KPR wraps up spring membership drive with $336K in pledges

LAWRENCE – Kansas Public Radio ended its spring membership drive with $336,000 in listener pledges.

The station received pledges from 2,113 listeners, including 229 new members. Funds from KPR’s nine-day fundraising campaign, which began April 4, will go directly toward providing an eclectic mix of local and National Public Radio news and music programming for approximately 100,000 weekly listeners.  

KPR relies on membership and private support for more than 70 percent of its operating income.

In addition to listener pledges, KPR received $67,000 in challenge grants, which are provided by an individual, company or foundation. During this particular drive, the station encouraged listeners to become sustaining members or increase their sustaining gift on “Sustaining Member Monday,” made possible by a generous, $10,000 challenge grant from a listener member. KPR set a goal to receive 150 new or upgraded sustaining memberships by midnight April 8. The goal was met by the end of the station’s evening news program, “All Things Considered,” and 202 listeners pledged their support on that day. 

More than 70 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.

Although the drive has concluded, listeners can still donate online at kansaspublicradio.org. 

KPR Director Dan Skinner is pleased with the success of the drive, but he does want to remind listeners that “while the membership drive is an important part of KPR’s fundraising efforts, and the main way that the station can acquire new members, the station can still use more listener support in order to start the next fiscal year in a strong position.”

KPR, a 17-time Kansas Association of Broadcasters Station of the Year, licensed to KU, broadcasts on 91.5 FM and 96.1 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 at kansaspublicradio.org. KPR also operates KPR2, a news-talk programming stream, which can be heard on an HD receiver, on KPR’s website, or at 96.1 in Lawrence and 97.9 in Manhattan.