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Friday, November 14th, 2008
Dear Friends of WCPE,
I would like to begin this newsletter by welcoming all the new Members of the WCPE Family. Thank you for choosing to support our mission of Sharing Great Classical Music! We send out these newsletters in the spring, in the summer, in the fall, and at the end of the year, to keep you informed about what is going on at your radio station. And, in just a few weeks, we will be sending out our 2008 Report To Members, which includes a financial snapshot of 2008 and a look ahead to 2009. We hope you will find these to be interesting and informative.
Paul in Raleigh wrote to me: "Your newsletters are always informative about what's
Going on. I feel you share far more about WCPE with listeners than other public
radio stations. I feel a sense of ownership that I never felt with other stations."
Next, I would like to thank all of you who decided to renew your Membership with WCPE. Everything we do for the worldwide community of classical music lovers is made possible thanks to the continued support of all of our Members.
I am sure you are wondering about Fall Festival 2008, how much we raised, and how that amount fits into the total that we had sketched out at the beginning of the year. Our budget for 2008 was set at $2.25 million. We had planned to raise $700,000 of that through the spring, $425,000 more in the summer, $700,000 more in the fall, and the remaining $425,000 during the End of the Tax Year mailout Campaign. Through most of the year we were able to stay close to, but never above, our budgeted levels. So, as the year progressed, we began to fall behind.
When we were making our final preparations for Fall Festival 2008, it became obvious that the $700,000 target that we had talked about earlier in the year was just too high given the state of the economy. We elected to reduce that fall goal to $600,000.
Thanks to You, we reached that downsized goal with a few Hundred Dollars extra.
However, just because we reduced the target for Fall Festival 2008 by $100,000 to $600,000, that doesn't mean we don't have to raise those extra dollars if we are to continue to provide you with the quality programming and quality service you have come to expect from us.
In the past you have demonstrated your financial support and your concern for our financial and operational stability. You stood up and played your part. Now, we're asking you to come through for us one more time this year. You can help make up that difference. You can help to ensure that all the Great Classical Music programming you enjoy will continue, by sending in your tax deductible contribution now, while this letter and the reply card are close at hand.
Throughout our 30 years of broadcasting Great Classical Music, we have received many cards and letters from Listeners and Members telling us how much they appreciate our programming, and how much they have learned from our live announcers and our web site, TheClassicalStation.org.
Sharon from Clayton, NC said it quite well - "On my daily commute to Raleigh and
RTP from Clayton, WCPE is my constant companion. The music gives me some
peace and tranquility, whether I'm trying to keep up with the frenetic pace of traffic
or if I'm backed up on I-40. Through the years I've enjoyed the music and learned
countless facts about composers and compositions through the expert comments of
David, Terry, Deana, William, Larry, and the others. Thank you WCPE for bringing
beautiful moments to my daily routine and enriching my life."
All of our WCPE Donors get great satisfaction from knowing that we have made the lives
of our Listeners and Members a bit better by what we do here every day. And, we hope that you
do, too. It is your tax deductible contributions that make our programming and our web site possible.
It may seem difficult to assign a monetary value to something so special as our Great Classical Music programming and the beauty, solace and relaxation it provides. How do you put a price on the companionship and dependability that WCPE and our live, informed announcers bring you every day? Perhaps you should consider how much you spend for your monthly cable TV bill, or how much you spend to go out to a movie, or how much you spend to go out to dinner. I think you will agree that WCPE plays an important part in your life and is worthy of your generous support!
WCPE is 100% Listener Supported.
We do not receive funds from any university or government agency. And, we do not use professional fundraising solicitors.
Have you ever thought to yourself or told a friend "I really love what WCPE and the music they play does for me?" Have you ever said to yourself "I really want others to enjoy classical music as much as I do?" Have you ever had one of those "driveway moments" when you were listening in the car and just couldn't step out of the car until some wonderful piece of music was finished? You remember why you sent your first contribution to WCPE, and please consider that now is a great time to send in your next donation!
Russell of Graham, NC, painted a picture with his words when he wrote to us this spring.
I can identify with him and I am sure that many of you can, too:
"I just want to tell you how much I enjoy the 5:30 waltz. That is usually the time I
am driving home from work and it brightens the end of my day. I turn the volume
up and it seems as though all the cars are doing the waltz on the road - moving
together and apart - all in rhythm. The only problem is that I have to keep my
hands on the steering wheel because too often I want to be the conductor and
direct the orchestra! Thank you for making my drive time more pleasant."
