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Asheville Tool LibraryBallard Tool LibraryThe Tool Library - BuffaloCapitol Hill Tool LibraryChicago Tool LibraryDenver Tool Library(Eugene) ToolBox ProjectGreen Lents Community Tool LibraryMinnesota Tool LibraryRochester Tool Shed (SEAC Tool Shed)Rockwood CommonNE Seattle Tool LibraryShoreline Tool LibrarySouth King Tool LibrariesStation North Tool LibraryWest Philly Tool LibraryCarlisle Tool Library
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Date when spreadsheet last updated4/25/257/22/2025
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BasicsCity/StateAsheville, NCSeattle, WABuffalo, NYSeattle, WAChicago, ILDenver, COEugene, OROuter SE Portland, ORTwin Cities, MN
- St. Paul
- Minneapolis
Rochester, NYGresham, ORSeattle, WAShoreline, WAAuburn & Federal Way South King county, WABaltimore, MDPhiladelphia, PACarlisle, PA
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BasicsPrimary ContactTay ZeeJenny HeinsDarren CottonGina HicksTessa VierkSarahSteve BadeJason NaumannKate HerseyNick WilburJason NaumannJosh EpsteinJosh EpsteinAmanda MillerLeanna FrickJason R. SandersJeff Adams
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BasicsWhen was your library founded?2016201820112015201920152013…. 501(c)(3) & operations began 1Q2015.2013End of 2014 Incorporated
Doors Open NE 2015 Branch operational ; St. Paul branch 2017
April 2022March 202420132023 (Open on Jan 6th, 2024)2020 - Federal Way
2023 - Auburn
201320072017
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BasicsSq Footage of Lending Space600
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BasicsProgramsFree Repair Cafes;
Free & suggested donation Classes;
Seed Share;
Sliding Scale & Scholarships
Yard Sales;
Plant swaps
Free/shared consumables area
Tool Library, Tool Sales, occasional collection drives Current: Dare to Repair Cafes, Service Days

Rolling out: Lead Safe Tool Borrowing

Wishlist: DIY Workshops
Free Repair cafes, classes, woodshop, maker space, tool sales, seed share, annual member mixer, mending circle, annual block partyRepair Fairs; Community Group memberships; Camping Gear memberships;
Seed Share;
Tool Library,
Classes,
Community Workshop
Tool lending library. Tool redistribution.

We used to do Fix-It Fairs ( otherwise known as repair cafes ) on contract to the City and County but both governments have taken responsibility for those events themselves.
Tool lending,
Garden swaps,
Seed library,
Service days,
Tool sales,
Repair workshops,
Garden info workshops,
Spanish-language informational workshops,
Lending,
Shop/Makerspace (x2),
Classes (4-12 per M)
Apprenticeship Program, Community Builds/Service (Q)
Member Socials
2 Annual Events - Build Challenge & Pumpkin Carving
Fix-Its/Repair Cafes
Seed Library & Harvest Share
Tool Sales/Swaps
Lending ($25/year basic) of electric-only, basic workshops, community org support, Repair Crew (clinic), accessibility-centric gardening workshops, Neighborhood/Business association supporttool library, workshops, repair cafe (supporting role)Classes, workshop, bike shop, seed library, catering supplies, tool sales;Fix-it nights, classes, building materials, tool salesTool lending
Tool/consumable giveaways
Repair cafes
Recycling events
Swaps
Virtual & in-person workshops
Seed library
Book library
Tool lending
Open shop
Public classes (woodworking, knife making, craft, horticulture, home and bike repair)
Fix-It Fair
Yard Sales
Tool Library, classes, tool salesTool lending, community workshop space, workshop classes, bike repair, repair cafes, free seed library, book library.
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BasicsBudget~70k~20K~$300,00015k donation revenue, 20k discounted rent~$290k~$500,000$50K~200K
(May shift +- 50K annually based on restricted grant/program funding)
~160k3.5K~140k~160k~100k in 2022
~400k in 2023
~500k~40k~25k
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BasicsEarned vs. fundraised10k donations100% earned (10K membership, 10K donations)~$75,000 earned vs $225,000 fundraising, donations, grants, etc.100% earned (10k membership donations, 5k in-kind donations, ~2k late fees)40% memberships; 36% individual donors; 24% everything else (grants, sponsorships, fundraiser events etc.)10% fundraising, 90% earnedMemberships are donations…. 80%-90% “donation” v. the rest checkout and late fees, tool & consumables sales (donations).Primarily grants~70% Earned
(Memberships 60+%, all others 10% total)

