Webinar: When Preparation Meets Opportunity: How a Winning Case for Support Led to $5 Million in Funding for the HBCU Radio Preservation Project

Presented by Jocelyn Robinson, Director of Radio Preservation & HBCU Radio Preservation; Rima Dael, CEO, National Federation Community Broadcasters’ and Phyllis Jeffers-Coly, Assistant Director, HBCU Radio Preservation Project

In January 2024, the Mellon Foundation granted WYSO $5 million to lead the HBCU Radio Preservation Project in partnership with the Northeast Document Conservation Center. This project aims to preserve the legacy and audio heritage of at least 29 HBCU radio stations, many of which have been on the air for more than a half-century. It also includes training and education on preservation practices and the collection and sharing of stations’ histories through documentation by oral historians.

The story of how the HBCU Radio Preservation Project was funded illustrates the importance of having a strong case for support that excites funders to give without hesitation. Learn how this historic endeavor went from idea to implementation, with details you can take back to any station about how thinking big and being prepared can make a lasting impact.


Attached Files

  1. Slide Deck - When Preparation Meets Opportunity
  2. Handout - Developing a Case for Support
  3. Transcript - When Preparation Meets Opportunity-How a Winning Case for Support Led to $5 Million in Funding for the HBCU Radio Preservat