Рост пожертвований в публичном вещании замедляется после рекордного года сбора средств

July CDP Index: Growth cools after a remarkable fundraising year Quarterly fundraising growth across the CDP Index is beginning to normalize after the surge in reactionary support tied to the federal funding rescission. Comparing April through June 2026 with the same period in 2025, the latest results show less extreme growth rates across all indices, along with some anticipated declines. The New Donor Index remains the clearest signal that the post-rescission surge is easing. In this month’s report, the median decline in new donors was 16% overall. Radio organizations saw the steepest drop, at 52%, while TV/Joint licensees reported an 8% decline — their first decrease in new donors since the rescission. Declines were also evident across all organization-size cohorts. The Membership Revenue Index continued to slow in month over month growth but remained positive with a 17% increase. Both TV/Joint licensees and radio-only organizations reported revenue gains, as did organizations across size categories. The High-Dollar Gifts Index also continued its growth during the three-month period, though at a much slower rate. After increasing 44% in the May report and 24% last month, the index rose 12% in the most recent period, driven primarily by TV/Joint organizations. Radio results were flat at the median. The Sustainer Index showed steadier performance, increasing 16%, down just one percentage point from last month. The Passport Users Index also rose 16%, with a slight decline from the prior month. Although declines in new donors and slowing growth in other indices may appear discouraging, a broader view of the reporting period adds important context. Because the current data includes giving through June — a period that aligns with the fiscal-year end of many public media organizations — the 12-month index offers a fuller comparison of FY 2026 with FY 2025. For the 12-month period, the New Donor Index increased 55% for both TV/Joint and radio-only organizations. Growth rates were also broadly consistent across organization-size cohorts. The 12-Month Revenue Index showed similar strength, rising 44% overall. High-dollar giving played a major role in that performance: the High-Dollar Gifts Index increased 74% over the year, with all cohorts posting gains near or above the 70% range. Taken together, the results point to a remarkable fundraising year and one that is unlikely to be repeated at the same pace in 2027. Even so, the system enters the new fiscal year with several indicators of continued public support and opportunities to sustain elevated giving levels. If organizations can hold individual giving revenue near last year’s level, even with flat growth or a modest decline, that would still represent a significant achievement, with revenue remaining well above pre-rescission levels. It is too early to draw conclusions about retention among 2025 donors, but early analysis of donors who entered the file in early 2025 suggests stable retention. The immediate opportunity is clear: identify donors who increased their gift frequency last year, thank them, report back on the impact of their giving and invite them to sustain that higher level of support. A preliminary aggregate analysis found that non-sustaining donors who increased their gift frequency generated a 300% increase in revenue, making this one of the most actionable stewardship priorities organizations can pursue right now. This monthly report on the fundraising performance of public media stations is provided through an editorial collaboration between Current and Contributor Development Partnership (CDP). The collaboration draws from CDP’s National Reference File, which collects monthly membership and revenue data from more than 170 public media stations. (Read more about the methodology.) Deb Ashmore joined CDP as Analytics Strategist in September 2023. With more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and public media fundraising, she is passionate about working to help clients understand their fundraising data to inform strategies for long-term file health and growth. Her previous public media experience includes 10 years as director of individual giving for WXPN in Philadelphia.