Every capital campaign is built on one or two really major gifts at the beginning of the campaign –10% of the goal or more – which signify to everyone else that “this” is a cause worth supporting. Someone has to be first, and many people are shy, or cautious. They don’t want to risk making that initial commitment before they know what others may think.
But a rare few do choose to give first, setting the example for the campaign to come and encouraging others to make the same commitment. In the case of the Shorewood Library and Village Center, we had a textbook example of the power of the lead gift.
For as many as ten years, the construction of a new library in the Village of Shorewood had been a subject of discussion and contention. After years of study, there was a referendum on whether or not to have a referendum about approving funds for the building. Result: yes, we should have a referendum. The next year came the real referendum: to spend $5 million to build a $6 million building with the balance coming from private sources. This passed 55% to 45%.
So someone had to raise $1 million in private contributions. Everyone was exhausted by the politics which came before. No one would agree to serve on a committee. No one would commit one dollar to the project. The Library Board President was quoted in the local newspaper as saying, “We can’t raise $1 million with bake sales. We need a six-figure contribution to start things off.”
A village resident read this story, called the Board President, and said, “I can give a six-figure gift.” A retired teacher, she was well known in this small community, but did not appear on any list of potential major donors. Astonished, the Board President responded, “Are you sure? Can you afford it??” She said, “I can and I want to. I want to bring the Village together.”
The gift was announced with a front page story in the local news. Overnight, attitudes changed. Village residents wanted to support the campaign. Volunteers agreed to help raise money. A committee was formed, co-chairs recruited. Other major donors stepped forward. Less than a year later, the needed $1 million in private funds was committed. The Library and Village Center stand today as a testament to the desire of the residents of Shorewood to have the best in public services available, and to a great extent, to the desire of one lead donor to make a difference.
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