What’s Working in Fundraising Right Now?
It’s fundraising season for many Christian radio stations, so we wanted to check in and see how things are going. What are stations seeing from donors? What seems to be working? And what can we learn from each other?
We asked a few leaders in Christian radio to share what they’re seeing. Here’s what they had to say…
“The Fall Fundraiser starts this week and our leadup has been solid so far, trending ahead of the 25 Fall Fundraiser pre-drive. For fiscal 27, (Started July 1) overall we are up in revenue from the previous year, but actual ministry partners are down slightly from this point in fiscal 26. Really, that’s no surprise for general giving across most organizations and of course in the industry, for years it’s been less people giving more money. Still, given the economic situation that has changed from a year ago and fear and confusion that is rampant in this world, to be up at all at this point is a tremendous blessing from God! We continue to ramp up storytelling, especially for all the “value added” parts of the ministry above and beyond radio. It proves once again that even in tough economic times, people WILL support an organization that supports them through that tough situation. In other words, people will sacrifice and reach out to help ministries to make sure they (and others) can easily reach for God.” – John Brock, Senior Fundraising Strategist (Intentional Living Ministries / Family Life Radio)
“We kicked off a great season last week. The station we were serving raised more during their own air event than they have in the previous three years, despite a crazy economy and high gas prices and also despite it being the anniversary of the killing of Charlie Kirk and 911. Sharing about the Ministry Impact is obviously key to people engaging. But the two things we are seeing that seems to be new are these: (1) Simplify the ask. Tell people what you need, why, and ask for it. (2) This seems to be a very important one. Have fun! Many people commented that it sounded like we were having a great time and they wanted to be a part of the excitement.” – Jack Eason, President (Heart Share)
“There are lots of mechanics to consider in fundraising, but we’ve found that when we communicate our love and joy for the mission of sharing Jesus, the invitation to support it feels less like an ask and more like an opportunity to belong and participate in something they deeply believe in. People want to know they’re contributing to something meaningful and helping make a real difference. They want to be a part of something that matters.” – Suzanne Happs, Sr. Director, Media Ministries (Northwestern Media)
“It turns out the stations seeing the strongest fundraising results aren’t relying on earth-shattering programming insights… just a few shared habits that keep proving themselves. First, they champion a mission that listeners actually want to join. The wording may change from station to station, but the heartbeat is the same: when people believe in what you’re trying to do, they naturally want to help you do more of it. Second, they don’t treat fundraising like a once‑or‑twice‑a‑year “on‑air event,” but as something that can happen anytime. That shift alone opens the door for more listeners to give on their terms instead of ours. Third, they make the impact unmistakably clear. When a station shows donors exactly what their gift accomplishes, the donor suddenly sees where they fit in the mission. And once they see that, every on‑air story becomes a little window into the return on their investment, a reminder that God is using their station to do something with eternal weight” – Jon Hull, Consultant, Audience Growth (Finney Media)
“It’s challenging, no doubt because of the economy and other issues, however, people are stepping up and helping to meet the goals. Stations that are connecting with your audience still have their audience wanting to give. I’m personally looking forward to a phenomenal fundraising season.” – Bill Scott, Chief Client Officer (Vidare Creative)
“The Bridge launched a special fundraising campaign this year in celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary. This campaign was about more than giving. We invited our Bridge family to help grow the ministry by introducing new listeners to The Bridge and sharing stories of how God has used The Bridge to make an impact in their lives. We were blessed to exceed our financial goal and incredibly encouraged by the response. We are grateful to see our Bridge family come together to help expand the reach and impact of this ministry. – Jeff Twilley, President/General Manager (The Bridge)
