Marc's Musings

I love watching Facing the Giants. Tonight, my son laughed, “We’re not even 35 minutes into it and dad’s already bawling!”

Tonight, the part that really hit me was an exchange between the football coach and Mr. Bridges, a guy that had been praying for the school for years.

Mr. Bridges felt God gave him a word for Coach Taylor. It was a good word.

Then there was this exchange:

Mr. Bridges: 2 farmers who desperately needed rain. And both of them prayed for rain but only one of them went out and prepared his fields to receive it. Which one do you think trusted God to send the rain?

Coach Taylor: Well the one who prepared his fields for it.

Mr. Bridges: Which one are you? God will send the rain when He is ready. It’s your job to prepare your field to receive it.

How about you?

What have you been praying for? For a really long time? Some situation where you really need to see God move in your life?

Are you preparing the field?

It’s time for yet another membership drive for our local public radio station.

Even as a fundraising professional that knows the need to raise money, these drives irritate the crap out of me. As far back as 2005, I posted a rant on entitlement in public radio fundraising.

I’ve drunk the Kool-Aid. MPBN charges my credit card every month. I don’t need to be sold on the importance of membership. I’d prefer to listen to NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered in peace. But during these membership drives I can’t, so I choose to flip the dial.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, most listeners don’t give. They probably do need to be sold on the importance of being a member. But if I’m flipping the dial during these drives, how much more will they?

In direct mail fundraising and major gift fundraising, we can be selective. We can communicate with the individuals or groups that we want to. That doesn’t happen in radio or TV. Everyone gets the same broadcast, whether they give or not.

At least with TV you can DVR it and skip over the drives. I wish there were a Tivo-like option for radio!

There has to be a better way for public radio stations to fundraise incessantly badgering their core supporters. So what would you suggest stations do rather than this awful interruption marketing?