Sarasota Library Foundation reaches campaign goal

As the world rang in 2017, the Library Foundation of Sarasota County rang in its final donations to fund its Imagination Library.

In December 2015, the foundation embarked on a one-year mission to raise $500,000 for its Children’s Literary Endowment which would help fund the foundation’s chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Through the program, local children will receive one book each month until they turn 5. The children receiving the books live throughout 12 ZIP codes in the area that have been identified with the greatest need based on the number of children who receive free and reduced lunch.

On Dec. 31, 2016, the campaign’s deadline, the foundation reached its goal. In total, the campaign raised $451,075. The final $50,000 will be coming from the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation, which pledged to donate that amount if the campaign raised at least $450,000. With that donation, the campaign will have raised $501, 075 in total. At a 4.5% spend rate, the $500,000 endowment will spend $22,500 a year to give 900 children a book each month.

Children will receive approximately 60 books throughout their time in the program starting with “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper and ending with “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!” by Nancy Carlson.

Foundation board members will begin planning a new goal at their February meeting. Executive Director for the foundation, Suzanne Seiter, said she isn’t sure what the next big project will be. Right now, she’s just thankful to the board members.

“I’m so proud of our board because they really pulled together, and so many gifts came as a result of their own personal giving and the people they’ve connected us with,” she said. “So the involvement of the board was spectacular.”