are remembering. Look for your tribute gift in our annual report! When you make a tribute gift online, be sure to include the name of your honoree in the comment section.

MYSTERY DINNER

Now in its 13th successful year, the Mystery Dinner has been the Library’s signature annual fundraiser and remains a cherished tradition in Stonington. It’s the perfect way to kick off the spring season – introducing residents to new friends and neighbors, creating a wonderful sense of community and raising a significant portion of the much-needed annual funding for the Library.

In 2009, SFL trustees Ruth Saunders and Joyce Pandolfi conceived the Mystery Dinner concept in an effort to augment funds for library operations. Their idea was to gather guests in the early evening at the Library, decorated by literary theme, and, over cocktails and conversation, learn who their mystery dinner hosts would be. Upon reaching their mystery house, yet another surprise would be revealed: their group of dining companions. The Mystery Dinner is truly a magical mystery night!

The first-ever Mystery Dinner theme was Great American Authors. Each year the planning committee chooses a new theme, always with a literary connection. Past themes include Alice in Wonderland, Hemingway in Spain, A Passage to India and Walden Pond.

Learn more here.

GIVING TUESDAY

GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.

Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

We are grateful for our giving community that believes in and chooses to support the vital work of the Library. Your individual support of the Library’s Annual Appeal on GivingTuesday and throughout the year is what allows us to warmly welcome and serve everyone who walks through our doors.

The energy and support from our community’s small business collaborative, sponsors and residents will help sustain the Library’s ongoing commitment to “enrich lives and build community by bringing information, ideas and people together.”

Visit us so we can say an extra Thank You in person!

If you haven’t already made a gift to the Stonington Free Library, don’t worry, you can give online at anytime.

Library Giving Day

The Stonington Free Library is full of stories in a variety of formats from picture books to large print, audiobooks to ebooks, and more. But there’s so much more to the story. Our collection has expanded beyond books, and library services reach well beyond the four walls of our building. Support programming and services by joining Stonington Free Library during Library Giving Day! Donate here.

Host a Personal Fundraiser

Our community fundraising program is fueled by passionate individuals, families, and companies who host events and organize fundraisers that raise vital funds for SFL. Host an online fundraiser to celebrate your birthday, anniversary, graduation, or another great occasion. There are many fun and easy ways to participate in our community fundraising program. Learn more here.

Additionally, you can now fundraise on Facebook! Get social and start a Facebook Fundraiser. Click here to see detailed instructions on how to start a Facebook Fundraiser. Use your creativity and passion to raise funds

Our team stands ready to talk through your ideas, share best practices and advice, and help set you up for a successful fundraiser.