Over 80% of our operating revenue comes from the financial support of our local community.
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Budgeted Operating Revenue for Fiscal Year 2012
As you can see from the graph above, over 80% of our operating revenue comes from the financial support of our local community. We do not receive funding for operations* from state or local government, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting covers only 6% of our operating revenue. Put simply, your contributions make a big difference.
* Nashville Public Radio's locally produced music program "Performances from Studio C" received a grant of $6,100 for FY12 from the Tennessee Arts Commission.
Budgeted Operating Expenses for Fiscal Year 2012
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We've rounded up some common questions our members have about the nuts and bolts of Nashville Public Radio membership
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Q: Why should I become a Nashville Public Radio member?
A: Nashville Public Radio is an independent, community licensed public radio station providing Middle Tennesseans with access to the very best classical music, NPR news and talk, local traffic and weather, and much more. As you’ve certainly noticed, your radio picks it up for free. However, it simply would not exist without the support of our members. Nashville Public Radio members have the satisfaction of knowing that they are among those in our community who make all the difference in bringing the programming they value to radios all across our listening area!
Q: I made a contribution to Nashville Public Radio recently, yet I have received a renewal notice indicating that my membership has expired. How can I be sure that my last gift was received and that it was credited as my membership renewal?
A: If you made your gift within the week before you received the renewal notice, it is likely that your gift and our letter simply crossed in the mail. You should not receive a renewal notice the next month.
Many of Nashville Public Radio’s supporters choose to make contributions throughout the year, above and beyond their annual membership gifts. If you make a gift during your membership year¬ in response to a special campaign letter, your contribution may be read by our database as an additional gift and not change your membership date. If there was a miscommunication and you intended this gift to be your membership renewal, please contact our membership department at (615) 760-2020 or online here. We can easily change the renewal date of your membership to reflect the date of your most recent gift.
Q: I made a pledge but have not received the thank you gift I requested. When can I expect to receive it and how can I confirm that it’s on its way?
A: It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks after your contribution is received for thank you gifts to be mailed out. During this period, orders are placed with our various suppliers, and thank you gifts are manufactured and shipped to the station, where we mail them out as soon as possible.
Thank you gifts are only sent to members once their pledges have been at least partially fulfilled. If you feel that you should have received your thank you gift by now and would like to check the status, please contact our membership department at (615) 760-2020 or online here.
Q: I renewed my membership or made an additional gift and did not ask for a thank you gift. I have since decided that there’s one I’d like to receive. Am I still eligible to receive a thank you gift and how do I go about requesting it?
A: If you have made a contribution to Nashville Public Radio in the last year and did not request a thank you gift at that time, you are welcome to choose one that corresponds to the level of your gift. You can view all of the thank you gifts available on our site. Please contact our membership department at (615) 760-2020 or online here to request a thank you gift for a contribution made within the last year.
Q: Is my contribution tax-deductible?
A: Contributions to Nashville Public Radio are tax-deductible, minus the fair market value of any thank you gifts you requested. Information regarding the tax-deductibility of your contribution should appear on the thank you letter you received after you made your pledge. If you do not have this information, please contact our membership department at (615) 760-2020 or online here.
Q: I’m interested in making my membership contribution in manageable, monthly payments rather than in one lump sum. Can I do this?
A: Over 2,000 Nashville Public Radio members have chosen to enjoy the convenience of being sustaining members, giving a specified amount each month via automatic bank draft or credit card draft. All you have to do is fill out our authorization form (download form here), indicate your pledge amount, and send it back to us with a voided check or credit card account information. We will then activate a monthly draft of your account that will continue until you ask us to stop it.
Sustaining members are an important source of support for Nashville Public Radio, bringing in close to $250,000 annually. Our sustaining members are eligible for the same benefits as other members. The only difference is that they don’t have to remember to make a pledge. If you’d like to become a sustaining member, please contact our membership department at (615) 760-2020 or online here.
Q: How do I find out if my company will match my donation to Nashville Public Radio?
A: Click here to visit a searchable database of companies with matching gift programs. You can also visit your human resources department to find out if your company matches contributions to public radio stations.
Most companies with matching gift programs have a form that the donor must fill out and mail to the station, in order to confirm receipt of your gift. We will take care of getting the form back to your employer to facilitate processing of their contribution.
We appreciate you taking the time and effort to submit the appropriate forms that allow your support to be doubled (and sometimes tripled).
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By making an annual contribution of $1,000 or more, Producers' Circle Members provide a substantial source of funding that helps Nashville Public Radio provide quality news and public affairs coverage, unique cultural programming and classical music to all of Middle-Tennessee.
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The WPLN Producers' Circle is a growing group of generous individuals and families committed to the health and future of Nashville Public Radio. Producers' Circle members are avid WPLN listeners whose lives have been touched by public radio's programming and who make extraordinary gifts so others may enjoy the same benefits, now and into the future.
Producers' Circle members share many qualities, including a dedication to the quality of life in our community and a commitment to excellence. We are honored by the confidence they place in WPLN by giving their financial support.
For More Information about the Producers' Circle:
Please call or email the Director of Philanthropy, Donna Robinson, at (615)760-2021 or donna@wpln.org.
Click here for donor recognition levels and other details.
Did you know that many companies will match gifts made to Nashville Public Radio made by employees and retirees? Find out if your company has a matching gift policy.
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If your company is eligible, request a matching gift form from your employer, and send it completed and signed with your gift. We will do the rest. The impact of your gift to Nashville Public Radio may be doubled or possibly tripled! Some companies match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses. Follow this link to a matching company database search tool. Search for your company to find out if it has a program and how to participate.
Remembering WPLN in your will provides a lasting legacy; it’s a profound act of generosity that will affect thousands of others for years to come.
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It's an affirmation of your life, and the things that were important to you. The rewards go far beyond the tax savings that can result from your gift. You'll experience the personal and emotional rewards of helping to insure the future of quality public broadcasting in our community and all around Middle Tennessee.
For more than 30 years, WPLN has been broadcasting quality news, cultural features and classical music, and providing sustenance to the spirits and minds of listeners all over Middle Tennessee and into Kentucky. The message you send with a planned gift to Nashville Public Radio will be heard for generations.
"Thoughtful WPLN listeners who make special gifts to the station through their will or a trust help assure the long-term future of public radio in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. I hope you'll consider Nashville Public Radio in your will or estate plan." -President and General Manager Rob Gordon
For more information, contact Rob Gordon, President and General Manager at
(615) 760-2903 ext. 222 or rgordon@wpln.org.
More on Planned Giving
Need to change your address? Have a question about your membership or a thank you gift? This is the place.
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