Kickstart Your Nonprofit Business with Support from the Library​

See how one Ohio library helps aspiring entrepreneurs get their nonprofits off the ground

Starting and maintaining a nonprofit is no easy task in this day and age. You need the funds to make it happen and the know-how to use those funds properly. These challenges are enough to drive many people away from starting a nonprofit entirely, leaving many communities underserved and needing help. The librarians of Ohio’s Toledo Lucas County Public Library support both the need for nonprofits in the area and address the difficulty of starting one.

Toledo Lucas County Library’s Small Business and Nonprofit Workspace

The small business and nonprofit workspace at Toledo Lucas County Public Library is something of a unique case among library services. Aside from offering the must-have quiet work area, the space provides access to computers, meeting rooms, and other office essentials. Not to mention, during regular business hours, an aspiring or current nonprofit business owner can visit the space to ask questions and schedule appointments to go more in depth if needed.

Most importantly, you can meet with a professional business consultant for free. Usually, a consultant’s services are prohibitively expensive for people just starting out in the business world. With the library’s help, patrons can get these insights at no cost, giving them the tools they need to kick-start their nonprofits.

Libraries Continually Evolve to Meet the Needs of Their Communities

Of course, this is far from the first time public libraries have evolved to fit the public’s changing needs. Libraries exist to serve their communities, and because those communities’ needs are fluid, so are the services that libraries provide. Take, for example, the libraries expanded offerings in terms of ebooks and audiobooks. As the new forms of media became more popular, libraries began carrying them to meet the rising demand.

In the case of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library, the need for new entrepreneurial resources arose from a shifting job market. Due to the increasing prevalence of automation, the county — which once relied very heavily on manufacturing jobs — has seen a rise in unemployment over the past few decades. As the county’s manufacturing job options decrease, interest in independent business ventures increases. The library’s small business and nonprofit workspace is just one initiative born from the community’s challenges, and it certainly won’t be the last.

If you’re interested in unique library services like those at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library, check out more stories on our Public Libraries feature page!

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