% of Donation vs grant revenue varies depending on the year and who’s on the team
~$15k in memberships, $1500 in late/replace fees, additional grant funding, sponsorships, and government fundingprimarily sponsorships$6,000 in sponsorships$130,000 in grantsPrimarily grants
Donations/fundraisers
Corporate/business donations
65% earned (22% membership, 43% class registrations)90% earned, <10% fundraised~10k Earned and ~15k Fundraised
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BasicsMembership Costs$50-$250 annually
Scholarships available to any who ask
$35 individual - 1 user, $60 household - 3 users, $100 sustaining - 5 users$30, $75, $150
(Share it forward option)
Scholarships available
Donation based. Average ~$15Pay-what-you-can
$0 - 450, annual
Avg ~$35
$150/yr indiv, $200/yr household. Gold membership options and Financial AidSliding scale: recommended .001% of “your income” if over 30K/annual.Free memberships
Free classes
$0-250
Standard $120 Year; Household Memberships
$25-$100 (free memberships also given)free for all0-$240
Average is about $50
0-$240
Average is about $50
Free memberships
Free classes/events/repair
$0-$500 open-ended sliding scale, average ~$75 annually$20-$1000 open-ended sliding scale. Recently adjusted scale in FY24, not enough data yet for averagePay what you can model. Average is - $30
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BasicsMembership Size850ish active400 active1,440 (active)
3,850 (lifetime sign-ups)
1000 active4,900 active
10,200 lifetime sign-ups
800ish active>800 active500 active (tool borrowing), 3,000 lifetime1800+ Active600-700752400 active
11000 over the years
300 active2,4001,900 active (tool lending & open shop users)
~700 additional nonmember learners
~1,000 active200
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BasicsFundraising sourcesRandom peopleMemberships, Donations, Late Fees, Tool Sales. Past: Ballard Elks, Ballard Rotary, Seattle Dept of NeighborhoodsAnnual fundraiser, individual donations, grants, gov’t contracts, corporate sponsorships15k donations
20k-30k donated space value
in 2024: $96k individual donations; $32k grants; $12k events; $2.5k sponsorshipsSmall city grants, small foundationsMembership donations, Annual campaign, random donations of $. Sales of donated items.Community and Portland bureau grants, some foundation grantsDAFs/ Individual Contributions
Small Local Foundations
Environmental Funding (state)
HCR state grant, fundraising, memberships/sponsorsmunicipal waste sponsor, city grants, small business sponsorsWA DOE, King County, ShorelineRecology, PSEPrimarily grants
Corporate donations
Grants (31% of budget, mostly state & city)
Individual donations (6-10% annually)
City of Philadelphia (<$5k per year)Grants (5k) mostly go to workshops, Donations and Matching fundraising (10k)
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BasicsStaff structure1 PT Library Manager and about 15 active volunteers (librarians, maintenance & teachers) + 6 volunteer board membersSustainable Ballard BOD, Sustainable Ballard ED, 1 PT Library Manager about 25 active volunteers
- 16 librarians
- 4 fixers
- 2 marketing
- 2 tech
1 FT Executive Director
1 FT Operations Manager
3-4 Work-Study students
15-20 regular volunteers
30-40 repair fixers
12-15 core volunteers
- 8-11 librarians
- 2 marketers
- 1 fixer
- 1 volunteer coordinator

