A year ago while visiting my friend Ellen in Maine we were having a very long and thoughtful discussion while driving – one of many during our visit. We always say we should just hit the record button and turn our discussions into a podcast (which we’ve already named, “What will the neighbors think?”

Turner Public Library Motto

This particular conversation was about what she wanted to do in her job, as Director of the Turner Public Library. She mentioned a few projects and then she said, “What I really want to do is open a children’s library.”

I asked, “What would it take to make that happen?”

She thought she could make it happen for around $50,000.

We chatted about possible sources of money – grants, town money, any endowment for capital expenses… de nada. She said they would be raising it all from scratch.

I was like, wait, “I do grant writing training.” 

Annnnnd, “You know I have a private family foundation, right?”

That statement became the catalyst to make the children’s library happen.

What followed was a barrage of questions…“How much money do you need? What will it take to get started?”

Two things ultimately resulted from our conversation – first, I committed to making a sizable donation to the Turner Public Library over a two-year period; and second, I returned to Maine a few weeks later to provide grant writing training for her library staff and other rural librarians in the area, so they could feel confident in applying for grants.

My initial donation and commitment provided leverage for Ellen to bring in other donors and to get board permission to tap into a reserve for library capital expenses.

The grant writing training enabled Ellen to become a masterful and confident storyteller when she applied for other grants – securing a $50,000 grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation. 

She’s such a rockstar with her grant writing!! Well, Ellen was a rockstar before, but now she’s added grant writer to her extensive toolkit of skills.

In less than a year, Ellen has brought together the resources and effort to make this children’s library a reality.

In the picture here – you can see the flooring my donation purchased. We literally walked on the “money.”

In these other pictures, you can also see the brilliance of Ellen’s vision – she included murals painted by local high school art students, who made it a semester project (yay for integrated learning!); she requested that the art feature the town and “French Fry,” the library mascot as various literary characters so they didn’t run afoul of the copyright laws; she included the library motto, “Where books are just the beginning;” and she included chalk boards and bulletin boards on the walls in the design.

I was thrilled to provide the seed money to attract other grants and enable the project. I enjoyed giving the grant writing training and see people succeed with their grant writing. More importantly, I loved making a difference and helping a friend make a dream come true.

What fascinated me about this whole project is that I did something I was doing already – donating money and giving trainings. Don’t underestimate your skills and how they can help others!

If you are ever in Turner, Maine, please make a point of visiting the Turner Public Library to see Ellen’s vision and reality firsthand!

Where and how can you be a catalyst for something or someone in your life?