THE MAPLEWOOD LIBRARY FOUNDATION
The Maplewood Memorial Library Foundation, (MMLF) was incorporated on 12/1/2010 and granted 501(c)(3) status on 5/23/2012. Our purposes, as stated in the “Certificate of Incorporation” are:
1.) To fundraise and to provide support for the Maplewood Memorial Library.
2.) To promote and improve the Maplewood Memorial Library.
3.) To promote literacy and library services for the public.
4.) To Engage in other activities within the purposes for which non-profit corporations may be organized under the laws of the State of NJ and pursuant to section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (“501(c)(3)”).
The Foundation came about because the Board of Trustees of the Library and many in our community recognized the need to establish a protective buffer for the library’s invaluable services. Increasing demands on municipal budgets, coupled with the library’s expanding technological needs have necessitated fundraising for projects outside of the library’s annual budget. MMLF has built a fundraising organization to address this need.
The Foundation was also established to provide greater investment latitude for the accumulation of donations. Before the inception of MMLF, donations to the Library were hamstrung by rules governing the investment and disbursement of municipal funds. With the creation of the Foundation, donations may be invested more productively, unburdened by the extremely conservative state restrictions on handling public monies.
In every year since 2012, the Foundation has made annual contributions to the Library supporting special events, technology improvements, software and programming. We have also accumulated funds, building toward our current primary objective: a major library renovation.
Ultimately, even after completing the capital campaign and building a new library, MMLF will continue its mission of fundraising and investing for the library’s future. It will always be our purpose to provide some measure of financial security and flexibility for the Library, so that its director, board and staff may focus on the library’s vital role as Maplewood’s literary hub, information/enrichment center and invaluable community cornerstone.
CERTIFICATION AND IRS FORMS
All IRS and registration filings are available for review. Please contact a Board Member if requesting a copy of documentation.
IRS Letter Granting 501(c)(3) Status
Photo by Chad Hunt. chadhuntphotography.com
“Some of my earliest memories are of the bright colors of the Maplewood Library children’s room, and the excitement that bubbled up whenever my parents took me to pick out books. As I grew older and became an even more voracious reader, the library provided new, ever enjoyable novels that helped to shape the young adult I have become. Having access to essentially any book, for free, has been such an important aspect of my academic and personal life, and, after working as a page in the library for almost four years, I have seen this accessibility change the lives of so many MML patrons for the better. I know that as our library, and our community, continue to develop, the same joy and gratitude that the library has given me will grow and shape the next generation of Maplewoodians, and everyone who uses the Maplewood Memorial Library.”