$21,204 raised by 134 donors
61% complete
$35,000 Goal
We are Friends of the Dallas Public Library. What does that mean?
It means that we speak for the Dallas Public Library, its 29 neighborhood branches and the 8-story J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, the nearly 400 staff members and the millions who depend on them every day. In recent years we have mounted grassroots campaigns to restore city funding for the libraries, allowing them to expand their hours, hire more staff, serve more people, and recover from years of misguided budget cuts.
It means that we enhance our libraries by raising money for programming, staff development, and much more, beyond what the city budget, funded by taxpayer dollars provides. We seek and secure grants to enable the Dallas Public Library to evolve into a programming institution on par with America's greatest public libraries.
It means that we act as a foundation, funding $500,000 for citywide programs and spearheading major campaigns like creating new play spaces at every full-service library location to renovating the Central Research Library floor-by-floor in a public-private partnership with the City of Dallas.
It means that we safeguard our libraries' future by positioning ourselves as the Dallas Public Library's nonprofit partner, ensuring that our great city has great libraries and that our elected officials and the general public continue to understand how important libraries are to Dallas.
Friends of the Dallas Public Library has a critical role in the next phase: helping Dallas Public Library plan its future with a new strategic plan while reinvigorating our advocacy work.
Join us as we build on our previous successes that galvanized public awareness and persuaded city officials that the Dallas Public Library is an indispensable institution deserving of their full support. If you have any questions about Friends of the Dallas Public Library please contact us at 214-670-1458 or by email at friends@fodpl.org.
Between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, Friends of the Dallas Public Library has committed to provide $350,000 to Dallas Public Library. These funds will support a wide range of Library programs that make the library come to life for so many in our community.
Money raised during North Texas Giving Day allow the Friends to support these programs as well as our own Library Advocacy work.
Dallas is blessed to have a great library system, with a talented, creative, and resourceful staff. The Friends of the Dallas Public Library want to make sure it continues to flourish with the resources needed to serve our entire community.
Friends of the Dallas Public Library exists to support the mission of the Dallas Public Library system in its delivery of resources, services and information to the Dallas community.
The Friends rely on our members, the public, and corporate partners to fund library programs and projects every year. We call upon all library supporters to assist us in our advocacy work and ensure that the Dallas Public Library has the essential resources to meet the public's needs.
In nominating candidates for Board Membership, the Governance and Nominating Committee will use its reasonable efforts to achieve a board composition that is overall representative of the community, with individual directors who possess the skills necessary to accomplish the goals of the Friends.
Organization name
Friends of the Dallas Public Library, Inc.
Causes
Community Improvement
Operating Budget
$500,000 - $999,999
Counties Served
Collin, Dallas
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx
BIPOC Leadership
Neither/None
Equity Statement
Equity Statement
Address
1515 Young Street 7th Floor