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West Philly Tool Library

Together, we can give our neighbors affordable access to the tools they need to maintain homes, tend gardens, create art, and improve our communities.

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West Philly Tool Library

West Philly Tool Library

West Philly Tool Library

West Philly Tool Library

West Philly Tool Library

Together, we can give our neighbors affordable access to the tools they need to maintain homes, tend gardens, create art, and improve our communities.

Together, we can give our neighbors affordable access to the tools they need to maintain homes, tend gardens, create art, and improve our communities.

Together, we can give our neighbors affordable access to the tools they need to maintain homes, tend gardens, create art, and improve our communities.

Together, we can give our neighbors affordable access to the tools they need to maintain homes, tend gardens, create art, and improve our communities.

West Philly Tool Library
West Philly Tool Library
West Philly Tool Library
West Philly Tool Library
1 Campaign |
Philadelphia, United States
$10,900 USD 172 backers
109% of $10,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

Welcome to the West Philly Tool Library!

The first question we're usually asked is, well, what is a Tool Library?  

It’s as simple as it sounds: we’re a library that loans tools.  Founded as a non-profit in 2007, the West Philly Tool Library has made over 30,000 loans to community members so they can perform home maintenance, tend their yards and gardens, build furniture, start projects, and learn new skills in a safe and affordable way.  We are a vital community service that not only provides the tools and know-how to get the job done right, but ensures our members save money and reduce each of our environmental footprints by encouraging collaborative tool sharing.

“Access to both the tools and on-site expertise combines to empower us to fix what needs maintenance around our house and in our community.”

-David, member

As the Philadelphia region’s only tool library, we’re the sole source for affordable tool loans. Members join for as little as $20 a year, then borrow as many of our more than 3,000 tools as they need, whenever they need them, for no additional money.

Our space on 47th and Woodland Ave, Spring 2014.


Volunteers de-paving Gold Star Park with WPTL tools, May 2014


Philadelphia is an Old City; 
Philadelphia is a Growing City

The Tool Library wants to provide more Philadelphians with easy access to tools to maintain aging homes, make personal projects a reality, and to enliven neighborhoods.  

Word is spreading about the amazing things people are able to do thanks to our tool loans, and the demand for new memberships and more tools is rapidly growing.  Last month we loaned almost 1,200 tools to almost 200 different members; that’s a 35% increase over the same month last year!

The trouble is, we can’t meet this demand without your help.  To keep our services affordable for our neighbors who need it most, we need partners and investors in the West Philly Tool Library.  We’re raising $10,000 through this campaign so that we can buy more of the tools our members need most, expand our education and outreach programs, and greatly increase the number of community members we serve,  to ensure that they have both the access and the abilities to make the most of the Tool Library.


Memberships fund only 34% of our annual operating budget of $40,000. We run an efficient operation, and you can be sure that every dollar you contribute to this campaign will go far. With your help, we will:

  • Increase availability of the tools we can't keep on the shelves, like table saws, weed whackers, tile saws, and cordless drills
  • Develop a robust education program to ensure that community members have the skills they need to properly leverage our tools
  • Develop programs to reach into the neighborhoods we don't fully serve



“We work in construction, and we can't always afford to have the tools that we need, so we thought we should sign up so we can do more work and more projects.”

-Javier, member

For You, Our Newest Partner

We’ve got some pretty cool rewards for you like covetable shirts and carpenter’s pencils printed with the hottest logo ever: ours!

Board members Mimi and Michael with a T-shirt and Carpenter's pencils

We hope everyone who reads this will want all or a portion of their gift to provide a Tool Library Membership for someone in need. You can also celebrate your family or honor someone you love with a naming inscription on one of our tools.  Or better still, a whole shelf of tools.

We want to thank you for considering supporting the Tool Library’s mission.  By making a tax-deductible gift to fuel our services, you’ll make a direct and immediate impact on the Philadelphia community.

Think all this sounds so awesome that you want to become a member and check out some of our tools for yourself?  You can join the West Philly Tool Library on our website!  Whether you're a past, current, or future member, we appreciate your support in this one-time capacity-building campaign.

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Choose your Perk

featured

Wear It

$50 USD
You'll receive a super-comfy Tool Library T-shirt along with your very own West Philly Tool Library carpenter's pencil, a Tool Library sticker pack, and we'll give you a shout-out on our Facebook page and on our website! The shirts have our awesome logo on them and are printed on American Apparel Tri-blend Track Shirts.
58 out of 100 of claimed

The High-Fiver

$5 USD
You'll get a shout-out on Facebook and our website, and because you're so cool you'll get a high five from a Tool Librarian the next time you're in the Tool Library.
2 claimed

The Double High-Fiver

$10 USD
You're double cool! A double high-five from a Tool Librarian the next time you're in the Tool Library. We'll also send you a three-pack of West Philly Tool Library stickers and give you a shout-out on our Facebook page and on our website!
18 claimed

Make Your Mark

$25 USD
You'll receive your very own West Philly Tool Library carpenter's pencil, a five pack of Tool Library stickers, and we'll give you a shout-out on our Facebook page and on our website!
30 claimed

Name a Hand Tool

$100 USD
We'll put your or someone you want to honor’s name on a hand tool of your choice in the Tool Library. Not only that, but we will also send you a super-comfy Tool Library T-shirt along with your very own West Philly Tool Library carpenter's pencil, the Tool Library sticker pack, and we'll give you a shout-out on our Facebook page and on our website!
6 out of 20 of claimed

Sponsor a membership

$100 USD
Sponsor a membership for one of our neighbors in need. We're working with the People's Emergency Center, a social services organization in West Philadelphia to provide memberships to community members who could benefit from the Tool Library's services. You'll also receive the shirt, the sticker pack, the carpenter's pencil, and we'll give you a shout out on Facebook and on our website.
Only 3 left

Name a Power Tool

$250 USD
We'll put your or someone you want to honor’s name on the power tool of your choice. Wouldn't it be cool to name a table saw? Or to show someone your love with a tribute to them on the cement mixer? First come first served for tool choices. You'll also receive the shirt, sticker pack, carpenter's pencil, and Facebook and website shout outs.
0 out of 15 of claimed

A Tool Tattoo for You

$300 USD
Show your tool pride permanently! Work with Luke White of Wizard's One Tattoos to design the perfect tool-related tattoo. There are some restrictions, so shoot us a message for details. You'll need to travel to Wizard's One Tattoos in Pottstown.
0 out of 1 of claimed

Name a Whole Shelf

$1,000 USD
How about a whole shelf? At this level, you will be sponsoring a shelf of tools of your choice! Your or someone you want to honor's name and a message will be prominently engraved in a plaque in a section of the Tool Library, for two years. First come first served on shelf choices. You'll also receive the shirt, sticker pack, carpenter's pencil, and of course we'll give you a shout out on Facebook and our website.
0 out of 5 of claimed

Donor's Choice

$1,000 USD
If you’re in a position to consider investing in the Tool Library with a gift of $1,000 or more, we’re at your service: we’ll work with you to custom tailor your benefits and impact!
0 claimed

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