When you first found WCPE, either on the air, on one of our affiliate stations, on a cable TV channel, on satellite, or at TheClassicalStation.org, we were there because the people who had found WCPE before you made their pledge of support. Now you can help ensure that WCPE is there the next time someone, perhaps someone who is new to the music many of us have appreciated for years, or it could be a long time member of the community of classical music lovers, discovers WCPE or TheClassicalStation.org.
Please don't think that the contribution you can make might be too small to make a difference. There will be many others donating similar amounts and all of your gifts will join together to ensure that WCPE continues to be as dependable and reliable and financially stable as we have been in the past.
Lydia is one of many Listeners and Members who have written in to tell us how much that reliability and dependability means to her because WCPE plays Great Classical Music 24 hours a day, all day, every day:
"I live in California. My brother in North Carolina told me about you several years
ago and we have become frequent listeners. The most important thing I value
about WCPE is that it is available anytime I want to listen."
A Few Words about two of our Thank You Gifts.
I don't usually talk about our Thank You Gifts in these newsletters. However, this time I want to call your attention to two items that we are really excited about -– a 3 CD set of Listener Favorites and a Classical Music Encyclopedia.
As part of the celebration of our 30 years of broadcasting, we decided to create a set of CDs containing selections chosen by our listeners. We reviewed the records of our Saturday Evening Request Program and our All Request Friday programs and asked you to write in with your suggestions. When we went over the results, there was too much great music to fit on 2 CDs so we went with a 3 CD set! Thus, A String of Pearls was born. I am sure that you will enjoy it. And, it's a wonderful way to introduce a friend, neighbor or relative to the music we all love, too. It's available for a donation of $100.
The other item I want to mention is the Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music. At almost 1000 pages, it is full of information about composers, performers, venues, the history of classical music and much more. This too is another wonderful way to introduce someone to classical music. It is also available for a donation of $100.
Natalie of Raleigh is one of many parents who have written in recently to tell us how our Great Classical Music programming and the information at our web site, TheClassicalStation.org, is helping them introduce the next generation of classical music lovers to this beautiful art form.
She said that she appreciated "being able to expose my 5 children to this wonderful classical music as part of their educational experience". The Listeners Encyclopedia of Classical Music is a great educational resource.
If you can't decide which of these to select, you can choose any two of the $100 items
listed in our Thank You Gift flyer for a donation of $150! The Thank You Gift page
of our web site, http://TheClassicalStation.org/premiums.shtml, includes color pictures
of all the items, plus track listings of all of the CDs.
During Fall Festival 2008 we told you about our mission to Share Great Classical Music. We talked about the wonderful, glorious, beautiful music we play every day and that we have been doing this for 30 years! We read letters that listeners have sent to us saying how much our programming means to them. We talked about Quarter Notes, our Member Magazine. We told everyone about our web site, TheClassicalStation.org, and all the educational and entertaining information there. We talked about the other Thank You Gifts besides A String of Pearls and the Listeners Encyclopedia. We made sure to mention that we are 100% Listener Supported. And, we made sure that we talked about our budget and the need to raise $600,000 through Fall Festival 2008 and another $425,000 through the End of The Tax Year mailout campaign.
Will you decide to make one last 2008 gift to WCPE? Think about the hours of enjoyment you get. Put a value on that and we are sure that you will decide to include WCPE in your charitable budget. Everything we do comes from you, other listeners, and business supporters who appreciate WCPE's Great Classical Music.
We still need to make up that $100,000, plus meet the End of the Tax Year goal of $425,000. It's up to you. You've always come through for us in the past. We have confidence that you will come through for us now. Thank you for considering your additional end of the year support of WCPE.
We appreciate all the cards and letters you have sent congratulating us on our 30 Years of Sharing Great Classical Music. And, we thank you for everything you have done to support us for these 30 years!
Sincerely,
Deborah S. Proctor
General Manager
P.S. Don't let a few days make a year's difference! Cut your taxes today and keep WCPE's Great Classical Music playing loud and clear by mailing your gift right now, while you've got the WCPE return envelope and reply card handy. Your support is very important, and will ensure we can maintain the quality you've come to expect from WCPE.
Don't forget to look at the Thank You Gifts that are available. If you would like more information than we could fit in the flyer we enclosed, The Thank You Gift page of our web site, , includes details and color pictures of all the items. And remember -- Everything you do adds together with other Listeners gifts to bring you Great Classical Music 24 hours a day!
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