Help build this list of ideas begun by Stephen Miller, Little Falls, MN:

• Have your city/county put Friends membership applications in utility bills.
• Have varying levels of membership fees (e.g., basic membership, family, group, 5-year membership, etc.).
• Provide a ($2.00) voucher against library fines upon joining the Friends.
• Sponsor a gala event (sell table settings and have donors decorate the tables themselves, serve a gourmet meal, provide live music).
• Provide online membership applications (would require online payment).
• Sponsor a spelling bee (or a pop quiz game like Trivial Pursuit, perhaps Stump the Librarian!) for adults (teams would have sponsors donating money).
• Sponsor a family movie night.
• Partner with a local bookstore to get a discount coupon at the bookstore for joining the Friends group.
• Sponsor a community-wide read.
• Sponsor a golf tournament to benefit the Friends.
• Allow members of the Friends group to shop early at book sales.
• Provide library book bags to those who join the Friends group at a certain $ level.
• Pay for a ¼ page ad in the local paper.
• Make coming to Friends meetings a requirement of membership (e.g., don’t encourage not coming to meetings).
• Send out letters to members reminding them of the meeting date.

See also Rural Brainstorms for more ideas from fundraising to advocacy and how your Friends can get involved! If you have other Friends ideas or resources to add, please share them in the comments area below. Thank you for all your great work!!