The 100 Extraordinary Women fundraising initiative is an exciting and easy way to support an expanded and renovated Dwight T. Parker Public Library that will be the heart of the community here in Fennimore, and provide services to people of all ages. We are honored to have received a state grant of $4.25 million, which will allow us to cover a large portion of the cost to renovate and expand the library. The extraordinary women of the Fennimore area will launch the campaign to raise the last of the funding needed to make this project a reality. The total project cost is $5,750,000. The capital campaign has a goal of raising $750,000.
100 Extraordinary Women is the first initiative of the capital campaign for the library project. All gifts and pledges made to the 100 Extraordinary Women will help us jumpstart the campaign! The money we raise through this initiative will be prominently listed as sponsoring one specific area of the new library (the lobby). Each woman who pledges $1,000 will have her name, or the name of someone she wants to honor or remember, listed prominently in this area. With only 100 women, we will raise $100,000. We hope to receive support from more than 100 women! We are so excited that we have received a generous, anonymous, donation toward the initiative that provides a matching donation for the donations of up to 100 women, so we anticipate raising at least $200,000 of the $750,000 campaign goal with just this one fundraiser. We already have over 50 pledges and donations.
Each of the Extraordinary Women gives $1,000, which may be pledged over five years easily and safely on the 100EW website – ($200 per year or approximately $17 per month).
•Women can join as individuals, listing their own name.
•Women can honor or remember a special woman.
•Women can form groups for one listing, e.g. family members, book clubs, etc.
•Men can honor or remember a woman who is important to them.
To publicize this very special way for women to come together, we will be holding a celebration event, tentatively set for Wednesday, May 7, so that all the Extraordinary Women can come together. The event is complimentary for those who participate in 100 Extraordinary Women. There is one seat for each woman (we ask groups who come together to make one pledge to choose one woman to represent the group at the event).
We would like to have the completed pledge prior to the event so it can be a really special celebration. We do not need full payment. Donations can be made with annual or monthly payments on the 100EW website. Checks for full payment can be made payable to Dwight T. Parker Library and mailed or dropped off at the Library or Midwest One Bank. Note on the check that your donation is for “100EW”.
We hope this will be an integral part of the larger campaign and generate a lot of media coverage and start the “buzz” around town. Please consider joining us.
In addition to the 100 Extraordinary Women initiative that is in progress, led by a sub-committee of women, there is the lead Building Campaign Committee that is working on reaching out to possible donors who would be interested in making larger contributions to the fundraising campaign with possible naming rights for various parts of the project. Anyone interested in more information about that part of the fundraising campaign should feel free to reach out to Library Director Cathy Smith.
