Legacy Contributions
Legacy contributions have shaped Thomas Balch Library from the beginning. Edwin Swift Balch and Thomas Willing Balch of Philadelphia, donated funds to have a library built as a memorial to their father in Leesburg, the town of his birth. Citizens of the town came forward with additional funding to purchase a suitable plot of land and the completed library was dedicated on May 22, 1922. The Messrs. Balch later donated their father’s collection of books, which are still held as part of the Library’s rare books collection. Down through the years, many citizens have remained constant in their support of Thomas Balch Library and always respond in times of need.
You can be part of this long tradition by including a bequest in your Will. There may be significant estate tax benefits if you include a bequest to Friends of Thomas Balch Library, Inc., a 501(c)3 corporation.
Endowment Foundation
The Thomas Balch Library Endowment Foundation (TBLEF) was established in 2015 by the Friends. This foundation directly receives funds to sustain our invaluable resource. It was initiated by the generous bequest of more than $600,000 made by the late Virginia Bowie, a longtime volunteer. Her contribution set in motion a process that resulted in the separation of gifts to the Library from the capital and operational budget of the Town of Leesburg, which owns the Library. The Thomas Balch Library Endowment Foundation is now officially a vehicle for those who wish to provide specific funding for the Library in perpetuity to do so.
The Foundation has five board members: Friends board members Ronald Rust and the Honorable Thomas Horne; Thomas Balch Library Advisory Commission member James Hershman, attorney Keith Troxell, and Library Director Alexandra Gressitt.