Somers Library Foundation to disband

SOMERS, N.Y. - The nonprofit organization that has provided financial support to the Somers Library since 2011 is in the process of dissolving.

It’s neither the ending to the story that it had wanted, nor anticipated, but the Somers Library Foundation (SLF) announced in a letter to the community last month that while it remains committed to “honoring” the purpose of the donations it received for various projects, sadly it no longer has enough officers to keep going as a corporation.

To disband a nonprofit in New York, a board must pass a resolution, create a plan of dissolution, settle any liabilities, and distribute its assets to another qualified 501(c)(3) organization. It must also file a certificate of dissolution with the Department of State and notify the IRS.

The library, the community’s “intellectual and cultural center,” relies on both public and private funding.

The SLF has served as “the library’s philanthropic partner, raising private gifts and seeking grants to support the library’s strategic priorities.”

It also noted on its website that while the town provides the library with an annual operating budget, that “alone will not deliver the new programs, innovative services and advanced technologies Somers residents have come to expect.”

The group has turned over $125,000 to the library for its long-awaited teen room project, according to SLF president Christine Whalley.

Once all the i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed, there may be a few thousand bucks left over for smaller projects, such as computer for the children’s room, she said. Whalley explained that the foundation’s board is down to three members – herself and a treasurer and a secretary -- which is “not enough to run the foundation and do fundraising in any meaningful way.”

It Takes a Village

It really does take a village.

The entire community “has been incredibly supportive” of the library, the foundation, and the Friends of the Somers Public Library (SFPL), a separate group which, Whalley said, has “done a lot of great things.”

(To make things even more confusing, there’s the library’s own board of directors, the entity that decides how the money is spent, plus the Town Board, which controls the annual budget for infrastructure stuff such as heating/cooling systems and lighting.)

For the foundation’s board to remain successful, it really needed at least five members and “lots of volunteers,” she said.

Also to be considered are fiduciary obligations, such as the administration of a bank account, which legally requires a minimum of two people.

The SLF board had lots of members before the pandemic struck. Many folks were forced to rethink exactly where and how they were going to allocate their time and energy. That, and other uncontrollable factors -- such as members aging out or moving away – caused the roster to get smaller and smaller over time.

Never easy under the best of circumstances, fundraising efforts took a hit.

“We couldn’t do the 5K trail run at Reis Park in 2024 because we didn’t have enough people to organize the logistics, find the sponsors, etc.,” Whalley said.

Participation was never really the problem.

“The runners always show up. It’s the rest of the things that take the time,” she said.

Patrons have never flagged in their appreciation of the library and its wide variety of services.

The entire community’s been “SO incredibly supportive,” Whalley said.

While there has been some crossover, the SLF concentrated on funding projects and the SFPL, on programs.

Whalley said she’s confabbed with the SFPL, which is also a 501(c)(3), about their plans and was assured that they’re “trying to gear up to do a little bit more” fundraising-wise.

'Invaluable Support'

Library Director Jessica Veissy was “profoundly saddened” by the foundation’s demise.

The SLF had, she said, “provided invaluable support for our library alongside the Friends of the Somers Public Library over the years.”

Among the projects the SLF has helped fund were the library’s reference and circulation desks, the study pod, printers, and the “upcoming teen room renovation,” Veissy noted.

“Their commitment to improving our community space and fostering a love for learning has made a lasting impact,” she said, adding that the library staff and herself “sincerely appreciate the foundation’s outstanding contributions and the efforts of its members.”

All is not lost, however.

The library said it hoped to see the creation of a new foundation or a collaboration with the FSPL to continue funding programs and projects.

“I wish the Somers Library Foundation the best of luck in their future endeavors, and we will miss them tremendously,” Veissy said.

Programs will not be affected by the SLF’s departure because it’s the Friends of the Somers Public Library (FSPL) that raises money for those types of things. The SLF focused funding efforts on projects.

The foundation and the friends group collaborated on things like the Library Giving Day initiative.

Veissy wanted to dispel any misconceptions about the library’s putting “Tot Time” on Tuesday mornings on hold until April. Announcing on Facebook that some programming in the Children’s Room will be reduced “during this time,” the library assured the public that it was actively working to “resolve these issues” and that it appreciated its “patience and understanding.”

“The reason for that is we are down a librarian in the children's room again,” and has nothing to do with the SLF situation, she said. 

Meanwhile, the library is closing in on the start of its new teen room.

Involved parties  -- town supervisor, building inspector, the project’s architects -- are meeting up to align efforts with the upcoming revamping of the library’s HVAC system.

What's Next?

Once all its liabilities are settled, the SFL will turn over any leftover money to the library for projects “that beautify, modernize, and enrich its offerings and capabilities.”

“This aligns with the foundation’s mission and spirit in which the funds were raised,” it said.

More than 300 donors and sponsors – both individuals and businesses – have helped the SLF meet its goals. Also thanked for their efforts were more than 100 volunteers, board members, and everyone who participated in fundraisers such as the foundation’s 5K Trail Run, luncheon, and raffle.

The SLF is no longer accepting donations. However, if folks want to continue to financially support the library, they can donate directly to it or to the FSPL, whose stated mission is “to work with the library staff to meet the needs of a contemporary library.”

The organization was “saddened to learn of the dissolution of the Library Foundation,” said FSPL president Susan Berkow.

“Our two groups have worked side-by-side for many years to support the Somers Library,” she wrote in an email to Halston Media, adding that each partner has “raised funds for purposes beneficial to the entire community” as well as strived to “raise awareness of the many ways in which a thriving library positively impacts our town.”

The FSPL congratulated the foundation “for its significant contributions to improve the library’s building” and also praised its “volunteer boards for their prodigious work.”

The FSPL remains “committed” to its “mission to meet the needs of our library” and is “grateful for the ongoing support” that it has received, Berkow concluded.

Foundation stalwarts are sad but proud.

“It’s heartbreaking in many ways but it’s also bittersweet,” Whalley said.

Being able to provide the library with $125,000 for the teen room feels like the foundation’s doing what it was intended to do.

“We’re going out on a win. Yes, there will be more projects for the library, but this is a really significant one,” she said, adding: “It’s nice to make that a reality.”