Louisville Public Media (LPM) raised more than $407,000, and gained 900 new members during its just concluded spring membership campaign, which focused on supporting the ambitious growth of the organization. "We are grateful for another overwhelming show of support from our listeners," says Donovan Reynolds, President and General Manager of Louisville Public Media. "The large number of new members, and the huge growth in our sustainer program -- those making an open-ended commitment to support us -- will strengthen the financial stability of public radio for years to come."
Growing news room and online presence
LPM is growing its service to the community in a number of different areas. LPM is working to fill the growing gap in local reporting with the new Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting (KyCIR). A new WFPL reporting project focused on community health will include the addition of a full-time health reporter. A new visual media producer will provide high quality video material for LPM’s multiple online platforms, and new web apps for all three stations will make it easier to access digital content. New programs include the Classical 90.5 spring choral festival and the second season of the fiction series Unbound on WFPL.
Sustaining members provide reliable income stream
The overall dollar goal of $400,000 was lower than previous campaigns due to the dramatic growth of the sustainer membership program. Ongoing sustainer support allows the stations to focus more resources on programming and community service and less time and expense on fundraising. Sustainers currently account for 45% of our membership base and provide 22% of our annual budget.