The Trust Fund may be used to provide additional educational and entertainment programs, purchase unique materials for the Library’s collection, provide scholarships to local  students, enhance the beautiful atrium garden...or any other need the Library has which cannot be funded through their regular budget.

The Friends’ Trust Fund provides   a means of channeling tax-exempt donations to the Library for library use...and assures that these funds will not be reallocated for another purpose.

The main idea behind a trust fund is to allow grantors or donors to rest assured that the Library receive the benefit of his or her donation. The trust is aimed at providing sustained support for the Library and providing a means for community members to be part of this support.

The Trust accepts all forms of  giving: including bequests, donations of real estate, cash, bonds, gifts of stock or any other type of financial instrument.

                  To that end, the Friends of the Michigan City Public Library have adopted this Donor Bill of Rights developed by The American Association of Fund Raising Counsel:

· To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.

· To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.

· To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.

· To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.

· To receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition.

· To be assured that information about their donations is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.

· To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.

· To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.

· To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.

· To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

The Friends’ Trust Fund is also able to accept “Sustainable Giving” donations through automatic checking or savings account withdrawals. The form is available at the Circulation Desk as well as here on the Friends’ website—  www.mc-friendsofthelibrary.com.

For more information about charitable giving to the Friends of the Library’s trust fund, please contact the Michigan City Public Library. Phone: 219/873-3047.