Heinlein Library Foundation

Established in 1989 and named in honor of science fiction’s first Grand Master and his wife, the Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein Library Foundation is based in Butler, Missouri, the birthplace of Robert Heinlein.

The foundation’s mission, according to GuideStar.org, is “to operate and maintain a foundation for charitable, educational, cultural and literary purpose for the exploitation of copyrights that may be received, all in support of the Butler Public Library in Butler, Missouri.” According to the library’s website, funds from the foundation enabled the renovation of the library and the construction of a new Heinlein Addition, which were completed in 1991. The foundation’s 2006 Form 990 indicates net assets of more than $2.3 million.

Heinlein’s works include several Mars-related novels: Red Planet: a Colonial Boy on Mars (1949), Double Star (1956), Stranger in a Strange Land (1961), Podkayne of Mars (1963), and The Number of the Beast (1980).