2-3 volunteer teachers
1FT ED; 1FT Operations Manager; 2PT Tool Librarians;
5-10 core volunteers
75 other volunteers
15 board members
2 FT staff,
12 PT staff,
18 teachers,
20-40 vols
~20 hrs/week living wage Library Services Coordinator.Under reconstruction9 Very PT staff
Average 5-10 Hours a Week per

-ED, Program Coord. & Volunteer Cord. = ~1FTE
-Branch managers = ~1FTE

Working BOD (5-9)
~10 Core Lifer Volunteers
Lots of additional intermittent hands
1 FT ED, 1 FT Program Coordinator, 2 PT community engagement/fundraising8 person board, 2 PT staff, 12 librarians (ALL VOLUNTEER)1 director, 1 operations manager, 2 coordinators, 1 marketing manager.Shared with NESTL. All part time2 FT staff
2 PT staff
20-40 volunteers
10 board members
4 full-time staff (all co-directors)
47 volunteer librarians
26 volunteer shop monitors
12 volunteer tool fixers
8 board members
3 PT tool librarians
~3 PT volunteers of various schedules
~5 board members
All Volunteer, One Executive Director, 3 librarians, 3 shop monitors, 2 bike mechanics. Looking to hire first paid staff soon. Open 15hrs a week
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BasicsOther notes - skills & interests3 locations changes

Opening a makerspace

Looking for fundraising resources

Over 2,500 tools

Resources towards language justice & reaching more folks

About 67k completed loans

Free repair cafes

free/ suggested donation classes
Grant writing

Graphic/communication design support

Partnerships/collaborations with other orgs that include free memberships

University partnerships - work-study, internships

Partnering with health dept for public offerings

Hoping to offer more DIY workshops

Hoping to purchase building this year - seen as a path towards org. Sustainability

Satellites/how to expand geographic accessibility?
Free Classes

Free workshop

Donation based membership

Want to learn more about volunteer retention strategies

Outsized impact for budget

Find a way to reduce tool loss
Excited to exploreWe have imagined tool delivery or a mobile library – some way to make accessing our tools more equitable for people who don’t use a car as their primary means to get around.

Creating visibility & structure for libraries of things everywhere & the solidarity economy.

Creating a next-level org or entity that can advocate for us all – and attract a modern-day Andrew Carnegie, for example. Looking at you, MacKenzie Scott. ;)

How to make our volunteer pool, Board and Committees a more cooperative entity….

Dreaming of opening additional physical locations.
Very effective social media support network with other orgs

Language-free navigation system

Online resource library with translation tools and video resources
30,000+ Loan Transactions Annually


Multiple Locations (+ Looking to expand Further)
Soon to have a mobile unit. / Actively involved in housing conversations and policymaking in Rochester and Monroe County, zoning advocacy, etc. / Openly planning satellite location assistance in the 9 county regionVolunteer recruitment and Culture

Wants to improve volunteer processes

Economic Self sufficient

Multiple locations

Membership tiers
Material and tool sales

ReUse Commons - circular econ. hub in development; shareable model

Partnering with UW Human Centered Design helping in codesign of larger ideas
Utilizes recycled shipping containers

Auburn location is in a mall!

Budget has tripled in past ~year

Interested in exploring the economics of tool libraries

Funded by every level of gov’t at some point.

Trying to research how local volunteer groups (lions, rotary etc.) handle insurance.
Have sliding scale guidance calculator to offer for class scholarships

Interested in methods for increasing membership revenue

All curriculum is open-source (35 classes)

Interested in eliminating late fees

Part of new statewide makerspace network
Working on aggressive expansion of organization with makerspace and consistent class programming

Historical focus has been on trades DIY, now looking to expand beyond into arts and alternative media courses

Recently added EV chargers (with free charging) available to everyone in the local community, but only during open hours. Made possible by a local grant.
Would like to increase Tool Sales

