How to Approach Fund Drives at News Stations During Natural Disasters
An earlier version of this post was published on September 8, 2017.
As we navigate the impacts of climate change, we are learning to have greater flexibility communicating with our audiences and supporters. Each time we plan for a campaign, we must have a “plan B” for messaging and communication if a natural disaster strikes.
Handling on-air fundraising campaigns while natural disasters unfold requires a great deal of sensitivity. We know that some donors will reallocate money they might have donated to their local station to disaster relief. That’s understandable.
But catastrophic events are also an opportunity to talk with listeners about the vital role public media plays to provide news and information when disasters happen. An excellent example of this is at Blue Ridge Public Radio, the news and music station in Western North Carolina that has provided critical information to the region and beyond during the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Even if some listeners decide not to give to your station right now, making a strong case for the value of your public service matters to members who do return or who join for the first time in the future. Our on-air scripts for fundraising during a natural disaster can help you find the right language to make this important case.
The Values the Fuel Your Messaging During a Natural Disaster
Do not apologize for fundraising.
Your station provides an important public service that listeners depend on.
Your quality news service is an essential part of disaster recovery.
Yours is an essential service that’s worthy of support. When electricity, cell phone, internet, TV, and water cease to function, radio can still supply critical information to communities.
Your station provides a local public service.
More than half of U.S. counties have little to no access to local news. If your region has been affected by a recent natural disaster, talk about the many ways – including weather, safety, evacuation information, and disaster relief resources – that your service is able to support your local community.
You provide information that the community can trust.
Misinformation and frankly blatant lies have been spread on social media and elsewhere during recent disasters. These falsehoods endanger those impacted by the disaster. Audiences can count on your station for factual, honest information and reporting that will help them recover and take care of themselves and their loved ones.
You are part of the community.
During disasters we see the best of humanity, people helping one another and sharing in the journey to restoring communities. Your station has been and will continue to be a part of that.
Effective Messaging
These messages have been effective in the past to contextualize the importance of your station’s service during difficult times:
- Public radio helps listeners understand how these events are affecting the lives of people in communities both near and far.
- One of the mandates of public radio is community service. In times of disaster or crisis, public radio stations are there, dispensing critical information.
- Public radio connects us. You want to understand this like any other major story: How are these events affecting my neighbors? What’s happening to help people? What are the concerns of my community?
- We don’t sensationalize our reporting. Public radio helps people understand how extreme events affect people’s lives, and ultimately how events could affect all of us.
- The implications of a natural disaster are going to trickle out in many different ways. With careful thought and sensitivity, public radio’s coverage reminds us of this fact, and keeps us well-informed about what can be done to help.
Direct Mail Strategy
If you are sending direct mail as part of your campaign, it’s important to review who and where you are mailing to. Exclude the zip codes of highly impacted areas from your mailings, whether you mail internally or with a mail house. You may need to do this for an extended period of time as recovery continues.
Online Fundraising Strategy
We asked our colleague Rachael Wolber, Vice President at M+R about effective approaches they have seen and used by organizations online.
- Share impact reports, including how operations at your station have been affected. Include a softer “donate” ask like a donate button at the close of an email or linked text: “If you’d like to support our recovery efforts and our continued coverage of [EVENT], you can do so here.”
- Including passive donate options in web news articles about the crisis: “If you’d like to support our continued coverage, you can do so here…”
- Once the immediate danger has passed, don’t be afraid to ask! People want to help in times of crisis. You can also share an ask with other causes (“If you want to help, you can donate to the FL Red Cross here, or support our continued coverage here”) to soften it a bit.
Your station is a vital part of the community and will be committed to helping people recover, providing information, and being a voice in the recovery process. It’s important to your audience that you have the strong financial footing to do so.
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