KAXE Membership Disclaimer

KAXE MEMBERSHIP DISCLAIMER
WARNING: pledging your support to KAXE may cause the following (click link above to listen). Our "There's Nothing to be Scared Of" fundraiser goes from Friday the 15th - the 22nd. Listener support is our single largest source of funding, and it's vital for us to continue as an independent, local, community radio station. Call with your support, 800-662-5799, or pledge online.

KAXE's Record Setting Summer Fundraiser

by Doug MacRostie

Success!!! With 208 new/renewing members we raised over $24,500 for independent community radio. Thanks to everyone who pledged to KAXE, and thanks to all the volunteers who came in to play music, make food, answer phones, make food, offer services and make food :D This is big news for 2 reasons. 1) This is the largest dollar amount we've ever raised during a summer fundraiser. 2) This is a notable rebound in new membership (though not the highest ever).

Why #1 is important is pretty obvious - we set a goal to reach our operations budget for this fiscal year: $23,977. We raised $24,564 - this is almost $5,000 more than we raised last summer! w00t! With all the financial craziness the last couple years (both globally and locally) a record setting fundraiser represents strong support for Northern Community Radio.

Here's why #2 is important. In the last year we shorted our normally 2-week long Fall and Spring fundraisers to just 1 week, which worked very well overall, but we noticed a slow decline in new members - the money was coming in (about) the same, but it was larger amounts from fewer people. 97 new members this fundraiser is roughly a 25% increase over last summer (and the 4th highest overall). "New members are the most important reason we do on-air fundraisers... it's the only reason," said Maggie Montgomery, "We can find existing members and lapsed members, we know them. Fundraisers reach new people. New members are the lifeblood of the station." And this summer, the lifeblood is pumping strong :)

KAXE...The Rebel You Can't Live Without

by Kathryn Lavelle

So here’s the deal. There’s regular radio…and there’s KAXE. Both can be necessary assets for any community. Regular radio is good…can even be great sometimes. Regular radio is like that football player that you had a HUGE crush on in high school. You thought he moved with the grace of a panther, remember? His hair was like the golden wheat in that crazy farmer’s field next to the high school…waving slowly in the golden bronze of the sun.

But then you also begin to remember how that particular, hunky football player would ignore you because you weren’t one of the cool kids. You weren’t a conformist…you were different...you were unique…and he was just too damn focused on being popular to see your potential. He never even took the time to notice or appreciate your creative nature or eccentric personality.

Then enters KAXE, walking through the lunchroom with his tousled hair and black glasses. Kind of shy…kind of good looking in an I-don’t-care-what-I-wear sort of way…extremely intelligent…aloof…a rebel. He saw you for what you were right away…someone worth getting to know. Someone with substance and heart and beauty. He wrote you poetry and read it to you in the rain.

He had long conversations with you about environmental issues, politics and music…and not just the same ole same ole kind of tunes…but MUSIC…weaving its unique sound and eclectic patterns like rainbow trout swimming through a cool, fast running stream. He was the one who listened to your crazy conspiracy theories and never laughed…not once! He assured you that you would always be special to him…that he would always take the time to appreciate you…and he would never sell out so he could be popular.

There’s definitely a place in our lives for regular radio…as well as the sometimes fond…sometimes not so fond memories of the popular kids…the football players…the cheerleaders. High school wouldn’t have been the same without them. But…it would have been mighty boring without those eclectic rebels thrown in there. KAXE is the eclectic rebel we can’t live without. It is important to have that constant in our lives…the public radio station that will continue to amaze, comfort and challenge us. That will bring us the news we may not want to hear…but NEED to hear. That will educate our ears, heart and soul with unfamiliar music that captures and captivates us.

So again…it is time for us to support KAXE…the rebel we can’t live without!!!

It's New Year's Eve!

By Jennifer Poenix

Today is the last day of fiscal year 2009 at KAXE Tomorrow we begin fiscal year 2010 with a brand new budget.

KAXE's budget is split into different categories for money coming in and going out of the station. The amount of money in the 2009 budget for membership money received is $183,000. So far, we have collected $180,915.43, which means we still need to collect $2,084.57 (as of 9:24 this morning). Pledges are great. Payments are even better.

This money can come from new or renewing pledges. It can even come from previous pledges that are still unpaid. The most important thing is that pledges are fulfilled. The best way to do that today is by credit card, which you can use online, here, or by calling the station at 218-326-1234. If you're in the Grand Rapids area, feel free to stop by our studios to make a payment.

KAXE members are vital to our success. We would not be here without them.

Thank you, and happy new year!

Every Member Helps!

By Jennifer Poenix

Summer is fading fast (evidenced by the fallen orange maple leaf I found outside), and that means the end of KAXE’s fiscal year (September 30) is approaching quickly too. Right now, we are nearly $15,000 away from meeting our membership budget for the year.

It’s important that we meet our membership budget in order to keep the programs you rely on everyday on the air. We also want the opportunity to keep improving to make KAXE an even better radio station for everybody.

It’s true that KAXE won’t automatically disappear if you don’t renew/begin your membership, but less funding does make it more difficult to provide what our listeners have come to expect. Things like news from National Public Radio, Car Talk, and the World Café.

Last week, a letter was sent out to over 300 households whose membership has lapsed within the past year, asking them to renew their membership. We've been seeing a good response this week. We hope the trend will continue. New members help make a difference too!

You may pledge online, or call 218-326-1234.Thanks to everybody who is currently a member, and if you're not, we hope to hear from you soon.

Stay Warm Fundraiser

By Jennifer Poenix

It's been a busy morning at KAXE. It's Day 3 of the "Stay Warm" fundraiser. So far today, we've heard from 84 new and renewing members for a total of $11,630. Wow!

Our goal is to get to 400 pledges and $50,000 by 1opm on Friday, March 6.

It's so great when folks call up or pledge online, but I'd also like to acknowledge all the mail-in renewals we get too. We don't count them in our official fundraiser total, but they're just as appreciated.

However you want to do it, the most important thing to do is pledge. We can't stress it enough: KAXE's largest source of funding is our listener members.

Thank you!

Greener Membership

By Jennifer Poenix (KAXE's member services manager)

Other public radio stations throughout the country have sustaining membership programs. These are programs that allow people to keep their membership going year after year, without ever having to renew. Typically, members make a monthly donation either through their bank account or with a credit card. Stations send just one letter a year to verify that the member wants to continue their membership, and sometimes to offer a thank-you gift.

KAXE has had a small group of sustainers for several years now, but they've never really been acknowledged as such. We have now made a few changes as to how we process both automatic bank withdrawals and monthly credit card payments that will really streamline the process.

What I really like about this type of membership is that is has the potential to save a ton of paper. Right now, I send renewal letters each month to those members who are due to renew in the current month, the next month, as well as those who were due to renew the previous month. I also mail statements to those who have already pledged. Each of these letters consists of a half-sheet of letterhead, a return envelope, and an outside envelope. Then 42 cents postage is applied to each one.

Of course, these letters are a good thing because they bring in money to support KAXE. However, if more people decided to become sustaining members, or "Green Members" as I think they should be called, there would be steady support of KAXE with less paper being used. It seems win-win to me.

We're just getting this off the ground at KAXE, but if you would like more information, please contact me. My e-mail address is jennifer@kaxe.org, or you can call 218-326-1234, or even comment on this blog post.

Thank you!