KPR surpasses goal for fall membership drive

Tue, 10/23/2012

Phil Wilke

Kansas Public Radio

LAWRENCE – After eight days of on-air fundraising, Kansas Public Radio ended its fall membership drive with $252,102 in pledges. At noon Oct. 19, pledges from KPR listener-members pushed total donations past $250,000, the goal set to end the fall drive.

The membership drive began Oct. 9 with more than $97,000 raised through a direct-mail campaign. Ten days later, more than $155,000 was raised on-air by pledges from new and renewing members.

"The level of dedication our listeners show is always gratifying," KPR Development Director Sheri Hamilton said. "They are willing to put their money where their ears are. The staff works very hard to make great programs year-round, and the listeners are willing to pay for that. We love them for it."

After the numbers were tallied Friday, more than 2,298 listeners had pledged by direct mail, on-air appeals or at KPR's website, KPR.KU.EDU. The overall total does not include challenge grants, in which a company or individual will donate money if KPR can raise a certain level of funding during a specific time period. More than $35,000 was raised through challenge grants.

All donations during spring and fall membership drives directly support KPR's local and national programming.

In each hour, KPR interrupts programming for about 10-15 minutes to ask for donations. Regular programming resumes for the rest of the hour. The membership drive featured "Super Tuesday" on Oct. 9, when an entire day's fundraising was compressed into just 90 minutes. That raised more than $36,000.

More than 100 volunteers answered phones from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. during the drive. Area restaurants donated meals and beverages for volunteers' breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks.

KPR, a 14-time Kansas Association of Broadcasters Station of the Year licensed to the University of Kansas, broadcasts on 91.5 FM in Lawrence, 89.7 FM in Emporia, 91.3 FM in Olsburg-Junction City, 89.9 FM in Atchison, 90.3 FM in Chanute, and 99.5 FM and 97.9 FM in Manhattan. KPR can be heard online. KPR also operates KPR2, a news-talk programming stream, which can be heard on an HD receiver or on KPR's website.