After an astounding 10th year in operation in 2019, our best year yet, programming took a turn for the POP Project in 2020. A slow winter recovering from the busy year before led directly into a spring of lockdowns and quarantines as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the region. Suddenly, emergency organizations and communities were stretched thin by immediate needs. The need for books was shelved as schools shut down and programs were restructured to accommodate new social distancing measures. POP’s own volunteer opportunities were cancelled for the year, and community collaborations were put off indefinitely.
As you read through our year in review, the numbers will look pretty bleak—except in one area. Even though non-medical nonprofits across the nation struggled to draw donors in 2020, the POP Project was awed by the support we received.
Keep reading or skip straight to these sections of our 2020 Annual Report:
- SUPPORTERS: Our thanks to you for helping us stay afloat!
- GOALS: POP’s 2020 objectives, set before the pandemic hit
- GIVING: Annual funding sources and holiday fundraising results
- RESULTS: Our book delivery programs and results
- LOOKING AHEAD: A preview of POP’s goals for 2021 and how you can help
SUPPORTERS: Thank You!
In a year of so many kinds of turmoil, we couldn’t have kept this ship steady if not for you, our supporters.
Thank you to our donors, early-year volunteers, social media followers, book donors, and amazing Board of Directors for your continued support, even in the middle of rough waters. Though our spreadsheets got a little dusty, all the love and support that continued behind the scenes buoyed our spirits, helped us navigate the tough times, and set us on a course for success in 2021. Instead of starting the year behind, we were able to restructure our priorities and begin going full steam ahead.
We couldn’t have waded through 2020 without your help, support, and belief in the power of a good book. Here’s to smooth sailing in 2021!
GOALS: POP’s 2020 Objectives
This time last year, we set a handful of goals to complete by the end of 2020. As you can see from the results, those goals were largely left unmet and will carry over into 2021.
Continue giving to surrounding counties in WNC:
GOAL: In 2020, it is our goal to make at least 15% of our book deliveries to organizations in Henderson, Madison, Haywood, and Transylvania Counties.
RESULTS: We hit a big ol’ goose egg for this goal. This goal will certainly carry over into 2021.
Hold our annual “Rethink Ink” book sale fundraiser:
GOAL: POP accepts almost all kinds of books, and so we have collected many that we currently cannot find homes for. Our “Rethink Ink” fundraiser serves as one of our largest fundraising events of the year.
RESULTS: Also a big nope. With social distancing measures evolving over the course of the year, we thought it was safer to skip any public sales this year.
Include 100 comic books among our book deliveries:
GOAL: Comic books and graphic novels can be an important stepping stone in both early childhood and later-in-life literacy. This year, we would like to commit to our goal of finding new homes for used comic books.
RESULTS: While we weren’t able to include any comics in our few deliveries before the spring, boy, are we set up for success this year! Our comics collection has always numbered in the handfuls. In 2020, one donor in particular donated thousands of comic books and graphic novels to our cause. If you need comics, let us know!
Move to a smaller storage unit:
GOAL: In addition to our volunteer space in Woodfin, POP maintains a storage unit in West Asheville. But with 70% of our funds going to maintain that unit, it’s time to downgrade to a smaller size and a smaller bill.
RESULTS: With few books leaving our hands in 2020, we had to commit to keeping our larger storage unit. In the end, it was helpful to have more space to spread out while we mapped out our strategies for 2021.
GIVING: POP’s 2020 Finances
It was sink or swim in 2020, and thanks to our great financial situation, we were able to swim! In 2020, POP was very fortunate to begin the year with funds in the bank. With a lockdown on expenses thanks to the lockdown around us, we navigated through the year without incident. And strong support during the holiday season meant we once again ended the year strong!
Our budget goal for 2020 was $3,000. Through fundraising, online book sales, and individual donors, we raised $1,981.66 or 66% of our goal. (See below for the breakdown.) We also received a generous grant from the Glass Foundation of $2,000 to support our Little Free Library book giving program.
With only a couple exceptions, our spending was limited to our storage fees. In total, we spent $1,767.00 on storage, general administrative costs, book programs, and shipping and travel. The surplus will be moved to help us meet our 2021 funding goal.
