Robert Stein Appointed to Virginia Public Broadcasting Board
Robert Stein, principal of MajorGiving.com, has been appointed by Governor Mark R. Warner to the Virginia Public Broadcasting Board. The board serves as a conduit for state financial support of public television and radio stations, including the radio reading service. It provides grants and contracts with stations to implement instructional television programming for k-12 schools and community interest programs. Stein, who will be serving as a representative of the 10th Congressional District, was nominated by Bert Schmidt, President and General Manager of WVPT Public Television of Harrisonburg, Virginia.
MajorGiving.com “powers” DEI website
MajorGiving.com has agreed to provide a comprehensive set of tools for the Development Exchange, Inc. (DEI) website—www.deiworksite.org. The tools, which provide a variety of “how to” instructions and templates, are based upon the firm’s highly successful Major Giving Alliance (MGA) materials. Over thirty public broadcasting stations participating in the MGA receive monthly materials from MajorGiving.com, and the DEI website will be featuring a cross-section of them, as well as original instructional tools designed to help stations in the early stages of their major giving efforts.
MajorGiving.com will be providing four different sets of tools, which will include a variety of letters, scripts and talking points, as well as instructional materials on such topics as minimum requirements, time allocation, identifying prospects, setting up a manageable major giving work routine, donor visits, and donor stewardship.
Stephanie Bergsma: Public Radio's Development Person of the Year!
Congratulations to Stephanie Bergsma, Associate General Manager for Development at KPBS and Station Consultant for MajorGiving.com, for winning the 2004 PRDMC Development Person of the Year Award. Stephanie was recognized for her many years of fundraising excellence at KPBS and for her extraordinary efforts to secure the now historic bequest from philanthropist Joan Kroc.
MajorGiving.com Team Plays a MajorRole in Public Radio Development and Marketing Conference
Thanks to all who attended MajorGiving.com’s sessions at the PRDMC. The MajorGiving.com team made presentations on the following topics: The Threshold to Philanthropy: Crossing the Threshold from Membership to a Philanthropic Model, Moves Management, Events and Affinity Groups, and Making the Case in Person.
A special thank you to everyone who participated in conference sessions: Chaddie Kumpe Platt, KUAF; Maria Hartmann, WBGO; Mary Hendley, WBHM; Patrice Loretta, Valley Public Radio; Scott Nolan, WUSF; Beth Hassett, Capital Public Radio; Jeffrey Wergeles, KPBS; Stephanie Bergsma, KPBS, George Lombardi, WSHU, and Dick Kellogg We appreciate their time, commitment and insights. Great job!
July 11, 2003--Robert Stein wins Public Radio Development Officers' Award
Winchester, Virginia – Robert Stein, principal of MajorGiving.com, was awarded the PRADO Pioneer Award by the Public Radio Association of Development Officers (PRADO). The award, presented annually at the Public Radio Development and Marketing Conference, "recognizes an individual with a history of fundraising success, who has graciously shared his/her experiences in management or implementation with the public radio system in an effort to make the system better."
Stein was specifically cited for years of providing support to stations in their major giving efforts, for launching the major giving listserv for public broadcasting, MGTalk, and for bringing best practices in major gift work to the public broadcasting system.
In his acceptance remarks, Stein recalled the inauguration of PRADO in 1992. "When four of us decided to start this organization, we knew that the system needed a support network for development professionals in this industry. The attrition rate was very high, and we felt that by maintaining a support network and developing a mentoring program, we would be able reach out to colleagues in need of advice and encouragement. I'm proud to say that we created an enduring legacy for public radio."
MajorGiving.com Receives CPB Grant to create the Public Television Major Giving Alliance for Infinite Outsource
MajorGiving.com has received a major grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to establish the Public Television Major Giving Alliance for Infinite Outsource (IOS). This program will help nine stations that are IOS members create ongoing major giving programs with renewable annual major gifts. Services to be provided to the stations are customized consultation on accelerating or establishing their major giving activities; an ongoing file segmentation filter to find major giving prospects in the stations’ membership files; suggested annual/calendar-year based solicitation schedule; as well as a series of solicitation and cultivation letters and communication support print pieces. MajorGiving.com also will create "lines of communication" tools and forums that will foster a community of practice among stations, including a listserve, bi-monthly conference calls and a private documents area on the MajorGiving.com website.
Public Radio Major Giving Alliance Stations to Receive Planned Giving Web Pages from Future Focus, Inc.— MajorGiving.com to Provide Support Tools
Beginning in January 2002, all clients of the Public Radio Major Giving Alliance (MGA) will be receiving planned giving web pages to help educate donors and influence their decision to support the stations through estate gifts, such as bequests, charitable gift annuities, and charitable remainder trusts. The provider, Future Focus, Inc. is the leading provider of such pages and serves a variety of nonprofit clients. The web pages provide detailed scenarios of planned gifts, as well as stories from actual donors. Viewers of the pages are touched by the examples of the rewards that donors experience as a result of their gifts and the web pages raise questions in the hearts of potential donors, leading them to contact station staff. MajorGiving.com will support the new web pages by providing MGA stations with monthly scripts, quarterly talking points, as well as letter copy designed to draw listeners to the web site. With an estimated $41-$136 trillion intergenerational wealth transfer that is underway and that will continue through the next thirty years, planned giving should become a significant part of public radio stations’ funding mix. MajorGiving.com’s objective is to assist stations in adding or enhancing this important fundraising component to their annual program.
Jim Dietz-Kilen joins MajorGiving.com as a station-based associate!
WOI Director of Development, Jim Dietz-Kilen is joining MajorGiving.com as a station-based associate, providing consulting and support for clients and information and materials for the public broadcasting community, while remaining in his position at the WOI Radio Group. In addition to consulting with stations, Dietz-Kilen will provide articles and commentaries on trends in major giving and foundation fundraising. He will also create work tools for members of the Public Radio Major Giving Alliance, a consortium of thirteen public radio stations receiving consulting support from MajorGiving.com, and who have initiated and sustained major giving programs.