Helping to inspire and grow new tool libraries across PA

Social Programs that serve specific groups (Womens only classes, Youth programs, Free Tool Boxes for immigrants and Refugees, Free memberships for Veterans)
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ProgrammingAspirations/Hopes for Education- To build core competencies so that people are equipped with a framework to grow their tool education.
- Build
- To get people to stop asking about it…
- Revenue stream
Build community. Empower people. Raise awareness of repair options & the possibilities of DIY.Build repair skills, improve tool longevity by proper use, grow current membership active usage, bring in new membersExtend small satellite locations to our surrounding counties

Institute our upcoming mobile unit, stopping on a regular weekly basis in the 4 quadrants of our city at rec centers
community woodshop, multilingual tool skills, train the trainer for multilingual growthCreate more classes and public events where people can find community and knowledge about sustainable practicesCreate more classes and public events where people can find community and knowledge about sustainable practicesParticipants and attendees, learn how to use tools, try new things, change habits, learn about the tool library Informal skill shares/ collective ownership around education, more integration with education around library tools, better data collection around students/trendsCurrent space is not climate controlled, several board members are investing this year into installing A/C and heating which will allow our programming to expand. Historically we only offered classes from March-May and September-OctoberCreating "clubs" to facilitate growing in skills

Doing speaker series (Ask-A-Pro) or (Tool-Talk)

Would like to do more Home Buying 101
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ProgrammingCurrent Educational ProgramsHow to sharpen tools, basic tool use, drywall, weldingGreen Living, Zero Waste Swaps, Food Preservation, LanN/A1x/yr Drip Irrigation Workshop, 2 years so far. 4/5 Saturdays in May 2025 free Bike Safety Check sessions + 1x/mo pop-ups for the rest of the season. Mobile Make-It Workshops: found-object crafting. One and three more scheduled.Heavy Garden focus, Sharpening, Drywall, Bike Repair, pollinator plantingsRegular advanced classes supplementing the 101 courses

