Each year VPL staff submit projects for funding. The Friends Board reviews the requests and makes recommendations to all Friends members. These recommendations are voted on at the annual general meeting. In 2020, the following funding was approved by the membership and a description of each project can be found below the table.
Allocation of Funds for 2020:
| Branch/Department | Title | Funds |
| Programming and Learning | Writer in Residence – 2020 Residency | $20,000 |
| Systemwide | Children’s & Teen Services Digital Programming for Youth | $8,000 |
| Systemwide | System-wide eBooks and eAudio from Overdrive | $6,000 |
| Systemwide | System-wide MUZZY (Animated Online Language Learning Courses for Children) |
$10,000 |
| TOTAL | $44,000 | |
The 2020 allocation of funds focused on programs supporting VPL’s digital outreach efforts in the midst of the unexpected and unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.
Programming and Learning – Writer in Residence – 2020 Residency
The program provides a selected writer with a paid, full-time, sixteen-week residency. The author spends 40% of their time working on a personal writing project and 60% of their time sharing their expertise through workshops, one-to-one mentoring of aspiring writers, and creating memorable public events.