Berkeley Public Library Foundation

“Summary of the Bylaw changesArticles III-V of the Bylaws were updated through a series of votes by the Board of Directors. Changes in wording were made for Organizational clarity, gender inclusive language and to reflect current and expected governance practices.”

“BPLF's CPA prepares the draft of the 990. The draft is first reviewed by the Executive Director and Accountant. The draft is then reviewed by the Treasurer, Finance and Executive Committees and then distributed to the Board of Directors for review and approval before filing.”

“The Board of Directors review any potential conflicts of interest at least annually. All Board Members and Staff are required to disclose in writing potential conflicts and any related party affiliations. Loans between the Organization and Management and The Board of Directors are strictly prohibited. BPLF seeks full transparency on all relationships. All potential conflicts, in fact or appearance, are discussed openly and resolved in accordance with the Organization's policies and procedures.”

“The Board of Directors determines the compensation of the Executive Director based on salaries paid to persons performing like services for comparable organizations based on data received from salary surveys and Form 990.”

“The Board of Directors determines the compensation of the Executive Director and the Executive Director determines the compensation of staff based on salaries paid to persons performing like services for comparable organizations based on data obtained from salary surveys and Form 990.”

“Berkeley Public Library Foundation makes its Form 990, conflict of interest policy, donor privacy policy, compensation policy and document retention policy available on its website.In addition, BPLF makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy and financial statements available to the public upon request.”

“OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES 4: Centers, Head Start, and Bahia, Inc. Newly formed partnerships include Through the Looking Glass:The National Center for Parents with Disabilities and Their Families, and Healthy Black Families, Inc. The Foundation provides essential funding to sustain Berkeley Builds Readers and seed expansions as needed. With the two new locations the Project will be serving up to 10 locations throughout the City. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES 5: Additional Program Accomplishments:The BPLF held three events to advocate for and promote the value and vital role of the library in serving the public. The 17th Annual Authors Dinner, held February 9th, brought over 300 community members together to honor 29 local authors and the literary culture of the East Bay. Public library champion and Emmy award winner Linda Schacht Gage, Pulitzer Prize author T.J. Stiles, and San Francisco Chronicle columnist and author Vanessa Hua were once again the engaging emcees for this beloved annual event. The Foundations Rosa Shattuck Circle Reception on October 19 featured a presentation by Luis Herrera, the nationally renowned library leader and former San Francisco City Librarian. On May 31, the BPLFs hosted a Council of community leaders were treated to an evening with local historian and author Malcolm Margolin. The event brought attention to the resources of the History Room and the archives located at the Central Library. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES 6: New Projects 1)Bringing a new literacy initiative, the Charlie Cart Project, a mobile kitchen classroom that uses food, cooking, and a curriculum tied to the Common Core to advance nutritional literacy and healthy eating. 2)Systemwide distribution of 90 Launchpad Playaways at all five library locations. The Launchpad is the first-ever secure, pre-loaded learning tablet created just for children and designed to borrowed in a library/circulation environment. Each Launchpad is pre-loaded with high-quality, ad-free learning apps grouped by age, grade level, subject area, and theme. Launchpads help to bridge the digital divide by providing a digital learning tool for families to bring home. Launchpads require no access to wifi or the Internet. Launchpads support increased motivation and engagement with learning; they are designed to support the building of sharpened fine motor skills and expanded vocabulary.”