A women-empowerment series
skill shares (mending, sharpening, tool basics, gardening, kid crafts)Workshop classes focusing on intro skills, home repair and maintenance, gardening, bike repair, sewing,Garden design, monthly fix-it nights, clothing swapshome maintenance basics, food preservation, green cleaning, clutter clearing, gardening, sewing, tool basicsWoodworking, Craft, Home Care, Gardening, Bike Repair, Knife Making, Identity-Based programmingTrades-focused DIY, residential maintenance and projectsNothing recurring consistently yet but - Garden, Drywall, Tiling, Plumbing, Electrical, Woodworking, and Bike related.
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ProgrammingStudent pool (public, members only, private groups, etc)publicN/ApublicPublic, w/ Member discount; private rentals alsopublicWorkshop classes require membership but all other are publicpublicpublicPublic, private groups, volunteer only classes (prototype classes)PublicPublic and one off scout groups
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ProgrammingWorkshop/Lab space(s)?noN/ANo.*Yeswoodshop x 2Nodistributed community locations, or at our mobile library via solar powerSmall workshopnoco-host direct service, Dining Hall of lodge (neighbor), common spaces (mall)Woodshop, Craft + home repair classroom, Knife ShopBuilding out in 2024Woodshop, Bike Repair, 1)3d Printer, 1)Laser Engraver
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ProgrammingSq footageN/A450shop space is roughly 500 sqft each (2 car garage)No14928003000800 sf garden, 2,000 sf hall, 1,500 sf FW TL, 1,100 sf AU TL~3,400 (total of 3 educational spaces)<1000~1600
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ProgrammingHow many workshops per month?6 per year atm01-24-12+1500 sq ft (not including mobile unit)1-41041-245- 55 (aim for 2-3 classes a night 5 days a week)12 slots open per month, ~60% scheduled1-2
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ProgrammingMonthly Full-Time Staff hours0n/a01-2, volunteer run0n/an/a~140 hours (2 full time staff)N/A
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ProgrammingMonthly Part-Time Staff hours05~20160 (one full time staff, supplemented by volunteers)120~40~20n/a~96
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ProgrammingInstructor payN/A$150 stipends + $50 for consumables for the 2025 May is Bike Month bike safety check pop-ups (grant-supported) (May only)$250 per classStandard $25/Hour; about 1/2 donated as volunteer time, option to set other fee structure as desired based on the instructorNone$250 offered with documentation, $150 for instruction only, 50% volunteer$100 offered per class but most are volunteer$100 offered per class but most are volunteer$100-200$25/hour (class time + clean up/setup/ curriculum development)$200 per class but some are volunteer$25 Hr
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ProgrammingInstructor termsN/ANothing codifiedN/An/an/aJob DescriptionN/A
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ProgrammingWorkshop price rangeFree w/ suggested $25 donationN/Aall workshops freeFree0-$100N/Afree-$25Free - $50Free - $30Free$50- $280$20-$50 (typical)0-$50
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ProgrammingClass revenue0n/aN/An/a~ $1000/month
between the two spaces
~ $1000/month between the two spaces2023-2024= $218,470<$1000/month due to limited runs1k a Year
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ProgrammingCost to run classes (staff time, teacher pay, materials, etc)0N/A$300/classn/an/a2023-2024= $160,593~$1000/month~1k a Year
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ProgrammingWorkshops funded? By whom?N/ANew Belgium Brewing's Bike Advocacy Grant program for the May is Bike Month stipendsyesWe keep them simple….for now!sponsorship from waste management for repair classesGrant/sponsorYes- covered by class cost. Sometimes funded by grants for certain programsSelf fundedGrants or in house
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ProgrammingMultilingual?English onlyN/ARarely Spanish & English, occasionally Spanish onlyEnglish generally - but we have partnered with some programs to provide ASL programmingIn the worksEnglish onlyEnglish onlyEnglish onlyEnglish, and Some spanish classes, recorded classes are subtitledEnglish. Options (contractor) for Spanish translation, American Sign LanguageEnglish onlyEnglish only
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ProgrammingScholarship fund?N/An/aYesFree yearly memberships are given out to CBO’s, ongoingn/aDiscounted upon requestDiscounted upon requestYes- we distribute $400/month + a number of discounted class credits for specific identities.Discounted upon requestN/A
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ProgrammingPromotion channelsNewsletter, instagram, facebook, eventbriteN/Ae-newsletter, social mediaInstagram, workshop newsletter, direct invites from Interest Surveysocials, website, on-site flyer/whiteboard, and intermittently an e-newsletterSocials, two sites, newsletter, multiple events yearlyinstagram, facebook, newsletter, municipal calendar, eventbrite, analog message boardsInstagram, newsletter, facebook, websiteInstagram, newsletter, facebook, websiteInstagram, newsletter, facebook, website, partnersInstagram, mailchimp newsletter, websiteInstagram, mailchimp newsletter, websiteSocials, Emails, Print occasionaly
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ProgrammingPromotion budgetn/aN/A0intermittently - targeted ads based on grant funding every once in awhilen/an/an/a~$8k/year (total org marketing budget - mailchimp license, graphic design contractor, web hosting)Currently developingN/A
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ProgrammingEvent insurance?through Sustainable BallardN/AnoneGLYesnonenonenoneyes, but for general eventsNo, just liabilityN/AN/A
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ProgrammingPartnerships, sponsorsNoneGarden shop financial and material sponsor,
Home repair contractor, bike builder, local repair cafe org
Extensive corporate sponsors, elected officials, and other CBO’sRecologyRecology, Local City grantCity, County, State, Service groups, unions, chamber, educators, businesses, libraryBaltimore Bicycle Works (Bike repair classes)N/ACity, Local NPs, County,
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ProgrammingOff-site or Pop-up workshops?N/AOccasional offsite Repair FairsYes. community orchard, member yardsMostly on-site but intermittently off-site hosted at the public library or commuity partnerOff-siteSome off site classesyes - library, community partnersStarting offsite classes with limited community partnersNoNo
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SoftwareLending software

