How WAMU’s fundraising strategy focuses on community over crisis
“May you live in interesting times” hits differently when you raise over $1 million in an on-air fundraising cycle, setting a record when you blow past your goal by 30% — and it’s not the key takeaway.
We love seeing the CDP data and reports of station success. This year’s extraordinary donor response is not surprising, and we’re not the first to say it’s unlikely to stay at the current elevated level.
For the last year, WAMU has refined its approach to building deep community, audience and donor relationships. Our belief is that the path through these changes must include speaking in a loud, clear voice about the value of the work. We must acquire new skills to improve every part of our audience development and revenue-generating operations. And we must show up as leaders and connectors in our communities.
What does this look like? It’s simultaneously taking a long view and focusing on granular details every day. WAMU has expanded the ways we use email and the air to communicate the value of our service. We’ve been laser-focused on nurturing tune-in through a daysheet with carefully edited live reads. And we’ve worked every day to build trust as the region’s #1 news choice.
For several reasons, WAMU did not make CPB defunding a significant element in the case for support this year. Instead, we maintained our focus on two larger issues:
-
Read the room — As a primary news source for frontline government workers, WAMU’s coverage of the new administration, the Department of Government Efficiency, the federalization of law enforcement, funding recissions, and, also, the defunding of CPB have been all over our channels. These were news events, and they had a visceral impact on our communities.
When CPB was defunded, WAMU had to reconcile our needs with those of the communities we served. We used our news, email and digital platforms to inform the audience but refrained from going on air with interruptive fundraising. We believe that this restraint preserved relationships with our listeners who were experiencing unprecedented levels of destabilization. It also forced us to maintain our focus on the longer-term skill development work.
-
Grow your skills — WAMU has been intensely focused on updating our on-air fundraisers. In a climate where social media, the pandemic and the chaos of the Trump administration have jacked people’s nervous systems and shattered our attention, WAMU has raised the bar on donor-centric fundraising practices.
WAMU has introduced a heightened sense of message discipline that is always asking, “Is this good for the listener, and how do we know?”
The integration of brand-enhancing local and national production, careful scripting and a hands-on approach to managing the air has transformed WAMU’s on-air fundraising practice. 40% of the WAMU staff worked on the October fundraiser, reducing the disruption on our overall operations.
This work has had meaningful, and measurable, results. From September 2024 to September 2025, WAMU’s weekly cume rose nearly 100,000 persons (source: Nielsen/RRC). More than 7,700 new donors have signed up in the last fiscal year — +3,900 in the most recent on-air fundraiser! And we’re particularly pleased that WAMU’s audience data shows that the on-air fundraising format, approach and execution have been able to curb the audience loss that usually accompanies an on-air fundraiser.
At WAMU, we’re sitting in the absolute front row seat to a whole raft of circumstances that could throw any human into a spin. Nevertheless, we’ve chosen to adopt a relentless positive vision of the future in our operations and in our donor communications.
We’re focused on leveraging all the tools, as broadcasters and fundraisers, to demonstrate that vision. It’s challenged us to level up our craft, rethink our workflows, clean up our tech stack and data and, most of all, reconnect with our commitment to the mission.
Joe Strummer said, “The future is unwritten.” This is true, and also, you make your own luck. That’s the challenge facing us, and we are certain we have what it takes to rise to the occasion. Our communities are counting on us, and we can do it.
Leslie VanSant has served in leadership roles in support of fundraising, communication and strategy at nonprofit organizations for more than 30 years. She has worked in the arts, humanitarian services, disaster relief, conservation and now public media, raising both awareness and funds essential to mission delivery. With a focus on putting the donor at the heart of mission delivery, she has transformed teams to achieve goals and elevate giving.
Mikel Ellcessor is a coach, fundraising and content strategist who helps folks express themselves in ways that are authentic, build loyal fans and move markets. Over 30 years, Mikel has been part of the leadership that launched shows, stations and platforms that have brought new audiences to public media and helped raise millions of dollars.
