Best practices in noncommercial radio fundraising: a practitioner perspective

• This study uses in-depth qualitative interviews with radio professionals in the United States to identify best practices for noncommercial radio fundraising. Most noncommercial stations use on-air pledge drives to solicit donations from listeners, and this is a major source of revenue for these stations. The interview data are analyzed using the constant comparative method. Findings indicate that radio professionals use a variety of fundraising appeals to reach listeners with different motivations for donating. These fundraising appeals have three dimensions: altruism/self-interest, rational/emotional, and reinforcement/trigger. The data also indicate that noncommercial stations try to foster relationships with their listeners and donors. These relationships are managed through direct communication and through mass communication, which produces parasocial interaction.

Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.