Hawai‘i Public Radio Launches Spring Fund Drive

Community website by MBC/Ernest Abrams. Call 808-739-9797 for advertising/sponsorship#KaimukiHawaii Community website by MBC/Ernest Abrams. Call 808-739-9797 for advertising/sponsorship#KaimukiHawaii

Kaimuki, Hawaii
News Item
Powered by MBC NewsMaker
Hawai‘i Public Radio Launches Spring Fund Drive
Tweet

Hawai‘i Public Radio Launches Spring Fund Drive with Historic Lowered Goal

Early donations and sustaining membership credited with reversing trend

"Challenge 2015," Hawaiʻi Public Radio's spring on-air fund drive, kicks off on April 15th at 6:18 a.m. with the traditional opening greeting from station President and General Manager Michael Titterton. The campaign goal of $998,000 is notably lower than the last drive in October 2014, an unprecedented reversal of upward-trending target amounts. Enthusiastic donations in the last month have further reduced the goal by 25 per cent. At air-time on the 15th, it is anticipated that the remaining amount to be raised will be approximately $754,000.

"The response has been phenomenal," states Titterton. "Many early bird donors have told us they remembered last fall's drive when we fell short of goal and needed to go into ʻovertime'. They clearly understood that the duration of these fund drives is their ʻcall' -- and they've made them. But we still need many more calls before we're out of the woods."

Goals for each semi-annual pledge drive are calculated by HPR management to meet what the station needs to stay in operation for the next six months.

HPR's monthly giving program, called "Sustaining Membership," was designed to provide a more consistent and reliable source of revenue for budgeting and planning. This subscription-based model is credited with the current turn-around from ever-increasing campaign goals. The original goal for Challenge 2015 was $34,000 less than last fall's.

HPR's cumulative weekly listenership is 175,000 (Arbitron 2014); about 12,000 or 7% of those have pledged station membership. "This member-to-listener ratio is somewhat below average for a public radio station in a market of our size," Titterton explains. "With the growing cost of providing services across the entire Hawaiian archipelago, combined with shrinking Corporation for Public Broadcasting support (now a mere 6% of our income), we are relying on more of our listening community to step up and place a priority value on the commercial-free news and entertainment programs they receive. Again, it's their call."

To mount a single fund drive, the station supplements its staff with an additional 425 volunteers to receive pledge calls on 18 specially installed phone lines. Daily, about 20 community leaders from the business and nonprofit sectors come to the station's microphones to offer testimony of their support. Dozens of caterers donate meals to keep guests, volunteers, and staff fed. Popular pledge events include the "Say-A-Nice-Thing-About-a-Lawyer Day" and the limited offer of ten Hawaiian Airlines frequent flyer miles for every dollar donated to HPR.

About Hawai‘i Public Radio

HPR is a private, non-profit organization which broadcasts classical, jazz, and international music; and in-depth news and informational programming from National Public Radio, American Public Media, Public Radio International, and other local, national, and international program sources, as well as programs produced by Hawai‘i Public Radio. In October 2013, Charity Navigator, the premier charity evaluator, awarded HPR its second consecutive four-star rating for exceptional fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.

HPR's mission is to serve the entire population of the state of Hawai‘i with two excellent program streams. HPR-1, the news magazine and fine arts stream, can currently be heard on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i (KHPR 88.1 FM and 88.5 FM); Maui, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, and West Hawai‘i (KKUA 90.7 FM); and East Hawai‘i (KANO 91.1 FM (Hilo) and 94.7 FM (Waimea)). HPR-2, the news, local talk, and music stream, is found on Maui, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i (KIPM 89.7 FM and KIPH 88.3 FM (Hana)); West Hawai‘i (KIPM 89.7 FM and KHPH 88.7 FM); the newest station in south Hawai‘i (KAHU 91.7 FM); O‘ahu and Kaua‘i (KIPO 89.3 FM; KIPL 89.9 FM). HPR is online and streaming at hawaiipublicradio.org and hpr2.org; as well as on Facebook (hawaiipublicradio) and Twitter (@hipubradio). Free iOS and Android™ apps for "Hawaii Public Radio" are available for download from the App Store or Google Play™. HPR-1 and HPR-2 may also be heard via cable broadcasts from Oceanic Time Warner (channels 864 and 865) or Hawaiian Telcom TV (channels 661 and 662).

###

About Hawaii Public Radio
HPR is a private, non-profit organization which broadcasts classical, jazz, and international music; and in-depth news and informational programming from National Public Radio, Public Radio International, and other local, national, and international program sources, as well as programs produced by Hawaii Public Radio. In 2013, Charity Navigator, the premier charity evaluator, awarded HPR its second consecutive highest, four-star rating for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.

HPR's mission is to serve the entire population of the state of Hawai‘i with two excellent program streams. HPR-1, the news magazine and fine arts stream, can currently be heard on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i (KHPR 88.1 FM and 88.5 FM); Maui, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, and West Hawai‘i (KKUA 90.7 FM); and East Hawai‘i (KANO 91.1 FM (Hilo) and 94.7 FM (Waimea)). HPR-2, the news, local talk, and music stream, is found on Maui, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i (KIPM 89.7 FM and KIPH 88.3 FM (Hana)); West Hawai‘i (KIPM 89.7 FM and KHPH 88.7 FM); O‘ahu and Kaua‘i (KIPO 89.3 FM; KIPL 89.9 FM).

Questions? Ready for an appointment?

Like Our Facebook

Kaimuki, Hawaii News Item

Kaimuki, Hawaii
News Item