With high hopes, Todd Hulbert opened Finally Found Books at 3705 Auburn Way N., in August of 2013.

But making a go of a bookstore is a hardscrabble affair, even in the best of times, and these are not those.

Despite heroic efforts, Finally Found Books never found its footing, only diminishing returns.

Things got so bad that by January of 2015 Hulbert announced he would sell the store.

No takers.

“We started to see revenues go down substantially from the previous year, and things didn’t get any better in February, March or April. I finally said, ‘It’s either time to shut it up, or we can look at forming a nonprofit,'” Hulbert said.

Hulbert chose the way of the nonprofit.

On June 10, the Washington Literary Organization (WLO), a new 501(c)(3), began raising money to buy the struggling store.

“After many months of investigating every conceivable option (put forward) by many supporters of the store, it was determined that the only viable, long-term option to keep it alive was to set up a nonprofit and expand the many programs offered,” Hulbert said. “There are so many benefits to doing so, not only to this store but to many struggling bookstores across the nation.”

Below are some of the benefits Hulbert is talking about:

A nonprofit can raise money through grants and tax-deductible donations;

It can use a large number of volunteers to undertake various roles that are historically paid;

And it can offer tax deductions for donated books.

Volunteers keen to the store’s plight have come out in force, Hulbert said, to take on responsibilities in the business and support existing and upcoming literary programs.

Hulbert’s army of volunteers includes the WLO’s newly-formed, 13-member board of directors.

“It’s been a big undertaking, trying to get it up and running, and filling the various positions. We’ve got good people from the community. It includes people like Connie Henke and Robert Blevins,” Hulbert said.

The last thing that has to happen to complete the changeover is to raise $250,000 to purchase the store and maintain a large capital reserve to support its programs, Hulbert said.

Some of the programs that Finally Found Books established will be substantially beefed up under WLO, to include:

Training and internships: three developmentally-disabled interns from the Auburn and Federal Way school districts have worked in the store over the past year and a half, and the plan is get in many more such kids to give them real-world experience.

Last September the store donated $30,000 in gift certificates to teachers in the Auburn and Kent school districts, and the plan is to increase that amount substantially over the next few years.

Hulbert said the WLO will continue to donate the books and gift certificates it has given to such causes as shut-in seniors, PTA auctions, fundraisers, Friends of the Library, the Veteran’s Administration and churches.

Hulbert said under the WLO, new programs will be established,such as increasing the collection and distribution of books to schools, libraries and other organizations to 100,000 in the first year and 200,000 in the second year.

Additional new programs are to include Traveling Story Time, which will offer readings at preschools and other children’s gathering places, in-house events such as tutoring, reading hours, sign language classes, and providing meeting space for literary events.

To make a tax-deductible donation, go to www.WALiteracy.org or drop by the store.Additional questions may be directed to Hulbert at 253-246-7376.