Flint Public Library

Completion of $18,000,000 campaign

Flint Public Library is recognized by the community as a treasured gem and vital institution. Their mission is to be Flint’s go-to place to learn for life, with people counting on them to provide opportunities and resources that are not freely available anywhere else.

With government support, millage funds, and grants, Flint Public Library had not previously needed fundraising to operate. But their building was in desperate need of massive repair and updating. Kennari came on to assess the feasibility of a capital campaign and then helped to identify a funding plan for the $30 million project; $12 million bond funding and an $18 million fundraising campaign. To prepare for the eventual campaign, an annual giving program was needed to establish the donor relationships they would need to be successful. After doing that work for three years, the campaign began and, in 2021, the goal was met. The Library celebrated its grand re-opening in 2022 and is truly an inspirational space for lifelong learning.

“Over the past five years, the Kennari team has guided Flint Public Library as we began fundraising for the very first time. From the initial analysis of fundraising capacity, Kennari helped us develop work plans that led us first to an annual campaign with all its essential infrastructure and events, then to a feasibility study for a capital project, and finally to a capital campaign. We are now in the final stages of a $30 million renovation of our library. This would not have happened without Kennari. We are now beginning to work with Kennari’s grant writing team to make grant funding more manageable for our very small staff.” – Kay Schwartz, Director of Library Services, Flint Public Library