Benchmarks for Public Radio Fundraising

1
Benchmarks for Public Radio Fundraising

• 2004 2008
• PBMA 2009
• Doug Eichten, DEI President
• Stacey Stang, VP and CFO

2
Benchmarks

• Provides tools for evaluating fundraising.
• Allows meaningful comparison station-to-station
  because NET revenue is reported relative to
  AUDIENCE (Listener Hours)
• Arbitron data are merged with fundraising data.
• Shows your stations performance over time.
• Shows your stations potential to grow revenue.

3
Benchmarks Trends

• An apples-to-apples comparison
• 102 DEI member stations participated in 2008.
• 60 provided information consistently during the
  past five years.
• Trends are based on these 60 stations.

When all metrics for all stations are available
4
Benchmarks

• Community Financial Support Index (CFSI)
• Revenue vs.Total operating expense
• Minus the cost of fundraising
• Net operating revenue
• An index of 100 means the station is fully
  covering its costs through fundraising.

5
While the average CFSI has shown some improvement
in the past five years
Benchmarks
6
only 10 percent of 2008 participants achieve a
100 index. This is 10 of 102 stations. The
median CFSI is 60.
Benchmarks
100 index
7

Benchmarks
8
Benchmarks

• Two important Benchmarks
• The Median
• 90th Percentile Potential or goal
• Did stations raise the bar in 2008 compared
  with 2007?

9
Net Revenue per Listener Hour for Member /
Mid- Level Giving ()DEI Benchmarks FY 2008 (All
Peer)
Benchmarks
Net Revenue per Listener Hour for
Member/Mid-Level Giving ()
10
Benchmarks
11
Benchmarks
Comparing Net Membership Revenue, Members and
Listener Hours Net Change since 2004 ()
12
Benchmarks
13
Net Revenue per Listener Hour for Member /
Mid- Level Giving ()DEI Benchmarks FY 2008 (All
Peer)
Benchmarks
Net Revenue per Listener Hour for Underwriting ()
14
Benchmarks
15
Benchmarks
Comparing Net Underwriting Revenue, Underwriters
and Listener Hours Net Change from 2004 ()
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Benchmarks

• Did stations raise the bar in 2008?

comparing same station subset year to year
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FY 09 Underwriting Preview

• Major markets down 11 of 15 stations we track
  report 09 revenue down from 08 4 are down more
  than 15 percent.
• Of 38 reporting from all markets
• 66 down or flat
• 63 expect to be down or flat in FY 10

18
FY09 Membership / Mid-level Preview

• 33 Stations completed DEIs Spring 2009
• Individual Giving Revenue Survey
• Membership revenue to date up at 62 percent of
  stations, flat at 19 percent
• Spring Pledge Drive Revenue up at 59 percent,
  flat at 16 percent
• Givers up at 72 percent of these stations

19
FY10 Membership / Mid-level Preview

• 52 percent of these stations anticipate
  increasing their membership/mid-level giving
  revenue next year.
• 45 percent anticipate membership/mid-level giving
  revenue being flat next year.

20
What you should do when you get home

• Determine how your station compares with the data
  in this analysis.
• Review your Benchmarks Trend Report to learn if
  you are improving over time.
• Review your Benchmarks Peer Report to see where
  your station stands.
• Set goals
• Strive for the median if below.
• Strive for the 90th percentile or an interim
  goal.
• Talk with your Benchmarks Peers.

21
Questions

• Jay Clayton
• jclayton_at_DEIWorksite.org
• Stacey Stang
• sstang_at_DEIWorksite.org
• Craig Oliver
• coliver_at_DEIWorksite.org
• Marlene Schneider
• mschneider_at_DEIWorksite.org

Listener Hours Source Arbitron/RRC, Persons 12,
Mon-Sun 24 Hrs