Programs and Events Sponsorship Policy

En Español

Boulder Public Library (BPL) offers a limited number of sponsorship opportunities for programs and events that bring value to the community and are aligned with BPL’s mission. Sponsorship is defined as the Library hosting of programs in library facilities that are coordinated by an outside entity and are supported or co-organized by the Library.

There are two types of sponsorship available:

1. Theater Sponsorships for one-time events, and
2. Meeting Room Sponsorships for recurring programs.

Terms and Conditions

Organizations presenting library-sponsored programs or events shall observe the following terms and conditions.

1. Program or event organizers, presenters, and attendees must comply with the Library Rules of Conduct and the Terms of Use for the applicable venue: meeting room or Canyon Theater.
2. Organizations may make verbal requests for donations and must direct attendees to contribute directly to the organization’s website or mailing address. Donation boxes or soliciting and collecting donation requests in library facilities are not permitted.
3. Organizers may post or distribute materials at the door of the venue or on the community bulletin board
4. The program or event shall be designed to be accessible to attendees with special needs to the degree that is possible.
5. Any communications about the sponsored program or event must be approved by BPL staff prior to release of those materials. Inclusion of the BPL logo or the phrase  “Sponsored by the Boulder Public Library” may be requested by the library on printed materials. Program or event communications includes all marketing materials, press releases, web pages, calendar listings, advertisements, etc.
6. Organizers must inform BPL staff of any media inquiries or when television, radio, web- or print-media interviews are scheduled, and/or when the media reports are expected to be released.
7. All events occurring in the Canyon Theater require a BPL staff member in attendance.
8. Organizers shall report the number of attendees after the end of the program or event. Additional information requested by BPL, such as press clippings, marketing collateral, and a narrative about the success of the program or event in addressing the standards outlined in the Review Criteria of Sponsorship Proposals, shall be provided by the Organizers within ten business days of such request.

Failure to abide by these general terms and conditions may result in the withdrawal of sponsorship and forfeiture of the opportunity for the organization to apply for sponsorship in the future. Boulder Public Library, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to revoke sponsorship of a program or event at any time.

Sponsorship Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Proposals for sponsored programs and events are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Alignment with the BPL Mission.
• Potential to appeal to a diverse audience of a significant number of community members.
• Programs or events that meet the above criteria and are free and open to the public.

The following program or event categories are not eligible for sponsorship:

• Political campaigns, including programs or events that intend to influence the passage or defeat of ballot issues, city ordinances, or to promote candidates for political office.
• Religious programs that promote a single religious viewpoint over that of others.
• Content that advocates violence or intolerance.
• Content that advocates the violation of Municipal, State, or Federal laws

Benefits for Sponsored Programs and Events

When a program or event is accepted for sponsorship, BPL, at its discretion, may provide one or more of the following:

• Priority scheduling of library facilities.
• Promotion on the library calendar.
• The base rental fee for Canyon Theater may be waived as an in-kind donation.  Use of the Canyon Theater requires a Library staff member to be present. The organizer will be charged a $30/hour fee for staff time and additional fees as applicable.

Application Process

Canyon Theater Sponsorship

Meeting Room Sponsorship Application Process

Organizations may apply for sponsorship for recurring programs or events that take place in a library meeting room annually.  The organization must re-apply for each subsequent year. The application forms are linked here from May 1 – 15 and November 1 – 15.

Recurring Programs Application

Recurring programs are defined as programs scheduled at regular intervals over a long period of time. For example, daily, weekly, or monthly meetings are considered recurring. Several events in a limited series held over a few days (e.g. festival or convention) are not considered recurring and may be reserved using the meeting room reservation system.

Organizers of sponsored, recurring programs or events are asked to review the Terms of Use in the Meeting Room Policy and to provide the following:

• A name and email for one lead contact person.
• A brief description of the programs.
• A twelve-month commitment with monthly dates, times and locations. Partial-year sponsorships will not be granted. Organizers should review the library calendar for date/time availability before applying.
• An estimated monthly attendance number in the sponsorship application.
• Up to date program and event information for the library calendar.  Organizers should monitor their program or event information on the library calendar to ensure it is accurate.

Rescheduling or Cancellation

• The organizers are responsible for rescheduling all meetings due to library closures or other reasons. Please use the meeting room reservation system. For assistance, call 303-441-3100 or speak to a staff member at an accounts desk for assistance.
• For cancellations with less than 48-hours notice, please call 303-441-3100.

Adopted by the Boulder Public Library District Board of Trustees, December 12, 2023.