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As we prepare to gather at this year’s Public Media Development and Marketing Conference (PMDMC), the public media landscape continues to rapidly evolve.
And while every local public media organization (PMO) faces unique challenges, public media fundraisers across the system share a common goal: enhancing our fundraising capabilities and reaching our audiences more effectively. At this critical moment, it’s clear that collaboration and data-driven strategies are vital to future success.
CDP is here to help
Contributor Development Partnership (CDP) supports public media through the National Reference File (NRF), a comprehensive repository of donor and giving data. The NRF is not some dusty collection of overwhelming data points; it is a vault of actionable intelligence, providing up-to-the-moment views into fundraising trends and offering practical insights that can fuel strategic growth, enabling PMOs to thrive in an increasingly competitive fundraising landscape.
One of the most significant benefits of participating in the NRF comes in the form of customized Revenue Opportunity and Action Reports (ROAR) that each participating organization receives. This free monthly report provides a detailed analysis of fundraising trends across more than 2 dozen key metrics, identifying specific growth opportunities tailored to each PMO’s performance. By leveraging these insights, PMOs can develop targeted strategies that enhance their fundraising efforts and maximize their fundraising potential.
For more than 10 years, PMOs have leveraged ROAR reporting to benchmark their results and grow their programs. With every type of licensee and market size represented in the NRF, we’ve helped local shops track their performance in the areas of major giving, donor and revenue retention, digital acquisition, major gifts and more.
How benchmarking makes a difference for all of public media
We believe benchmarking is vital to the future of all nonprofits, and we aren’t the only ones who think so. Global Philanthropic notes that benchmarking provides “valuable, objective information that supports your organization to make informed decisions, set qualified goals, and create realistic milestones in your strategic planning.”
While CDP hopes those who are not already part of the NRF will consider joining, we want to emphasize the importance of participating in any benchmarking initiative. If you already participate in the NRF, we encourage you to explore additional benchmarks and share your learnings with the public media community. This approach to collaborative learning enhances our collective understanding and drives continuous improvement across public media.
When considering to participate in any type benchmarking initiative, it’s crucial for organizations to prioritize data security. At CDP, we take data security seriously and have taken steps to ensure that organizations retain full control over their data. Specific information is never shared with other PMOs or outside entities, fostering a secure environment where public media organizations can confidently contribute their data. This commitment to privacy allows participants to know their data will be used solely for their benefit and the broader public media community. By maintaining stringent security measures, CDP ensures all benchmarking activities are conducted in a safe, secure manner. When considering any other benchmarking service, we would encourage you to verify that the organizations you are working with meet the same standards as CDP to protect your data.
The impact of the NRF is evident, with more than 200 PMOs utilizing its insights to inform their strategies. Organizations like Greater Public also rely on NRF data to understand system-wide trends and drive collective initiatives forward. The collaborative nature of this data-sharing effort amplifies its value, creating a comprehensive view of the public media landscape that benefits all participants.
Turn up the volume
A crucial aspect of the NRF’s effectiveness lies in the high volume of data it aggregates across hundreds of local stations. The more data collected, the more robust and reliable the insights become. High-volume data allows for more accurate benchmarking, revealing patterns and trends that might be invisible in smaller datasets. This extensive data pool enables organizations to compare their performance against a wide range of peers, providing a clearer picture of where they stand and where they can improve. When participating in any benchmarking service it is worth evaluating the size of their dataset. If your data is too large a portion of the overall dataset you may not gain much value for the time you have put into gathering said data.
By participating in the NRF, public media organizations can tap into a wealth of knowledge that drives innovation and growth. The collective intelligence gained from shared data empowers us to make informed decisions, adapt to changing circumstances, and ultimately better serve our communities- allowing public media to better educate, enlighten, engage, and inform citizens.
For those who have not yet joined the NRF community, the upcoming PMDMC offers an excellent opportunity to learn more. Visiting the CDP booth at the Hub will provide insights into how your organization can harness the power of shared data. Moreover, CDP will have a dedicated consulting space at PMDMC, offering personalized guidance on maximizing the use of your donor data and refining your fundraising strategies. To book consulting time please visit: https://bit.ly/BookWithCDP
For more information about CDP’s services and to join the NRF, visit our website at https://www.cdpcommunity.org/reporting .
In these times of change, the value of shared data cannot be overstated. Together, through collaboration and the data-driven insights of benchmarking, we can navigate the challenges ahead and build a stronger future for public media.