(holds/waitlist?)
myturnMyTurnmyTurn ($1000/year)

Don’t currently use hold/reservations

Have an internal waitlist (Google Doc) for high-demand items
MyTurn (given to us gratis), with reservations (not working well), no waitlisCirculate webapp
- “Free” via in-house volunteer labor
- Holds? Yes, integrated into the app


MyTurn for community groups
- $0 “trial” price, % of transaction fees taken
- Reservations enabled, no waitlist
myTurn (free at the moment bc a bug cost us a couple grand last year)myTurn – license for 1,000 members and 2,000 tools.

A significant minority of our members make use of the reservations feature.
Toollibrarian.net (34.50 annually) Community member built PHP, phasing out by 2038, and not supporting other libraries.
-No Holds
-No Waitlists
MyTurn
$100/M
+Location Fee

:( Heavy Stripe Processing Fees
MyTurn RSVP by appointmentLendEngineMyTurn ($$)

Holds are through Google Sheets
MyTurn ($$)

Holds are through Google Sheets
MyTurn ($1000/year)

Multiple locations

Reservations (not so great with conflict/return/holds)

Internal track of reservations and renewals too.
MyTurn ($100/mo)

Don’t use holds/reservations
Lend Engine
$50/mo

Don't use holds/reservations
MyTurn (Free but starting to pay into this year)

RSVP by phone or in person
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SoftwareCRM
(Customer Relation Management)
Wild Apricot - used for all of Sustainable Ballard - $5000/5000 contactsGiveButter
Use this as our donation platform, for event ticketing, and silent auctions
None; collect minimal member information to simplify signup and increase privacy.Neon CRM
-$99/month. One-time activation fee $699
None. If we ever investigate, will likely look first and closely at Little Green Light due to some volunteers’ experience with it.None. Kinda creeps us out.N/A



Briefly looked into various tools and connectivity offered by Wordpress
n/aNoneNoneNoneNo central CRM; MindBody has most info; considering an API connection to Salesforce ($0 for nonprofits)None but looking into Neon CRM and other optionsNone
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SoftwareEmail blastsMail chimp (free atm)Wild ApricotMailchimpMailChimpNeon CRMSquarespaceMailchimp until September 2024, now EmailOctopusMailChimpConstant Contact ($55)MailChimpmailerLiteMailchimp ($$)Mailchimp ($$)Wix ($600/yr)MailChimp ($$)MailChimp ($$)Mailchimp
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SoftwareMembershipmyturnWild ApricotmyTurnMyTurnLending software (Circulate) then transferred into CRMmyTurnmyTurnLending software (toollibrarian.net)MyTurn

Tableau (member reporting from MyTurn data points)
MyTurnLendEngineMyTurn ($$)MyTurn ($$)MyTurnMindBody ($$$)Lend EngineMyturn
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SoftwareDonationsVenmo, paypal, myturnCash, Affinipay, working on StripeGiveButterPaypal Zettle, cashNeon CRM, Venmo, Paypal, SquareColorado gives, squarespaceswitched to Zeffy from PayPal Giving Fund 3Q2025PaypalAplos (Accounting Software)
DAF Direct Widget
Give MN (Annual Fund/Campaigns/Giving Tuesday
Facebook/Meta


Crowdfunding when starting up through Ioby
Flipcause, Cashpaypal giving, venmoPaypal, Zettle, Stripe (through MyTurn)Paypal, Zettle, Stripe (through MyTurn)Paypal, Stripe/myturn, Venmo, Square, givebutter?GiveButter $0, (LOVE IT)PayPal, Stripe, Venmo, Cashapp, Square, in-personSquare
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SoftwareVolunteer managementSlack, Signup.comGoogle Forms/DocsGoogle Sheets for calendaring and for tracking first-time volunteersTeamUp ($0) for calendar, Neon CRM for emails, previously Google Forms to collect more informationSheets and signup genius ($11/mo)SignUp, G-SuiteAirtable (registration intake & list management), Signup.com (scheduling)Google Forms
Sign-Up (Scheduling)

