Originally, there were two nonprofit support organizations — the Friends of the Arlington Public Library (established in 1986) and the Arlington Public Library Foundation (established in 1993).
The Friends held semi-annual book sales and book and author luncheons, and the Foundation raised funds primarily through grants, events, and direct mail solicitations.
Due to their similar goals to support the library system, the two groups merged October 2016 to form the Friends and Foundation.
The benefits of the Friends and Foundation of the Arlington Public Library are:
Budget Flexibility - We provide the library alternative sources of funding to supplement tax-based funding and grants which cover quality programs and services which meet the needs of the entire community.
Community Support and Confidence - Arlington citizens who serve on the board of directors engender community pride and confidence in library support. They are willing to place their money and time with a non-governmental and non-political organization, to generate and manage funding opportunities for the library system.
Grant Eligibility - Many major foundations have a policy against giving money to tax supported institutions but will provide grants to non-profit organizations.
FFAPL makes the difference between a “good” and a “great” library system. Our mission is to encourage community investment through private giving to ensure an outstanding public library for all the citizens of Arlington.
