As Hollywood wraps up a star-studded award season, there’s one more prize that all of Los Angeles can take pride in: for the fourth consecutive year, the Library Foundation of Los Angeles has been awarded 4 stars by Charity Navigator, America’s largest and most-utilized independent evaluator of charities. The 4-star rating is the highest possible rating and it demonstrates strong financial health and a commitment to accountability and transparency.
“This prestigious award honors how the Library Foundation uses overall best practices to execute our mission to support and enrich the capabilities, resources, and services of the Los Angeles Public Library in the most financially efficient way,” says Ken Brecher, the president of the Library Foundation. Brecher also learned through a letter from Charity Navigator President and CEO Michael Thatcher that only 13% of the charities evaluated have received at least 4 consecutive 4-star ratings, “indicating that Library Foundation of Los Angeles outperforms most other charities in America.”
Since 1992, the Library Foundation has worked to raise private sector support to benefit the entire Library system through fundraising, advocacy, and innovative programs that benefit L.A.’s diverse community and promote greater awareness of the Library’s valuable resources. The Foundation’s support complements, but does not supplant, the City’s responsibility for funding the Los Angeles Public Library’s operations. To date, the Library Foundation has raised more than $75 million for the LAPL.