Previously Airtable
Lend Engine, emailGoogle SheetsGoogle SheetsWix forms, Signupgenius, google sheetsAirtable (tracking)($), Google Calendar ($0),
VolunteerUp ($0)(infrequently, only for 1-2 events per year; majority of volunteers are long-term)
NoneNone
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SoftwarePayment processorsCash, Affinipay, working on StripeStripe (through myTurn & GiveButter)
Square (mostly for merch)
Paypal Zettle credit card reader (2.29% + $0.09 fee); most other transactions/donations are just in cashSquare and Stripe
- fee per transaction
Square, Stripe, Acuity via SquarespacePaypal Point-of-Sale neé ZettleSquareSquare (on-site and web)
& Stripe via MyTurn
Stripe via lendengine, PayPalPaypal ZettlePaypal ZettleMyturn/stripe, Paypal, Venmo, Square, Ebay?TSYS/Transfirst (Mindbody), StripePayPal, Stripe, Venmo, Cashapp, SquareSquare
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SoftwarePayrollQuickbooksPrismNo paid staffGusto
- ~$70/mo. Scales with # of staff
GustoGusto + QuickbooksIcompiSolvedn/aQuickbooks ($$) though we will be getting it free soonQuickbooks ($$) though we will be getting it free soonGusto-$1000 annually, based on employee/contractorsQuickbooks OnlineADP through fiscal sponsorNone
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SoftwarePoint of saleAffinipay, working on StripeStripe/SquarePaypal Zettle Card Reader 2 ($29 for the first one)Square terminal
- bought secondhand for $.30 plus fees per trans.
SquarePaypal Point-of-Sale neé ZettleSquare terminalSquare Readers & an old tabletSquareZettleZettleSquare, Ebay?MindBody, Stripe (via Stripe Payments app/hardware)SquareSquare
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SoftwareClass registrationeventbrightN/AGiveButterMeetup. All classes free; get rough headcount from Meetup RSVPs + Instagram “likes”N/AAcuity via SquarespaceN/AGoogle Form. No payment processing needed at this time.Simpletix : )FlipcauseLendEngine, Google FormsEventBriteEventBriteAll classes, workshops, events are free: Wix, google sheets, FBMindBodySquareEventbright
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SoftwareRepair cafesN/AGoogle FormsMeetup, paper form.Volunteers sign up with Google Forms.
Track repairs with Google Sheets
Handled by outside org.Sign-Up for Volunteers; no registration for participantsGoogle Form signupVolunteers through google, participants through eventbriteVolunteers through google, participants through eventbriteFree but to coordinate: Wix/FB, Google sheets, signupgeniusVolunteerUp, Google FormsNoneEventBright
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SoftwareEmail trackingWild ApricotN/ANoneNeon CRM + Streak¿tracking of people’s email addresses? Not sure what u mean, but: EmailOctopus for newsletter subscribers and myTurn for members/borrowers and Gmail for volunteersMailchimp (newsletters only)MailerLiteWixN/AMailchimp ($$)None
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SoftwareBookkeepingQB Online (via Tech Soup)QBs OnlineGoogle SheetsXero ($12/mo)
Google sheets until 2024
sheetsA guy from Upwork: QuickbooksAplosQuickbooksGoogle SheetsQuickbooksQuickbooksQuickbooks, sheetsQuickbooks Online (via TechSoup)Oracle through fiscal sponsorGoogle Sheets/Excel
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SoftwareSocial mediaFb, insta, newslettersFB, X, Insta, LinkedIn, Blue Sky, blogsInsta & FB primarily (occasionally LinkedIn)Instagram, FacebookInstagram, Facebook, TikTok, TwitterigFacebook, InstagramInstagram (feeds to facebook, but low activity on FB directly)Facebook/Meta Business Suite
Insta
FB, Nextdoor, IGinstagram, facebook, nextdoor (rarely)Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, TwitterInstagram, Facebook, Linkedin, TwitterIG, FB, Linkedin, NextdoorInstagram, Facebook (via Later.com), Link.treeFacebook/Meta Business Suite
Insta
FB, Insta, NextDoor,
