Lewes library to celebrate endowment fund anniversary July 5

The Lewes Public Library will celebrate the first anniversary of its Underwriters Endowment Fund with a community event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, July 5, at the library, 111 Adams Ave. in Lewes.

Guests are invited to enjoy free refreshments and meet with library board members to learn more about the new, limited-time incentive program designed to add an additional $20,000 to the library’s endowment.

Last year, the library embarked on an important effort to build its permanent endowment – the Underwriters Endowment Fund. This self-sustaining fund utilizes investment earnings to ensure support for library operations forever. As an independent library, the Lewes Public Library receives only half of its operating costs from public sources, so a long-term, secure income source is especially important.

The library team is pleased to announce that already, 42 households, including 100% of the library’s board of directors, have contributed to the Underwriters Endowment Fund. The program now totals more than $356,000 in donations and pledges.

In order to sustain this momentum, Lewes residents Gavin and Lou Braithwaite, generous library volunteers and supporters, have personally issued an incentive opportunity: For each of the next 20 new contributors or pledges to the Lewes Public Library’s Underwriters Endowment Fund received before the end of 2022, the Braithwaites will donate an additional $1,000 directly to the fund. This offers the potential to add a further $20,000 to the fund.

Contributions to the endowment fund will support the library in perpetuity and begin at $2,500. Donors will be remembered in a display in the library’s lobby, and those contributing $25,000 or more – or donating any amount through a bequest – will be named in the library’s Legacy Society. Gifts may also be anonymous, or made in memory or honor of a loved one. To learn more or donate, contact library Development Director Rebecca Lowe at Rebecca.Lowe@lib.de.us or 302-645-2733.

The Lewes Public Library is the busiest library in Sussex County, welcoming nearly 200,000 visitors and offering hundreds of free classes, workshops and activities each year. It encourages a love of reading, exploration and discovery, and provides access to educational, informational and recreational materials for all members of the community through traditional resources and emerging technologies. For more, go to lewes.lib.de.us.