ALA president urges support for final CCF fundraising challenge
Contact: Angela Thullen
Program Officer, Communications
ALA Public Programs Office
312-280-5286
athullen@ala.org
For Immediate Release,
April 7, 2008
ALA president urges support for final CCF fundraising challenge
CHICAGO – In order to meet its ambitious fundraising goals, the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office began a campaign to raise an additional $310,000 in contributions and pledges for the Cultural Communities Fund (CCF) before July 31. All contributions and pledges made before July 31 will be matched by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Member support is urgently needed to take full advantage of this opportunity to leverage funds from NEH. Contributions can be made online at www.ala.org/ccf.
" It is vital that the ALA community show its support for the Cultural Communities Fund by helping us to meet this urgent campaign goal,” said ALA President Loriene Roy. “A contribution to the ALA Cultural Communities Fund is a solid way for ALA members to invest in the future of our libraries as cultural centers."
Since 2003, the ALA Public Programs Office has worked toward building the nation’s first and only endowment to support libraries in establishing and expanding cultural and community programming, the ALA Cultural Communities Fund. Begun with a challenge grant from NEH, the fund now totals over $1 million, contributed by an impressive list of individual and corporate supporters.
Funding from CCF will support the creation of annual professional development opportunities for librarians, turnkey national model programs, and a wealth of program planning and presenting resources designed to build and enhance programming capacity at the local level. These activities will strengthen the ability of libraries and librarians to respond to community needs for cultural programming.
CCF is an initiative of the ALA Public Programs Office, which was established in 1990 to foster cultural programming as an integral part of library service in all types of libraries. The unit assists librarians across the country by providing leadership, resources, training, and networking opportunities in order to provide library users of all ages with cultural opportunities. To learn more or to make an online contribution, please visit www.ala.org/ccf.
