Stand Up for Standout Friends Award
Winston Churchill once opined that: “You make your living by what you get – but you make your life through what you give.” If judged by that yardstick, many Friends of the Library among us are leading an extremely rich lifestyle.
As a support organization for Oklahoma Friends, FOLIO is privileged to regularly hear stories about volunteers across the state who go above and beyond in service to their local Friends of the Library. This takes many forms, helping revitalize a Friends group with more memberships, pouring time and passion into brand new fundraisers, or leading the herculean task of establishing a Friends nonprofit from scratch!
Most of these “Standout Friends” remain unsung heroes. In 2023, the Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO) created an annual Stand Up for Standout Friends program as a chance to spotlight and celebrate volunteers who go above and beyond. We want YOU to help add to the FIRST inaugural class of Standout Friends!
What Are ‘Standout’ Qualities?
In short, it is up to you! Some may wish to acknowledge a current or former board member or other friend for their contributions in a leadership role. Others may choose to honor a Friend who has been with their organization since the beginning. You are also welcome to bestow the honorific based on number of hours volunteered, amount of money raised, or any mix of these and other factors.
Program Benefits
Perks include a certificate from FOLIO, commendation letter to the mayor and county commissioner in each recipient’s hometown, a sample press release for the local Friends group to share with media, and a written featurette on the FOLIO Facebook page.
Standout Friends will be honored at the fall FOLIO Splash, October 12, 2024. Nominators will have 3-5 minutes to introduce the honoree.
Eligibility + Next Steps
Each member organization may only submit one name per year for the Standout Friends honor. Any Friend is eligible, provided he or she is part of a Friends of the Library group current in its FOLIO membership and is willing to have his or her name shared publicly on award materials distributed across the state. In order to prevent duplicated efforts, FOLIO asks, though does not require, that the nomination come to us from the current president of each member Friends group.
In order to participate, your Friends group must make their selection and submit this form – along with an explanatory cover letter – to us by August 31, 2024. Please do so via email to newsletter@okfriends.net, or complete the online form.