How to Help Your Pledge Drive Volunteers

Some general tips of how to properly prepare your volunteers with plenty of reading material! Check it out:

A Successful Fundraising Drive

“Delmarva Public Radio. This is Michelle! May I take your pledge?”

Congratulations to Delmarva Public Radio for raising more than $95,000 during its fall membership drive “The Future is Now.” And all thanks to the listeners!

I was never sure what I wanted to do with my public relations degree when I began school because there were so many different career paths available. However, I know working with a non-profit organization is something I am overwhelming happy to say that I have been able to experience in my lifetime. Delmarva Public Radio is a “listener-supported” public radio station and Delmarva sure proved that during this last drive.

I’m happy to share with you some of my favorite aspects of the fall drive!

1.) The Volunteers: Sitting in the phone room waiting for listeners to call seems like one of the most boring jobs a person could be tasked to do. However, it was fantastic! I was able to meet and chat with listeners, members of the Community Players of Salisbury, Blackwell Library workers and employees for the Siedel School at SU. I established a relationship with several key members of the DPR community and can’t wait to work together in the future.

2.) The Listeners: If you thought sitting in the room sounded boring, imagine answering the phones and recording pledges for the drive. But you guessed it; it was just as great! All of the pledges I took came from loyal listeners or new members who were happy to share their favorite shows as well as how much they couldn’t live without our station. Several times they began their call with a small explanation of how they didn’t have much to give but they would be happy to contribute $30. And I was amazed. Someone who didn’t have much to give still put aside funds and had it in their heart to call and support the station. Speaking with those pledging was a humbling experience.

3.) Pitching: I’m an actress and a huge fan of public speaking so going on-air at the station sounded like an exciting opportunity.  But for the record, it’s terrifyingly exciting. Dead air is the one thing a radio station cannot have, so losing your train of thought or running out of things to say sounded like my worst nightmare. But it felt amazing. I went on to explain the drive hashtag and to encourage listeners to call in their pledges and speak to me. Pitching was a success!

I know working at a public radio station is something very specific and not something that everyone will be able to experience, but I feel great doing it. And I hope that each of you find your niche and have the opportunity to participate in something you enjoy as much as I did this.

The Importance of Swag

Two days to go!

Delmarva Public Radio’s fall membership drive begins on Thursday and there is nothing but hustle and bustle at the station. Especially in the membership department.

And today we learned a valuable lesson about the importance of swag.

Think about all the organizations on a university’s campus. Or the hundreds of charities that you could name off of the top of your head. Now, think of how many of them you learned about because you saw someone wearing a t-shirt with their logo on it.

That’s swag!

Delmarva Public Radio has lacked swag for quite a while. Sometimes the extra push to get listeners to donate to your cause is the promise of some free merchandise. The merchandise we received today just so happened to be bumper stickers! Check them out!

 

If you’re searching for swag to support your cause, here are some great suggestions:

1.) Pens: How many dentists have you discovered because of pens that got passed around?
2.) Lanyards: They’re not just for sports teams!
3.) Keychains: For some reason, no one can resist attaching just one more key chain to their link.
4.) Mugs: I bet if I tell you to picture your kitchen cabinet, you could name for me at least 4 or 5 cups and mugs that you got for free.

Bumper stickers, decals, stress balls, bags, flash drives, notepads…

There’s an entire world of promotional products out there. Go find your swag.