Question Nine: Do you have any ideas for new approaches to fundraising for Pacifica?

KPFA Listener-Sponsor candidates

Carl Bryant -

Steven Conley -

Bob English - As we know KPFA is the first listener supported community radio station and should remain as true to its listener support base, with few if any exceptions. While I somewhat identify with social democracy and public funding for arts and public media, Pacifica should maintain financial independence from CPB funding as long as such funding is conditional. CPB compliance was used as an excuse to advance the corporatist old Pacifica coupe and autocratic, self-selection of PNB directors, therefore many reasonable members believe that Pacifica should refuse such public funding with "strings attached." Under both Democrat and right wing Bush administrations, public media funding is sharply reduced while programming becomes even more externally influenced, restricted and conservative.
We can position Pacifica for financial freedom from CPB and foundation grants partly through progressive board budget scrutiny, amended or alternative budgets and budget control procedures but also by restoring community radio produced primarily by trained volunteers with adequate, not excessive paid technical and program staff.
The proposed restored Folio, which I strongly support, and perhaps other projects can be mostly volunteer produced and funded (as the Folio was always) by local, progressive small business ads.
I will carefully study the stations' current and proposed income sources but be very wary and skeptical of non-listener funding. To understand the consequences of increasing proportional funding outside the listener/viewer subscriber base, just tune into your local area NPR and PBS stations, where regular programming has nearly become a break between continuing on air fund drives with mainstream, pop feature program dished out in pieces.

Dianne Enriquez - I think that incorporating more local fundraising events such as concerts or gallery showings and working collaboratively more local community organizations to showcase these events would be a great way to reach out to and involve different communities as well and help turn out more new members and first time donors.

Sherry Gendelman - I believe that partnering with community organizations, including cultural ones, will increase our presence, audience and revenue sources. Recently some of the stations have been posting on You tube, and the response has been extraodinary. I believe it is the responsibility of all Board members to fund raise.

Mathew Hallinan –

Chandra Hauptman – Online shopping for Pacifica paraphernalia

• Targeted mailings to large donors

• Dinners for donors, with featured speakers and gift boxes

David Heller – As stated before, becoming a hard-hitting source of news would grow listenership by leaps and bounds. We need more programming like Democracy Now!, Flashpoints and Guns and Butter. These types of programs will bring in more listeners and more revenues.

Warren Mar – I mentioned this briefly in question 4. I was recently at the Stern Grove music festival in San Francisco where I live. KPFA was one of the sponsors and it was nice to see a big banner behind the stage, but we had no table or presence. It was a free music festival but many people went to the tables to buy the artists CD’s, festival t-shirts etc. We could easily have had a KPFA table selling similar music, giving away stickers and a list of our varied music programming, selling other paraphernalia and just promoting the station.

Susan McDonough - We need a well-rounded fundraising plan to increase ways people can contribute as well as broaden listenership – for instance having greater presence at events around the greater BA. I attended a few Stern Grove concerts this summer. I was thrilled to see that KPFA was a sponsor, and its banner was prominently placed on the stage. But we had no booth, no table from which to disseminate info on our station, for folks to learn about us, to get paraphernalia such as t-shirts and decals, to get the “In Your Pocket,” etc.

Antonio Medrano - Hold board meetings around the bay area. Richmond H.S, Mission H.S. and other sites accessible to the public. Invite the public and gather support.

Attila Nagy - Listen to what listeners want; broadcast relevant programs; be interactive with the community by being present, and voice their concerns. This is the way to build an audience, which in turn will support the station and subscribe when they recognize the need for KPFA as a forum.

Richard Phelps – KPFA could accept funds for special projects from organizations and individuals that are sympathetic to our Mission as long as there is NO STRINGS ATTACHED. For daily operating expenses KPFA must earn its financial stability from its listeners by providing relevant, entertaining and insightful programs that build loyalty. If we meet the needs of the people that are looking for the truth in the Bay Area and beyond, they will take care of us. When our subscriptions are dropping we must take a serious look at what we are producing and how we are relating to our subscribers! KPFA must never become financially dependent on any corporation, government agency or small group of individuals. The LSB must be vigilant in protecting the listeners' money so it never again gets wasted/stolen by opportunists.

Mara Rivera - The primary fundraising tool is excellent, engaging programming, and building new listener constituencies.

Paul Robins - Not significant ones.

CC Campbell Rock – I think Pacifica should throw club parties, museum parties, and allow qualified non-profits, aligned with Pacifica goals, to underwrite portions of programming. I think Pacifica should launch an aggressive grants-writing campaign and get the AD Council to assist in the promotion of a donor and subscription drive.

