Dear Friends,
As I was out and about this morning, I was surprised by how chilly the wind was. Since coming to TPR after my stint at NPR in Washington, D.C., I’ve gotten spoiled to how warm it is here. And it’s not just the weather that’s warm – the people here are amazingly warm and welcoming. And the opportunity to connect with the people who care about TPR and appreciate what it brings into their lives is what makes me (dare I say it?) enjoy our pledge drives.
At the close of each pledge drive, TPR staff and volunteers sit together for a while and marvel at the small miracle that has just occurred. We let folks know what is required to ensure we can keep providing the quality programming that they enjoy, and ask for their support. And they provide that support, not only voluntarily, but joyfully. How wonderful is that? Frequently, those calling in pledges or making pledges online share with us what TPR means to them and their family. Here is just a small sampling of the comments we’ve received:
“Thank you for providing a station worth listening to.”
“I absolutely love TPR. I’m addicted. You tell me everything I need to know, plus things I didn’t know I needed to know.”
“Thank you seems rather insufficient to communicate my appreciation for all you bring to the community . . .. Blessings to you all.”
“My father conducted a symphony orchestra. Unfortunately, he is gone now, but you help me teach my son what my father is no longer able to teach him.”
“I grew up listening to TPR in the back seat of the car. Now I share it with my kids and we enjoy discussing the stories we’ve heard.”
“Thanks for inspiring, calming and uplifting music!”
“Your programming enriches my life. Thank you.”
Comments like these, the volunteers who take time to come in and help, the excitement that builds as a challenge comes near to being met, the opportunity to personally affirm our commitment to keep bringing you the very best in news, views and entertainment – there are a lot of good things about pledge drives. Still, we want to keep the interruptions to the programming you love to a minimum. To do that, we have adopted a practice of trying to raise as much of what is required as possible before we launch the traditional on-air drive. We do this with on-air messages in the usual programming breaks, as well as letters, emails and messages on social media. Your responses to these efforts have been great, and have made it possible for us to substantially shorten our two most recent on-air drives.
We’ll begin our spring pledge efforts on Monday, March 28, without program interruptions. If we make our goal by Friday, April 8, there won’t be a need for any interruptions! If there are still dollars that need to be raised, we’ll start our on-air drive that morning. This time around, we’re asking you to “Do It Now!,” because renewing your membership or making an additional pledge really is that easy. No matter what else you are doing … cooking dinner, playing tennis, walking the dog, reading to the kids … it takes just a moment on your smart phone or tablet to make your pledge to TPR.
We’d love it if you would encourage others to “Do It Now!” and help alleviate the need for programming interruptions. You can do that by calling 210-801-8246 and recording a brief message. We may use your witty, poignant or otherwise persuasive message on the air! We also invite you to submit a photo showing what you were doing when you paused to make your pledge. Please send your photos to susan@tpr.org. We’ve received some really fun ones already. Watch for them on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds.
Thank you for all you do. Together, we ensure that our community has top-quality news, information and entertainment, and a forum for civil dialogue. Your support has never been more important.
Warm regards,
joyce