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SoftwareWebsiteWordpressWordpressWordpressSquarespacesquarespaceWeebly (to Google before too long but not soon enough)Weebly (migrating to squarespace)October CMSWordpressMailerLiteWordpressWordpressWix ($400 every 2 years)SquarespaceWordpressWordpress
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SoftwareTranslationNoneN/ANoneWeglot ($200/year) translates our website in Spanish, Polish, and Mandarin (most common non-English languages in Chicago)volunteers + the International Language Bank (ILB) at International Refugee Center of Oregon (IRCO)Independent service providersGoogle Translaten/aVolunteers or contractorsN/AN/ANone
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SoftwareImpact trackingMyTurnGoogle SpreadsheetCheckouts over time, loan length analysis, etc. using custom scriptsManual analysis of lending data. We have had some volunteer data analysts helping a lot latelyOccasional surveys using Google FormsManual analysis of lending data, and some toollibrarian.net reports.MyTurn & ManualGoogle Sheets, manually processed for metrics accuracyLendEngineMyTurn ($$)MyTurn ($$)Myturn, sheet, …ManualN/AMyturn
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SoftwareTool salesIn person, in collaboration with neighborhood locations (can't really do it in our space) Lately Loyal Hts Community CenterIn-personN/AAll in person so far. We stopped doing event-based tool sales and now have a passive, ongoing shelf with items for sale and it is netting us an average of $900/month with way less effort and storage space than events require!In-person & via Craigslist and one volunteer on Facebook MarketplaceCash or SquareIn person using cash ^ square; Square webstore in processn/aGoogle Sheets, PaypalGoogle Sheets, PaypalSquare, Ebay, CashStripeCash or SquareSquare
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SoftwareTool maintenanceMyTurnTried to use Trello - didn’t really catch on
Currently using physical tags on the tools
Janky combination of MyTurn Maintenance feature and Slack notificationsMostly through our in-house software, Circulate, with another spreadsheet for parts purchase trackingmyTurn in item descriptionmyTurn’s maintenance features work well for us for proactive maintenance. We have a Google Group in which we solicit a volunteer to work on something that needs repair – same Group for info about in-kind donations and “should we accept (or buy) a [whatever]” type questions….Paper forms, Google Form part requestsMyTurnLendEngineGoogle Sheets/MyTurnGoogle Sheets/MyTurnNotes, manual, hang tagsGoogle sheets (kinda), Post-it notes & duct tapeLend EngineMyturn
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SoftwareDesignCanvaAffinity Designer, CanvaCanvaCanva & VolunteersCanva ProCanva ProCanvaCanvaCanvaCanva ($0!), Adobe CSCanvaCanva
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SoftwareOtherSlack channels we use:
- appreciation
- donation wish list
- events
- meeting agendas
- overdue loans
- print docs (donation forms, volunteer sign in, reimbursement form, etc)
- scheduling (mostly for volunteers who need a sub)
- shift reports (this is used by every volunteer librarian)
- shopping list
- tool fixers
- tool sales
Slack used for volunteer/staff communicationsMake heavy use of Slack for internal team communicationSlack

Google Workspace apps

Zoom ($200)

Zapier (integration app)

Trello
Bury us with our google docs 🪦🥀Google Shared Drives!

For members’ virtual signatures on policies and waivers: myTurn.

For volunteer liability waivers: A Google Form.
Intermittent use of trelloZoom($100), Slack, G-suite,Google Groups for volunteer communication (1 big group for everyone with social opportunities, then specific groups for fixers, librarians, monitors, teachers and the board)

Phone.com for texting members/class takers (from the Tool Library’s phone number)
Discord
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