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We had about 20 listeners come in to record pitches and they were fantastic. They articulated well why they love the station and why others should give too. It took a lot of effort to get them scheduled but I think it’s something I plan to do in the future because they brought such great perspectives. This is my first drive, so I scrambled a bit. I’ve already started my list for the year-end drive of who we’d like to bring in to record then.
We are a small shop (radio only) and have several key positions open at the moment.
1. It’s all-hands on deck for us. We are on the backup antennae and line because the main was damaged and the replacement is on backorder, so our tech guy is crucial to making sure we stay on the air. Our news director is scheduling the pitches. Our Community Voices team is helping record pitches from some of our volunteers, who have come in and just done a phenomenal job in articulating why they love NPR. Everyone has a role it seems.
2. This is my first drive, I started in mid-June, but my understanding is drives have included everyone for the last few years.
3. I am new to this role, so that’s helping in some capacity. I have a few duties from my former job at the university that wrap up in mid-September, which are unfortunately taking up a good chunk of my time. We also have a new underwriter and I think in future drives, he could be key in securing support from sponsors/businesses.What type of events do you hold that you would like them to promote on social media? We haven’t done many, due to the pandemic, and being new in this role I’d like to see if we can’t get some events going again.
What would you consider a family friendly program for John? I’m radio only so perhaps you have a TV station as well. I’d love to find something for radio though that we could pitch to families.
Here are my personas:
David, 77, master’s degree, retired from state government work. He is upper middle class who has given generously to the station for decades, usually in a few larger gifts per year. Passionate about the news, and seeks information from multiple sources. Father of two children, grandfather of 5. Dotes on the kids. David values education and truth. His work in state government, where he worked often with media, gave him an appreciation for accuracy. He also cares deeply about the community as he’s lived here his entire adult life. Our station provides accurate news all day every day for David to listen to. Our station promises that we will continue to find programming that provides informative and engaging news for our audience to tune into.Julie, 41, has broadcast background, runs the family business while also taking part in community theater, very savvy on social media. Married with two sons, whom she adores. Is middle-income family and donates at least once a year. Passionate about improving her community and providing a solid education for her children. Julie values the arts of all kinds, as well as increasing educational opportunities in the community. Our station provides programs about arts programs in the community. Our station promises that we will continue to find new ways to share with our audience information about the arts in our community.
Topics that I will want to keep in mind as I develop talking points include knowing what types of programming would appeal to them so I can either increase their gifts to push David into a major gift and Julie into a monthly reoccurring gift.
Points that might not resonate well with these two include reduced staffing and a lacking social media presence. We need to work on more than just posting
Do you ask your volunteers to send emails, or do they do it on their own? If you ask, how do you choose which ones to ask?
When you say planning around school and community calendars, what are you looking for? Not coinciding with other fundraisers, or big events like homecoming? I hadn’t thought of that at all but it’s certainly something to consider.
WUIS has been doing on-air fundraising for years; I’m not sure the exact number. The station was started in 1975 so I imagine most of that time has included on-air drives. We used to do live pitching but for the past few years, it’s been primarily pre-recorded.
I’ve been involved in the planning process since I started this role in June. The next drive is Sept. 10-16 and everyone is helping me pull this one together; the year-end drive will be mine to lead.
Other elements I need to be aware of are how to set a realistic goal, choosing a theme that resonates with our audience and how to find incentives that entice donations but don’t break the bank. We set our schedule of email/direct mail solicitations in January with the university’s advancement team so I feel we are good in that area.
Thank you Judith! It seems like a lot all at once. The staff that is here, though, are amazing. So much energy and they are so helpful in everything.,
Do provide an incentive for every drive? I’m new at my station and in the past they sometimes do, sometimes don’t. I’m wondering if you have to offer something every time to be successful.
I’m new to public media and fairly new to fundraising, and I love what your donor told you! I wrote it down and it’s on my bulletin board now. I think I needed to hear that mindset as I’m starting to ask people for larger donations. Thank you for sharing.
I’m also new to public media and like you, would like to find a network of people to bounce ideas off. I’m organizing my first drive now and would love to know what you learned from your first one!
I am Kate McKenzie, director of development for NPR Illinois/91.9 UIS in Springfield, Illinois, which is a news format. The University of Illinois Springfield holds our license. I started in this role in June after 2.5 years working in the university’s advancement division, where I did communications and marketing. Prior to that, I spent 16 years in print journalism, working as a reporter and editor for various publications in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
There are several pain points right now. The university is in the process of reducing its funding for the station over the course of the next five years (it will still hold the license and provide us our space), so there is an immediate need to increase funding from other sources. The staff is small and hiring is often stymied by the slow HR process we must follow, which allows good candidates to find other jobs before we can make an offer. For the fall drive, I also have some remaining duties from my former job until that post is filled, so I’m doing double duty through September.
I’m hoping this course will provide practical ideas I can implement for our upcoming drives, as well as find a network of people I can turn to for support and ideas.
