Fundraising, Gifts and Sponsorships Policy

 

Policy Statement

Waterloo Public Library (WPL) recognizes that public funding is the principal and most important source of funding for its services. The Library endorses the Canadian Library Association’s Position Statement on Corporate Sponsorship Agreements in Libraries, which supports the importance of public funding for the public good while allowing libraries to receive supplementary funding through donations and sponsorships. 

Purpose

Waterloo Public Library is a registered charity and, as such, may receive donations and sponsorship from individuals, groups, foundations, and corporations. The Library is committed to ethical fundraising practices that ensure compliance with all laws and transparency for all interest holders. 

Definitions

Donation: A voluntary gift of cash or property made to the Library as a philanthropic act, given without expectation of reciprocal benefit to the donor. A donation is eligible for an official charitable tax receipt in accordance with CRA guidelines. A designated donation is directed towards a specific purpose, while an undesignated donation may be used by the Library to address areas of most urgent need. 

Sponsorship: A mutually beneficial business exchange in which an external individual or organization contributes cash or in-kind goods or services to the Library in exchange for recognition, acknowledgement, or other promotional consideration. Because the sponsor receives a benefit of commercial value, a sponsorship is not eligible for a charitable tax receipt. 

Gift-in-Kind: A non-cash gift of tangible or intangible property, such as artwork, equipment, securities, or real estate. A contribution of service (time, skill, or effort) is not property and does not qualify as a gift-in-kind for tax receipting purposes. 

Fair Market Value (FMV): The estimated price at which an asset would sell between a willing buyer and a willing seller in an open and competitive market, where both parties are informed and acting willingly. 

Pledge: A commitment to a gift to be fulfilled over a predetermined time frame, formalized through a signed agreement. 

Guiding Principles

The Library accepts cash gifts, pledges of support, or sponsorship opportunities when they align with WPL’s organizational values. The Library will refuse offers of support from companies and organizations where acceptance would compromise the reputation of the Library or the safety of its users. 

The Library does not accept any support that requires endorsement of a stated product or opinion. 

The Library does not accept support from organizations that, in the judgment of the Library, exploit members of the community through their products, marketing, or employment practices. 

While donors may indicate an area of library service they wish to support support (programs, capital projects, collections, etc.), the Library retains exclusive decision-making authority over the content of the collections, programs, or services it delivers. 

Gift Acceptance Policy

The Library’s fundraising will be conducted in a responsible manner, consistent with the ethical and legal requirements of provincial and federal regulators, such as the Canada Revenue Agency and the Canadian Income Tax Act and Charities Act. 

The Library adheres to all aspects of provincial and federal privacy legislation and its own Privacy and Access to Information policy. The Library does not share, sell, or trade donor lists. 

Receiving Gifts 

All donated funds and gifts, designated and undesignated, will be used to support WPL’s mandate and objectives. 

Pledges for long-term support must be accompanied by an agreement signed by the donor and the CEO. Pledges or gifts may be announced publicly at the shared discretion of the donor and the Library. Official donor recognition will occur when the Library has received the donation or the signed donor contract and the first instalment. The extent of donor recognition will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Official receipts for tax purposes will be issued as appropriate and according to CRA guidelines. 

Consistent with WPL’s Employee Conflict of Interest policy and the Board’s Code of Conduct, no staff or board member may stand to personally benefit from any gift provided to the Library. 

In-kind gifts are accepted at the sole discretion of the Library. Receipts, where requested, for in-kind gifts will be supported by a fair market valuation (FMV) provided by an independent third party. FMV may be determined by a qualified Library staff member or other individual if the value of the item(s) is $1,000 or less. In all cases, the CEO must also approve the value prior to a receipt being issued. If the FMV is more than $1,000, a knowledgeable third party not associated with either the donor or the Library will appraise the property. The donor will bear the cost of the appraisal. 

