Honoring the past and providing for TCPL's future

Sustainable Giving

TCPL has affected generations of people over the years. Many of them want to ensure that TCPL thrives and continues to serve future generations and they make plans accordingly. The Foundation offers a few ways to provide for TCPL’s future while honoring the past.

Tribute Gifts

A tribute gift is a wonderful way to celebrate a special event, honor someone you respect, or memorialize a life that has impacted you. While honoring the past and commemorating the present, a tribute gift helps ensure a future for an institution and ideals you and your loved ones believe in. When you make a tribute gift, we will also send notification of your gift to the person you're honoring or the family of the person you are memorializing.

One-time memorial or tribute book funds can also be established, starting at $500. This allows the donor to delineate the focus of the materials purchased, in line with TCPL’s acquisitions guidelines. Books purchased through a memorial fund can have optional memorial or honor bookplates inserted into them, a tribute that lasts as long as the item remains in the library’s collection. For even greater impact, you can start an Endowed Fund.

Endowed Funds

Endowed funds begin with a substantial gift ($25,000 or more) and generate annual income that is used in support of the Library, making it a particularly impactful way to contribute to TCPL's long-term sustainability. The assurance that these funds will continue to grow allows librarians to feel confident ordering materials and planning programs that entertain and enrich our community.

An endowed fund is a meaningful way to honor or memorialize a friend or family member. They can be directed to a particular genre, subject area, reading level, type of media, programming, staff support, and more, in line with the library’s goals and mission.

Endowed Fund details

Endowed funds require a starting donation of at least $25,000.
Endowed funds are established in an area determined by the donor.
An amount determined by the Foundation’s Finance Committee, is granted to TCPL annually, to be used in accordance with the donor's wishes, at the Library staff's discretion.
Additions to the fund may be made at any time.
Donors receive an annual report on the use of funds.

A sample of current endowed funds:

The Margaret Johnston Hilton Children's Endowed Fund, founded in memory of early arts educator Meg Hilton, supports arts programming for preschoolers.

The Sanjay Aneja Memorial Fund was established by Sanjay’s parents Raj and Sarla, to honor his interests. Its earned income is used to purchase books and materials about current socio-political thought in the United States and India, Indian culture, and children's books about India.

The Celia M. Cogan "Crooks in Books" Mystery Fiction Book Fund supplies TCPL's shelves with mysteries of all kinds. It was established by Elissa Cogan and Barry Chester to memorialize Elissa’s mother’s love of classic mysteries.

The Peter M. Rinaldo Memorial Endowed Fund focuses on non-fiction adult books in the fields of science, economics, history, and biography, a suitable way of honoring a man with many interests and passions.

Legacy and Planned Giving

When you make end-of-life plans to support Tompkins County Public Library, you make a commitment to future generations and to our community. There are many ways to ensure that TCPL is included in your legacy giving. See your estate attorney or financial advisor for assistance.

Why do people include TCPL in their end-of-life planning?

Belief in the ideals of public libraries: Not only does TCPL offer patrons free access to information that can help them become better citizens, it also offers space for civic discourse and greater involvement in the democratic process.
Community need: TCPL is a community hub and provides support for many of our most vulnerable populations. Protection from the elements, access to wifi and public computers, a quiet place to work or read, and programming that builds community—all are found at TCPL.
Nostalgia: Many people have fond memories of visiting their local public library as children and want to offer that to future generations. Parents may recall storytime with their children, a librarian that made a difference in their child’s life, or books that were particularly meaningful to them.

Whatever your reasons, ensuring that TCPL has a place in your planned giving is a great way to express your values and give something back to an institution—and a community—that has nurtured you throughout your lifetime.

To discuss the many ways you can honor the past and plan for the future through supporting TCPL, please contact Kerry Barnes at kbarnes@tcplfoundation.org or 607 275-1532.