Our Mission
The Lafayette Public Library Foundation (LPLF) provides financial support to the Lafayette Public Library resulting in free materials and services to the thousands of adults, children and youth of Lafayette Parish. Through advocacy and fundraising, the LPLF strengthens Lafayette public libraries and promotes greater awareness of valuable library resources available to the community.
Local property taxes fund the operation of the main library and its nine branch locations. However, volunteer visionaries foresaw the need for another source of library funding to ensure that our community would have not merely an adequate public library system but an exceptional one. Through their efforts, the foundation was established.
The all-volunteer LPLF is the vehicle to attract and receive private contributions that provide support beyond what is available through traditional tax-based funding.
Though the LPLF does not support the library’s basic operations, it does, work with the library to determine where private support can expand the library’s work, making a life-changing difference for Lafayette’s children and families.
To see how the Foundation is truly making a difference for the nine public library branches that serve Lafayette Parish. visit:
Primary Goals
- Create community awareness of the need for a stable funding source for the Lafayette Public Library beyond tax dollars
- Create Membership, Major Gifts and Endowments giving opportunities for the community
- Provide 2,000 new books annually to the library
- Continue to fund and increase endowment investment to a goal of $2,000,000
- Honor individuals and groups that have given lasting library contributions and support
Birth of a Foundation
In 1991, Bill McGoffin was serving as the vice president of the board of directors of the Friends of the Lafayette Public Library, a separate Lafayette fundraising organization that focuses on more immediate, short-term funding for the libraries. He along with other Friends board members recognized a need to form a separate, nonprofit organization to receive donations from the private sector and to establish an endowment fund that could serve as a long-term revenue stream to support the library. With help from Friends board member Dolores Owen and then library director Sonya Branch and others, they prepared the necessary documents and the Lafayette Public Library Foundation was incorporated in June 1992.
The LPLF was the first library board incorporated in Louisiana and serves as a successful model for others!
Nonprofit Status
In November of 1993, the IRS granted the foundation nonprofit tax status.
Officers of the Friends – Rosemary Frederic, Marion Embree, Bill McGoffin and Flossie Turner – performed DOUBLE duties by also serving as officers of the newly established corporation.
Library Board of Control members Mike Killeen, Eleanor Straub, and Suzan Allen rounded out the group’s initial board.
Advocacy
In addition to fundraising activity, the LPLF has and continues to be an advocate for the Lafayette Public Library System. Board members were instrumental in building community awareness to assist in successfully passing the bond issue in 2002 which secured funding for north regional and south regional branch expansions, main branch renovation, as well as for new branches in the east and west of the parish.
Awards Luncheon
The Foundation’s first Awards Luncheon was held in 1996 for the purpose of creating public awareness and to honor individuals and groups that have given lasting contributions and support to the library. At the annual luncheon, the Foundation Award, the Major Donor Award, and the President’s Award are presented. The award winners also have an honorary endowment established in their honor. For the latest information on the annual awards luncheon please see:
