June CDP Index: Decline in new donors signals broader pressure on acquisition

As the spotlight on the federal funding crisis dims, new donor acquisition among public media’s Radio-Only organizations is returning to pre-recession levels. Joint licensees also saw signs of softening, and TV-only organizations are expected to follow suit as the year progresses.

For the first time since last February, the New Donor Index declined, with 3.4% fewer new donors added to the file over the last three months than during the same period a year earlier. While the TV/Joint median held essentially flat, increasing by less than 1%, Radio experienced a much sharper drop, with new donors down nearly 37%.

The decline was especially pronounced among small stations — those with fewer than 15,000 active donors — where new donors fell nearly 15%, a steeper drop than larger organizations experienced. Because just over half of this cohort consists of Radio-only organizations, the broader Radio decline is likely most visible among smaller stations.

Within the TV/Joint cohort, the modest gain in new donors was driven by TV-only organizations, which posted an 11% increase during the period. Joint licensees, by contrast, saw a 7% decline — likely reflecting continued pressure on their radio properties.

These results are best understood in a longer-term context. Looking at aggregate new donor totals by organization type, using a consistent group with complete data across the full period under review, new donors still increased in this three-month period of 2026 compared with March–May 2024 across all organization types.

A return to 2024 new donor levels is not unexpected, but it reinforces the importance of maintaining a strong focus on retention. Although it is still early in the renewal window for recission-giving retention analysis, early indicators remain encouraging.

Growth in the Membership Revenue Index continues to slow month over month, though the metric remains positive at a 22% increase. Both TV/Joint licensees and Radio-only organizations reported year-over-year revenue gains, as did organizations across size categories.

Revenue growth continues to be supported by donors giving at higher levels. The High-Dollar Gifts Index remains the strongest-performing metric so far in 2026. In the latest Index, gifts of $500 or more were up 24% — still a strong result, though down from 44% last month. TV/Joint licensees saw a 27% increase in higher-level gifts, while Radio was up 17%.

The Sustainer Index also shows steady growth at 17%, while the Passport Users Index is approaching 18%. Together with continued strength in high-dollar giving, these indicators suggest that current donors remain engaged and committed — an encouraging sign for retention in the months ahead.

This monthly report on the fundraising performance of public media stations is provided through an editorial collaboration between Current and Contributor Development Partnership (CDP). The collaboration draws from CDP’s National Reference File, which collects monthly membership and revenue data from more than 170 public media stations. (Read more about the methodology.)

Deb Ashmore joined CDP as Analytics Strategist in September 2023. With more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and public media fundraising, she is passionate about working to help clients understand their fundraising data to inform strategies for long-term file health and growth. Her previous public media experience includes 10 years as director of individual giving for WXPN in Philadelphia.