The news about COVID-19 changes by the hour.  For those who are mounting spring pledge drives, we need to stay nimble and, as necessary, pivot to fit the needs of the listener by putting news first.

Clearly, ‘business as usual’ isn’t an option, but the business of fundraising can still be done as long as we do what do the other 340 days of the year: be truly listener-focused.  As more schools shut down and switch to online learning, as more workers are asked to telecommute, there will be more at-home listening and a greater need to stay informed on an hourly basis. In short, a greater opportunity to demonstrate your station’s public service commitment.

Eight more things to consider about COVID-19 and Pledge:

1.     NEWS: Be ‘news responsive.’  Avoid pitching over coronavirus stories and time-shift your pledge breaks as necessary; forward-promote updates to stories being covered during the program in every break.  In times of crisis, manmade or natural disasters, listeners reward stations that put the News first

2.     NEWS: If you produce pledge breaks, take a walk outside the studio a couple of times each hour and listen the way a listener does; make adjustments in tone, length of individual pitches (pace), and energy.  It’s a lot easier to pay attention to the pitching when you’re out of the studio.

3.     NEWS: Just as local & NPR news teams use concise language, keep fundraising pitches concise and carefully-worded.  Bullet points are helpful.  So is scripting.  If your team is used to ‘winging it,’ don’t

4.     MUSIC: Stress importance of the impact coronavirus is having on arts organizations, (especially if concerts are canceled, crowd sizes are reduced, and artists are adversely affected)---and how your station is supportive of those organizations year-round.  Perhaps even pitch the idea of making a gift to the station in honor of their favorite arts organization, composer or artist; give them a shout-out.

5.     MUSIC: Some musicians, such as Yo-Yo Ma, are providing ‘remote’ musical experiences (such as live webcasts) to bring music into people’s lives, as an opportunity to connect with the community.  If your team can post those performances to social media, you should   

6.     MUSIC: Stay positive, respect the listener’s time & state of mind, ask listeners for comments to read on air as they pledge to help bolster a sense of community and fellowship.  Don’t be afraid to swap out social media posts originally scheduled to feature artists with updates on LOCAL coverage of the coronavirus

7.     ALL: You may need to pivot from transactional or promotional approaches (such as leading with premiums, daily specials, and drawings) subordinating them in pitch breaks or saving them for another pledge drive, in order to responsibly resonate with the emotional needs of the listener

8.     ALL: Ticket offers, travel package drawings and passes to sporting events may not be a good idea right now, as venues cancel events and possibly more travel bans go into effect.  Even if the concert isn’t happening until December, we don’t want to appear tone deaf in the face of ever-changing news about the coronavirus.

9.     ALL: Given the need for ‘social distancing,’ it’s possible that the canceling of station events, visits with major donors, board member meetings, and reductions in staffing for non-essential personnel (including pledge drive phone volunteers) will negatively impact fundraising.  That is another important reason why on-air pledge & digital fundraising are so vital and may mitigate some of the fundraising obstacles. Switch over to a call service to take incoming pledge calls.  It’s a viable solution if you can do it.

10.  ALL: If you work at a university licensee, chances are that your station will be asked to reduce staffing and possibly suspend your drive. On-air interstitial messages asking for support during the suspension of the drive should be scheduled several times each hour. Let the listener know you’ve suspended your drive and why. Remind them of the ongoing importance of listener support to cover breaking news.           

Stay tuned as we provide guidance on managing fundraising messaging and planning that will help stations connect with listeners during a fluid news cycle.