Endowment
A 1:1 Matching Endowment Opportunity for the Teton County Library
From 2001-2003, an ambitious Teton County Library Foundation Endowment Campaign raised $4.25 million (approximately half in cash and the other half in planned/deferred gifts) to provide a permanent funding source for the programming and resources, enhanced educational opportunities, and access to information and technology at the library. These funds are invested through the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.
In 2008, the Governor of the State of Wyoming signed into law the most important piece of legislation ever concerning public libraries in this state. The legislation, called the Wyoming Public Library Endowment Challenge, set aside a pool of money - $9.1 million – to be allocated to all 23 county public library systems in Wyoming through their local library foundations. This amount was augmented by $3 million in March, 2010, meaning the pool of match money available to Wyoming public libraries is now $12.1 million. Local foundations are required to raise matching money from private sources in order to obtain this state funding.
Since 2008, the Teton County Library Foundation has raised $136 thousand in additional endowment funds through the Wyoming Public Library Endowment Challenge. We have $289 thousand to raise in order to take full advantage of the Challenge. Every dollar contributed to the Foundation that is designated for this campaign will earn us a 1:1 match from the pool of Wyoming Challenge funds and bring us closer to our ultimate goal of having a $5 million permanent fund to stabilize the economic future of Foundation-sponsored library programs and resources.
To find out more about this unprecedented opportunity to make a difference for Teton County Library, contact Missy Falcey, Executive Director (x 114) or Pauline Towers-Dykeman, Associate Director (x 217) of the Teton County Library Foundation at 733-2164.