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Daily Drive Report: Behind The Mic

Brendan Kinney

If you were behind the mic, what would you say?

As we plan membership drives, that's a big question that we try to answer. If we could say just one thing that would inspire people to support VPR, what would it be?

But we know that in creating a recipe for a successful drive, it's one part art, one part science, with a dash of luck thrown in for good measure.

On the science front, we roll out incentives for listeners to pledge in the moment, including: challenges, artist mugs, drawing prizes, and sometimes, even chocolate hearts.

As far as art goes, we develop an overall "theme" for the drive, to help tell the story about VPR tries to do its best  every day, delivering the news, music, and conversations that our listeners love. That theme permeates all aspects of the drive, from the letters  that we write as part of our "pre-drive" effort to our Facebook posts, and what we say on the air.

So, if you were behind the microphone during a VPR membership drive, what would you say to inspire others to give? Share your ideas in the comments section below. You can also tweet your "pitch" or post them on Facebook, just be sure to use the hashtag #YourVPR so we can be inspired by your ideas!

Day #3 - Update On The Numbers

As of 9 a.m. Friday morning, here's where things stand:

  • We've raised $156,454 and have $308,546 left to go.
  • Our pre-drive effort was a big success! Listeners contributed over $88,000 before the drive even started.
  • On Wednesday, the first day of the drive, listeners contributed over $33,000.
  • So far, VPR has received 1,809 pledges for this drive. Thanks to everyone who has contributed!

Challenges:

  • We missed our "early bird" challenge on Thursday morning. We needed 40 pledges by 7 a.m. to receive an additional $1,500.
  • We made our second challenge of that morning! We needed 135 pledges before 9 a.m. to receive an additional $5,000.
  • Unfortunately, we missed a challenge of raising $16,000 by 9 a.m. this morning to receive an additional $10,000.

Drawing prize winners:

  • Wednesday - Peter Jacobsen of Burlington, won the iPad.
  • Thursday - Harvey & Judy Brotman of Lyme, NH, won the Edgewater Gallery gift certificate.

For more details about the drive including drawing prizes, our artist mug, and more, check out Pledge Central.

Brendan Kinney oversees all of Vermont Public's fundraising efforts, including major and planned giving, membership, underwriting, foundation grants and capital campaigns. Kinney joined Vermont Public in February 2010.
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