In the end, here is how our income and expenses broke down in 2020:
BUDGET GOAL 2020 = $3,000
INCOME 2020 = $3,981.66
- Non-Program Specific Grants (50.2%)
- Private Donations/Give Local (47.3%)
- Fundraisers and Online Book Sales (2.4%)
EXPENSES 2020 = $1,767.00
- Administrative and Fundraising Costs (19.9%)
- Storage Units (80.0%)
- Staffing and Salaries (0%)
- Shipping and Travel (0%)
Thanks to our end-of-year fundraising results, POP is starting 2020 with $2,266 in operational funds, or 75% of this year’s budget goal of $3,000.
We wanted to start the year with half of our 2021 budget in the bank. We are so thrilled to have such a great start on the fundraising efforts for the year ahead!
RESULTS: A Lackluster Year for Book Deliveries
After catching the white whale in 2019 (delivering 10,000 books in a single year), our results sunk pretty fast. We won’t belabor the metaphor. Here are the numbers:
Our 2020 deliveries totalled 1,043 books, a value of $5,215.
That total came from 22 deliveries to nine locations in Asheville.
Here’s a breakdown of the number and type of books delivered for 2020 as compared to the previous two years:
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| Schools and Children’s Programs | 3,288 | 2,009 | 0 |
| Community Nonprofits, Housing Centers, and Organizations in WNC | 1,512 | 2,761 | 292 |
| State Prisons; Local Jails and Detention Centers | 271 | 2,742 | 280 |
| Little Libraries | 936 | 2,138 | 388 |
| Comic Books & Graphic Novels | 19 | 38 | 3 |
| Other | 70 | 400 | 80 |
| TOTAL FREE BOOKS DELIVERED: | 6,096 | 10,088 | 1,043 |
2020 Book Delivery Locations
Asheville Fire Department – Station 2
Community Farmers Market
Craggy Minimum Security Prison
Deaverview Apts
Food for Fairview
Hall Fletcher Elementary
Hominy Valley Community Market
Verner Early Learning Center
YWCA of Asheville
LOOKING AHEAD—and How You can Help in 2021
Our numbers for 2020 were low, but we are not discouraged! Our mission is a long one—to make sure everyone in WNC has sufficient access to books—and we’re keeping our eye on a steady horizon. We want to keep expanding our donation base, programs, and volunteer opportunities for the coming year, and we would appreciate your help doing it.
Here are just a few of our goals for 2020, along with ways you can help us meet them:
Continue giving to surrounding counties in WNC:
GOAL: In 2021, it is our goal to make at least 15% of our book deliveries to organizations in Henderson, Madison, Haywood, and Transylvania Counties.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Do you know of any shelters, development centers, detention centers, food pantries, or healthcare facilities in these counties that could benefit from a few good books? Let us know how we can help.
Hold our annual “Rethink Ink” book sale fundraiser:
GOAL: POP accepts almost all kinds of books, and so we have collected many that we currently cannot find homes for. Our “Rethink Ink” fundraiser serves as one of our largest fundraising events of the year.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Can you suggest public, accessible locations that would be good spots for our 2021 “Rethink Ink”?
Include 200 comic books among our book deliveries:
GOAL: Comic books and graphic novels can be an important stepping stone in both early childhood and later-in-life literacy. This year, we would like to commit to our goal of finding new homes for used comic books.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: If you have gently used comic books and graphic novels that you would like to pass along to new readers, we would love to accept them! Know groups that would appreciate free comics? Send those our way, too!
Install 2 new Little Free Libraries in Buncombe County:
GOAL: Thanks to our Glass Foundation grant funds, we have the capacity to manage at least two new Little Free Libraries in the community. That’s in addition to the seven official LFLs we already manage in the area.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Do you know of a public location that would benefit from regular access to free books? We’re happy to work with local schools, community centers, food pantries, or bus stops.
Additional Ways to Help POP
The POP Project works to make sure no book goes without a home, goes unread, sits on a shelf and collects dust, and that all of the books with which we are entrusted are used for constructive, personal expansion.
In addition to the goals listed above, there are many more ways to ensure that POP continues to make a positive impact on our community. Please consider donating time, money, or ideas that will directly impact our programs.
Help us meet our $3,000 fundraising goal for 2021! Make your one-time or recurring donation today!
Donations can be made via PayPal on our site or mailed to the POP Project, PO Box 18653, Asheville, NC 28814. The POP Project is a 501(c)3 organization. Please consult your tax advisor about deductible donations.