Please Print or Write Legibly
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Your name
Your station and location
What do you need most for your station?
How do you currently fund your station?
– (college funded, underwriting, pledge drive?)
Pledge Drive vs. Institutional Funding
• You’re not competing against other programs or
projects.
• Administrators are grateful to be relieved of
making hard choices.
Pledge Drive vs. Underwriting
• Fund raising becomes a shared
responsibility, not just one person’s.
• Minimal production and scheduling
• No proof of performance
• Potential underwriters call you!
Why a Pledge Drive?
• Colleges are strapped for money
• Your station could be costing your
institution a lot of money.
• Radio licenses are still a valuable financial
asset (i.e. marketable).
Why a Pledge Drive?
If your station isn’t part of the
solution,
Then it’s part of the problem.
What You Need
• A telephone
• A computer
• A simple accounting database software
– Peachtree Accounting
– Quickbooks
What You Need
The Will To Do It.
The Pledge Drive
Timeline
Making It Happen
As far In Advance As Possible
* If it does not exist already,
establish a separate
account number for
funds specifically for the station.
Money must be earmarked for the station, not for
“general funds.”
* This is an FCC Guideline
As far In Advance As Possible
• Work with the college IT department to
establish an on-line giving website.
• You must have a method to take credit
card pledges
As far In Advance As Possible
• Decide on a “theme”
for the Pledge Drive.
• Decide on a specific
use for the money
that you’ll convey to
your listeners.
As far In Advance As Possible
• Establish a list of stations, with addresses,
emails, telephone numbers and fax
numbers in your area.
• A state broadcasting directory is a good
start but also use the web and phone
book. Connect with friends and former
students at the station.
Six Weeks Prior to the Drive
• Finalize T-shirt design and cap design. Visit
vendor to check on item.
• Vendor must have examples of work on site, do
not view and select from catalogs. If quality is
unacceptable, go out for bids on items.
• Specify shirt brand, color, one ink, two inks, etc.
• Make sure they have photoshop and can receive
designs over the web.
Six Weeks Prior to the Drive
• Check to make sure lots of
bumperstickers, paper, toner and
envelopes are on hand.
• Your software package will specify an
window envelope size. You will also need
1000 small security envelopes for
enclosure for remittances.
One Month Prior to the Drive
• Finalize a “Pick-Up-And-Pay” Party
location and time.
• Include this information on your
customized Peachtree Accounting or
Quickbooks invoice.
• Put your graphic logo on the invoice
template
One Month Prior to the Drive
• Print letters and information sheets to
businesses asking for donations.
• Begin airing “Appeals to Businesses” for
donations of gift certificates to be used as
premiums.
• DJ’s should begin personally contacting
businesses for gift certificates.
Three Weeks Prior to Drive
• Send first letters/fax/email to all local radio
and TV stations, asking
• for guest DJ’s.
• Don’t forget the college
dignitaries - Chairperson,
Dean, President.
Three Weeks Prior to Drive
• Send memo to authorities requesting
special parking areas be set aside for
guests.
• Coordinate with your campus TV station
Three Weeks Prior to Drive
• Ask campus restaurants to supply food for
the staff and volunteers during the drive.
Two weeks Prior to the Drive
• Arrange for extra telephone lines and
handsets to be set up in work area.
• Establish a Pledge Drive Phone number,
usually your request line.
• Do not answer the request line during the
Drive
Two Weeks Prior to Drive
• Send a second letter/Fax to local stations,
asking for guest DJ’s.
• Prepare a detailed script for the people
who will answer the telephone. If you are
taking pledges on paper, write “Print
Clearly” on it a million times.
Two Weeks Prior to Drive
• Write and record several generic “Pledge
Drive Drops” asking for pledges to air
during Pledge Drive Week.
Two Weeks Prior to Drive
• Work the PR angle. Notify the local paper,
college newspaper, local stations, and the
Public Information Office at your
institution.
• Establish a sign-up sheet for your DJ’s to
sign up for time to answer the phone. The
rule of thumb is three hours of telephone
answering for each hour on the air.
One Week Prior to Drive
• Get telephone confirmation of Guest DJ
times.
• Send confirmation emails, including maps
to the station, to guest DJ’s.
• Enter premium items in data base.
• Label premiums.
Pledge
Drive!
Fun and Chaos! Be flexible and enjoy the
ride
Take pictures of your guests and post them
on your website or use for publicity.
Use Twitter and Facebook.
Ask Special Guests to record appeals. Have
a script outline ready.
Keep a daily total of pledges received,
announce, and post it.
Pledge Drive!
• Announce the name of everyone who
pledges on the air.
• You cannot thank people enough!
• They love hearing their name on the air!
Week One and Two after the
Drive
• Arrange for extra staff hours to be around
to distribute premiums.
• Send thank-you letters to all the guest
DJ’s. Tell them the total pledge amount.
Three Weeks After the Drive
• Arrange a work day to have staff mail the
“Reminder” letters, and to make follow-up
phone calls for “Returned, wrong
address” letters.
Four Weeks After the Drive
• Hold the “Pick up and Pay” Party
Six Weeks After the Drive
• Submit final tally and/or donation sheets to
the institution’s financial office.
• Announce total return.
Non-Monetary Benefits
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Builds station teamwork
Connects you to your listeners
Provides “Ratings” without paying for Arbitrons
Positive publicity for the station
Live, spontaneous programming!
John Onderdonk
KSYM-FM
San Antonio College
jonderdonk@alamo.edu