Director of annual giving
Nebraska Public Media, Lincoln
Age: 33
In three words: “Driven, collaborative, innovative”
What colleagues say: Ian’s capacity to energize and lead during membership drives is exceptional. His enthusiasm is infectious, boosting team morale with timely praise and constructive feedback. He regularly appears on-air during drives, significantly enhancing our campaigns.
Ian’s skills as a collaborator shine. He actively engages with industry groups like Pledgechat, TRAC Media Services and PBS, and brings valuable insights back to our station. His knack for blending proven strategies with fresh ideas significantly enriches our projects, fostering a culture of innovation.
A standout initiative led by Ian aimed to streamline our radio pledge drives, successfully maintaining revenue while reducing listener fatigue — a testament to his strategic foresight. He pitches new program ideas, thinks of different ways to approach TV pledge and updates the entire staff during and after pledge drives on top-performing programs and numbers of new donors, sustainers and dollars raised.
What Ian says
Decision to work in public media: It was almost by accident. I had a job with about a 45-minute commute and started listening to Nebraska Public Media. That’s when I became a public radio nerd. About a year later, there was a job posting for an entry-level development position and I went for it.
Key accomplishments: I’m proud of our focus on the use of data in evaluating and driving our decisions. So much of what we do in fundraising is about building on the work of those who came before us and creating incremental change that leads to long-term success.
Inspired by: How multifaceted public media is and how it can serve everyone, no matter their stage in life.
Advice for young public media professionals: There are a lot of impressive and interesting people at every station, so getting to know others, what they do and why they do it makes the job more fun. Also, public media is amazing at sharing resources across stations. Learn about successes of other stations, and get to know peers and mentors elsewhere.
Advice for public media leaders: Keep looking toward the future and what we need to do to be part of that future. There are so many dedicated and talented professionals across the system who can help us get to where we need to be. Listen to our younger staff to learn how we can appeal to younger audiences while maintaining the legacy of public media.
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