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A Roller Coaster Pledge Drive

The Spring Pledge Drive: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LOYAL SUPPPORT OF WCPE. During economic times that have challenged both individuals and organizations alike, it is an absolute affirmation that you chose to join with other listeners and help WCPE exceed the highest amount ever raised in a single drive—by several thousand dollars!

With that said, during this drive we had to reach higher than ever before. For the past two years our station’s bi-annual pledge drive goals remained set at $650,000. This spring, we raised the bar to $700,000 to cover some significant increased costs of operation.

You helped us pull in just over $653,000. That leaves the station with approximately $47,000 yet to raise during the spring quarter. Additional donations continue to arrive even as I write this letter to you. I’m hopeful that we’ll reach that mark by the end of April, a short time after this issue of Quarter Notes goes to press.

Trying to schedule a spring fundraiser around Easter, tax time, the NCAA basketball tournament and a spring break for local public schools resulted in what felt, at times, like a pledge drive roller coaster! While the phones periodically fell silent early on, they began to ring in a steady chorus by the final days of the drive. Announcers and listeners together were key in maintaining our forward momentum. Your continuing donations, even with a slowing economy, stand as a tribute to this station we’ve built together. Within a few weeks I hope WCPE will be perfectly positioned to meet, even exceed, your expectations over the months to come.

Looking Ahead:

Our next target for fundraising will be to catch up and reach the halfway point of our annual budget— $1,125,000—by the end of August. This summer we’ll do our best to make the goal “silently”—entirely through the mail and at TheClassicalStation.org—so that we can continue to avoid an over-the-air summertime fund drive. Throughout the station’s thirty years, we’ve succeeded in keeping summertime “silent.”

Make New Friends… Is there someone you know who would enjoy what you’ve come to love? Tell friends about the music you’ve discovered. Send them information that helps them find WCPE: in central NC at 89.7 FM, online at TheClassicalStation.org, by way of affiliate stations and mini-transmitters that rebroadcast the Great Classical Music across our state and nation. Find more information at WCPE’s website, TheClassicalStation.org. Or, just call (919)556-5178 and tell us where to send the information—we’re glad to help. Would one of your friends enjoy a complimentary issue of WCPE’s member magazine, Quarter Notes? Give us a call, and we’ll send out a copy today.

…But Keep The Old: During the spring pledge drive we heard from a number of old friends (or past donors) who, after checking tax and/or bank records, realized it had been over a year since they’d made their last donation to WCPE. As a result, their WCPE membership had lapsed. Perhaps you know someone in this position. Make an effort to find out if your friends are still listening to, and supporting, WCPE. Remind everyone that 89.7 FM is still the only station offering classical music in our area and that it needs to hear from everyone who listens!

Thank you so much for “being there” for WCPE. We offer double thanks when you take that extra step in encouraging others to do the same. Together we’ll continue to achieve great things for Great Classical Music.

Deborah S. Proctor
General Manager