1. How long has your station conducted on-air fundraising?
The station is 61 years old, so I imagine we’ve been doing this since the 80s I’ve been listening to the pledge drives since I moved to DC in 2000.
2. Have you been involved in the planning process?
Yes, there is an amazingly (obsessively!) detailed spreadsheet created by my predecessor that lists out every last thing that needs to be done for the campaign. You plug in the dates and it back dates everything from the campaign. It’s been very helpful, especially given 5 weeks of my summer have been taken up by grand jury duty (2 weeks to go). Don’t do crimes!
3. What other elements of fundraising do you need to be aware of at your station as you plan your on-air campaign?
I’ve been working with our Assistant Director of Online Strategy and Program Director about scheduling spots to support pre-drive email and direct mail campaigns. Trying to get the thank you gifts in place now to avoid pesky supply chain issues. Need to meet with some of news leadership to discuss impact and plans for the upcoming midterms, to create talking points around the importance of local news during the campaign.