Donations & Fundraising

The Library no longer accepts donations of books or other materials.

The majority of items that were donated were not able to be added to our collection nor suitable for used book sales. View a list of locations that will accept used book donations. 

Unexpected gifts to Barrie Public Library are always appreciated but a well-planned gift can often be more effective, for both you the donor and for the Library. A planned gift is a charitable gift that you plan for now, but is not received by the Library until later.

Bequests
Most often, planned gifts are made in the form of a bequest through a will. You can set aside a specific dollar amount, leave a percentage of your estate, or leave any assets left over after you have provided for your family.

Gifts of life insurance
Life insurance policies can outlive their need – for example, policies taken out to protect mortgages that have since been paid or educational plans that have been completed. By transferring ownership and naming the library as beneficiary, you will receive a tax receipt for the cash surrender value of the policy.

Charitable remainder trust
Transfer your assets to a separately managed trust fund that provides you with an annual payment for a specified period of time. At the end of that time, the trust property passes on to the Library.

Traditionally when a friend or loved one passes on, flowers are sent to the family of the deceased. In lieu of flowers, many people prefer to make a donation to a not-for-profit organization as a permanent way to pay tribute. An In Memoriam donation to the Barrie Public Library is a meaningful way to pay tribute to the memory of someone who cared about their community.

When we receive In Memoriam donations, we respond to each donor personally. We also send a letter to the next of kin, keeping them up-to-date with all donations that have been made in memory of their loved one.

By keeping the principal intact and only spending the interest, endowments become a permanent source of money for new, innovative projects as well as our current programs.  An endowment enables you to make the most of your donation by maximizing tax deductions and investing the dollars wisely.  Your principal investment will continue to grow and generate further investment income every year. 

K’Leigh Cundall Children’s Library Endowment Fund
In 2007, an endowment was gifted to the library in honour of K’Leigh Cundall, a lifetime book lover and supporter of the library. K’Leigh’s family wanted any memorial gifts to be used for children’s services, and the money is used to add children’s books to our shelves and equipment to our children’s programmes and services. K’Leigh’s memory and name will always be alive here in this building - and in our whole community - through her love of books and libraries. Thank you to the Cundall family for choosing to honour the Barrie Public Library with this endowment.  

William C. Porter Library Endowment Fund
In late December 2006, the family of long-time library supporter, Bill Porter donated $10,000 to establish an endowment fund to benefit the Barrie Public Library. Bill was a very dedicated board member, serving on our Board of Trustees from 1989 – 1991 and from 1997 to his death in April 2006. Bill Porter was a strong believer in public libraries and an enthusiastic supporter of the Barrie Dragon Boat Festival. We thank the Porter family for choosing to honour the library in this way.

Donate your marketable securities or mutual funds to Barrie Public Library. It is much easier than you may think!

Using CanadaHelps, your gift will be processed safely and effectively within 3 - 5 business days. By donating to Barrie Public Library, it becomes a win for everyone; capital gains is eliminated, leaving Barrie Public Library to receive the current market value and in return, you are awarded with a charitable tax receipt for the donation amount. See an example below from our friends at CanadaHelps:

Image Credit: CanadaHelps (For more information on how you can increase your impact, please visit the canadahelps.org donation webpage.)

If you are interested in donating your marketable securities or mutual funds, Barrie Public Library encourages all donors to discuss giving options with your Financial Advisor.  

When ready, please complete this form to get started.