Tracy Rosenberg – Fundraising is always hard. I’d try to find some mid-level premiums at the $35 or $50 rate. Most cost $75-100 and that’s depressing for people who can’t afford it. I’d try to facilitate some more corporate equipment donations. They can be gotten. Foundation fundraising is tricky for Pacifica – it tends not to be stable and to come with some strings, so my preference would be a membership model as is feasible. If possible, a few more benefits annually, might be helpful – It is our responsibility, I think, to keep our budget within the range the subscribers can basically pay for.

Gerald Sanders - KPFA could accept funds for special projects from organizations and individuals that are sympathetic to our Mission as long as there is NO STRINGS ATTACHED. If we meet the needs of the people that are looking for the truth in the Bay Area and beyond, they will take care of us. When our subscriptions are dropping we must take a serious look at what we are producing and how we are relating to our subscribers! KPFA must never become financially dependent on any corporation, government agency or small group of individuals. The LSB must be vigilant in protecting the listeners' money so it never again gets wasted/stolen by opportunists.

Sureya Sayadi - We need to tie Pacifica into the issues facing the people in the US. When 40,000-60,000 people go to Jena Louisiana Pacifica needs to be there Live and get the word out throughout the country that it will be covering these events. This and other opportunities must be seized on to build the audience. If we are on the heartbeat of this country we will get tremendous financial support but it means breaking from the routine and non-changing programming. Programmers need to be more flexible when big events like these happen to be able to give up that hour that day so an important event can be covered live. Also, to increase the Live News coverage in the community so those people with Death Penalty, school reform and anti-war will remember who was there for them, which leads to more membership. Lastly, to cover some important Panels and Talks at Bay area Universities, so Students get to know KPFA to increase more members,and talents, especially young members. Also, we need to Stop giving money to a KPFA member or staff who is pitching in or answering the phone because usually there are enough volunteers to do all that work and to save KPFA money, it is counter productive for example to give 5,000 dollars to a person who is pitching to fund raise!!

John Van Eyck - I believe we need to widen and deepen the listener base. We must try to do that by reflecting more varied cultures and interests. As we are successful at reaching more communities and interests we broaden our potential funding base and in turn our base for more Community Forums. Town hall meetings are mandated by the by-laws and need to be held.

Joe Wanzala - There are already a range of effective fundraising mechanisms in place. Some are more effective than others. As with question number 7, this question also has a problematic assumption built into it – namely that Pacifica 'must' raise more money. Obviously Pacifica, like any other entity needs money to thrive, but I think more attention needs to be paid to making sure that fundraising is based on a budgetary model that is geared toward maintaining and improving infrastructure and operations and ensuring the networks' long term viability – and that Pacifica remains listener-sponsored – alternative sources of funding should not undermine the importance of listener sponsors as shareholders. I think that there is a tendency for Pacifica to become more and more reliant on 'paid professionals' and less reliant on 'unpaid professionals' also known as volunteers. I am an advocate of the latter approach because it keeps Pacifica grounded in the communities it serves and helps to arrest the tendency, which afflicts an increasing number of non-profits to become more and more reliant on sources of money, e.g. large donors that decrease its connection and relevance to the communities it serves.

Jim Weber - Fund raising at KPFA, for example, is limited when with 100,000 listeners, only 30,000 are supporting members. If the existing 30,000 listener-members could be doubled to 60,000, the support needed by each individual member would be 50% less, making the fundraising easier, less painful, less desperate, and take less time.

Stan Woods - See Answer to question seven. Building our audience and making that audience really feel it’s their network could greatly increase our fundraising.

Steve Zeltzer - We need to tie Pacifica into the issues facing the people in the US. When 30,000 young people go to Jena, Pacifica needs to be there live and get the word out throughout the country that it will be covering these events. This and other opportunities must be seized on to build the audience. If we are on the heartbeat of this country we will get tremendous financial support but it means breaking from the routine and non-changing programming.

KPFA Staff candidates

Shahram Aghmir - The issue of more effective fundraising is directly linked to improving the quality of programming as well as understanding the change in demographics. My answer to question number 7 was an attempt to address this imperative as well.

Mary Berg - One priceless and essential source of vital, effective and creative ideas has consistently come from our listeners. We need to make much more use of this treasure of ideas and implement them more effectively.

Chris Brown - This would require a brainstorming session for me. I have never been gifted with raising money for things.

Brian Edwards-Tiekert - I think there's room for Pacifica to step up its major donor work network-wide. KPFA's Peace Awards are a good start—we should also be looking at smaller house-parties to develop relationships with donors. Although I think that, with grant fundraising, you have to be careful not to let your funders shape your priorities, there's room for KPFA to expand the now-minimal amount of money it's receiving from progressive foundations.

Jeannine Etter - Fundraising trainings. Seems as if the fund drives keep coming up and each show is on their own when coming up with ideas, resources and the like. There needs to be more mandatory meetings before the fund drives to explain our mission, goals, and sharing of ideas.

Mary Tilson – Yes.