Libraries of Montrose County Foundation

History and Purpose of the Libraries of Montrose County Foundation

Incorporated in 2005, the Libraries of Montrose County Foundation encourages community investment through gifts and initiatives to ensure the people of Montrose County the full measure of resources, services, and access befitting great libraries.  The Trustees envisioned several purposes for the Foundation:

1. To serve as the 501(c)(3) arm for Montrose County libraries, both to allow donors to make tax-deductible contributions and the libraries to apply for grants from foundations that only grant to 501(c)(3) organizations.
2. To pursue funding for:
   1. capital campaigns and other special initiatives;
   2. an endowment to provide long-term stability for Montrose County's libraries (including the implementation of a planned giving program to facilitate bequests and other gifts to the libraries).

In addition to the benefits listed above (grant eligibility, endowment fund, and promotion of planned giving), other benefits of a foundation are:

• flexibility to invest funds to maximize public benefit (the options for the District’s reserve funds are much more restrictive);
• a familiar, reliable way for people to support their library…people have confidence in foundations and know their gifts will benefit the library;
• ability to accept stocks, property, insurance, and other non-cash donations