Donate to the Library

Donation Policy

Monetary Donations, Memorials and Bequests

The Library gratefully accepts monetary gifts from individuals, businesses, corporations and organizations. Contributions of cash, securities or other properties in any amount may be made to the Dwight Foster Public Library. Gifts given now will help address current needs, or be held in the Library’s trust fund at Edward Jones-Fort Atkinson.

Donors are welcome to specify a general preference for the allocation of their donation, i. e. children’s programs, building projects or the general Library collection. Library staff will then determine the most appropriate use of the funds.

Although gifts to the general fund are encouraged, special “donor funds” may be created, with prior approval of the Library Board, to support special projects that serve a qualified and charitable purpose. In the event conditions change and it becomes impossible to fulfill the originally designated purposes of a donor fund, the gift would be added to the general fund to benefit the library.

To establish a special “donor fund”, we recommend that you or your attorney contact one of the members of the Library Board of Directors so the board can, at its next meeting, discuss the fund you are interested in creating. You may want to create a special “donor fund” established either in your name or in memory of someone else. This wording in your will could be: “I leave the sum of $_____ to Dwight Foster Public Library Trust to be held as a special donor fund known as The _____ Fund, which shall be created for the following purposes:”

Gifts to the Dwight Foster Library Trust may be mailed to:
Dwight Foster Public Library
209 Merchants Avenue
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538

Monetary donations over $100 may be designated for a specific subject area of the collection by the donor, if desired. The librarians will select the materials appropriate for that collection area. Donor bookplates will be added to the materials, format permitting.

If you would like to set up monies to be deferred to the library, please see Statement of Deferred Gift Provision. This may be submitted to the library so that your gift is directed to the library.

Used Book Donations

We do not accepting used books or materials at this time. (December 2022 – March 2023)

The Library welcomes donations of materials (books, movies, music, etc.) that are in good condition. We do not accept magazines, sets of encyclopedias, Reader’s Digest Condensed books, video tapes, cassettes or textbooks.

Damaged, musty or mildewed items should be disposed of and not brought to the Library.

Donors with more than 4 boxes of materials to donate must contact the Library in advance.

If a donor wishes to donate a current magazine subscription, a DVD collection or a new set of encyclopedias they should contact the Library director.

The Library reserves the right to utilize donated materials in whatever way best benefits the collection and services of the Library. Donations that fall within our collection development guidelines may be added to the collection. Donations not added to the collection may be given to the Friends for inclusion in their book sales, passed on to other libraries, donated to other nonprofit book distribution organizations or discarded if necessary.

Due to the quantity of donations, materials donated to the Library cannot be accepted on a conditional basis and items not added to the collection cannot be returned to the donor. All donations become the property of the Library.

A letter of receipt for tax purposes is available upon request. The donor is responsible for determining the value of any donated items.

Donations of Art
Donations of artwork may be accepted by the Library. Donated pieces may be approved for display in the Library or they may be sold with the proceeds going to the Library trust fund.

Legal Disclaimers

The Library Board reserves the right to accept or refuse all gifts.

Any monetary donations made to the Dwight Foster Public Library will be deposited in the Library Trust account at Premier Bank and will remain under the control of the Library Board.

The Library accepts gifts with the understanding that no restrictions will be applied to the gift unless jointly agreed upon by the donor and the Library Board.

Once an item is accepted by the Library, the item becomes the sole property of the Library and may be handled in any way the Library deems appropriate.

The Dwight Foster Public Library reserves the right to sell or dispose of any gift without notification to the donor if the item no longer serves the purposes of the Library.

Donations given to the Dwight Foster Public Library are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. Library staff cannot place a value on donated items, but will provide a donation receipt letter at the time of donation.

Donor names are public information unless the donor requests anonymity.

Acknowledgement of any donation may take one of several forms including, but not limited to:

  • A special program or media campaign to announce the donation.
  • Library bookplate(s) with the donor name or name of person being memorialized, format permitting.
  • A small plaque on or near a physical object or feature in the Library building.
  • An announcement at a Library program.
  • Acknowledgement in a Library promotional publication, newsletter, display, advertisement or on a library website.
  • A letter to the person/family of the person being honored/memorialized by the donation.