Maine Public Broadcasting Network’s “Super Thursday” one-day pledge drive raised $252,719 from 2,866 donors today (Oct. 20), more than doubling its previous daily record of $107,558 in April. Its goal was met in less than 12 hours of on-air appeals, which was “totally unexpected,” said Jennifer Foley, MPBN’s director of development and philanthropic giving, in a press release.
One man walked into MPBN’s studio in Lewiston and donated a jar of loose change, which totaled $45.59.
Foley said MPBN had heavily promoted the pledge drive for the past two weeks, with pre-recorded messages written for MPBN’s audience by a dozen NPR radio personalities, including Carl Kassel and Peter Sagal from Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!, Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon and Fresh Air host Terry Gross.
MPBN radio pledge drives usually last for about a week. “Our members have told us ‘we love MPBN but the pledge drives, not so much,’ and we heard them,” Foley said.