The Library, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to refuse gifts or gifts-in-kind. The CEO or their designate may refuse a gift when any of the following are true: 

• The gift or its conditions are inconsistent with WPL’s mission, values, or strategic priorities; 

• The gift seeks to unduly influence Library decisions, collections, programs, or services; 

• The gift is known or suspected to originate from illegal activity, or the gift has been misrepresented; 

• Accepting the gift would expose the Library to unmanageable cost, liability, or risk, or the Library lacks the resources to honour the gift’s terms or determine its value; 

• The gift would otherwise jeopardize the Library’s reputation, impartiality, or autonomy. 

The CEO will inform the Board of any individual undesignated cash donation of $5,000 or more. Cash donations of $25,000 or more will be brought to the Board with a recommendation for use of the funds.

Expending Gifts 

All designated donations will be used for the specific purposes for which they are given. If program or organizational changes make it so designated funds can no longer be spent on the program, collection, or service for which they were given, alternative uses will be discussed with the donor or the donor’s legal designate. 

Expenditure of all donated funds will be approved by the CEO prior to being spent, ensuring adherence to donor intentions. 

Naming of Spaces Policy

The Library may provide opportunities for individuals, service clubs, foundations, and corporate philanthropic donors to be recognized through named rooms and adjacent Library spaces. Collections, programs, and services may also be named to appreciate the charitable support of donors. 

Naming opportunities may be identified by the Library through fundraising initiatives or capital campaigns, or may be proposed by donors through gifting conversations. 

All proposals for naming will be forwarded, in writing and in confidence, to the CEO, who will determine whether the proposed naming conforms to this policy. The Library Board will either approve or reject the naming opportunity and notify the donor of their decision in writing. The terms of the naming opportunity will be documented and agreed to, in writing, by both the Library and the donor before any public recognition of the gift is undertaken. 

Naming opportunities will be finalized through the development of an agreement that includes the space, program, or service to be named and the terms and conditions of the naming opportunity. 

Naming opportunities may be based on incremental funding arrangements that extend over an agreed period. Those terms will be mutually defined in writing by the Library and the donor. All naming agreements will include a specific duration for which the space, program, or service will be named. The Library will avoid naming opportunities that provide recognition in perpetuity. In most cases, naming rights will not be offered for periods longer than 25 years or the useful life of sponsored equipment or resources. 

Naming rights may be terminated under conditions outlined in the agreements signed by the Library and donors. Conditions for early termination of naming rights could include demolition (planned or otherwise) of library space, illegal or disreputable conduct on the part of the donor or their named entity, or failure on the part of the donor to uphold the conditions of the agreement.

Sponsorship Policy

The Library negotiates sponsorship agreements with, and accepts support from, the business community when it enables the Library to better achieve its mission. The Library will not accept sponsorship from companies where doing so would compromise the principles, mission, mandate, values, or reputation of the organization. 

The Library does not accept sponsorship from organizations whose substantial business or purpose is alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, pornography, adult entertainment, or weapons. The Library will also not accept sponsorship from religious or partisan organizations, or from any organization whose mission is not aligned with the Ontario Human Rights Code. 

Acceptance of corporate support will take the form of a written agreement signed by representatives of the sponsoring organization and authorized representatives of the Library. Agreements will define the terms of the sponsorship and any recognition to be provided to the sponsor. Sponsorships under $25,000 may be approved and signed by the CEO. Sponsorships that exceed $25,000 will be approved by the Library Board and signed by the Board Chair. Sponsorship agreements may be subject to legal review prior to finalization. Sponsorship agreements may be established for a period of up to 5 years. 

The Library Board reserves the right to terminate sponsorship agreements at any time based on conditions outlined in the sponsorship agreement. 

The Library’s intangible intellectual assets, including its name and likeness, will be protected at all times. Corporate partners, sponsors, and donors will not be permitted to use the Library’s name for commercial purposes or in connection with the promotion of any product or service without explicit written permission. 

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Document Record

May 2014 – Initial Release
March 2021 – Reviewed
September 2026 – Reviewed