HOUSTON, TX– Houston Public Media today provided a fundraising update on its Resiliency Fund, launched seven months ago in response to the loss of federal funding due to government rescission.
To date, the multi-platform public media organization has raised $3.2 million toward its $4.4 million goal, showing strong community support for the nonprofit. Recent Resiliency Fund donations include a generous gift from Texas-based grocery retailer, H-E-B.
The Resiliency Fund aims to offset funding losses and support the station in continuing to offer access to trusted journalism, educational programming and essential public services for households across Greater Houston.
“I am proud of the way our organization has responded to the challenges presented by the rescission and I know we have all been energized by the response of the community,” said Josh Adams, associate vice president and general manager of Houston Public Media. “As we continue to grow and adapt, I am confident we will emerge from this moment stronger than ever, knowing that the community relies on us for news and programming that they value.”
Adams noted more than 1,100 new donors have given to the Resiliency Fund, representing about 25% of all fund donors since its launch. “This response tells us that listeners and viewers were prompted to act because they want to ensure that Houston Public Media has a strong future,” he added.
“We are so grateful for the outpouring of support,” said Lynne Cook, chief development officer at Houston Public Media. “Achieving this goal will enable us to bridge the near-term funding shortfall created by the government rescission. Donations to the Resiliency Fund will help Houston Public Media sustain and grow our services while investing in innovative ways to meet evolving audience needs.”
National data suggests younger audiences are increasingly making first-time donations to support public media. Contributor Development Partnership (CDP), an independent public benefit corporation that provides fundraising and marketing services to more than 230 public radio and television stations, reports that post-rescission giving across participating stations found 21% of new donors were millennials and 3% were Gen Z.
Houston Public Media serves an audience of more than 2.7 million monthly users across its TV, radio and digital platforms. Public radio and television offer critical benefits to these users, including trusted local and national news, educational programming for children and adults, emergency and public safety information, and storytelling content for the entire family.
To learn more or contribute to the Resiliency Fund, visit houstonpublicmedia.org/resiliency.
(This post was taken from a release sent to me by HPM)
