1. Audience Insight
and Research
Sustained Giving Research
Results
June 3rd, 2010
2. Audience Insight
and Research
Summary of key findings
• Sustainers’ main reason for giving is communal, while nonsustainers’ main reason
is personal:
– Sustainers give because they want to help their community & feel more connected to it
– Nonsustainers give so that they can keep listening to programming that’s personally important
to them
• When deciding how much to give, sustainers rely on subjective value while
nonsustainers rely on objective practicality:
– Sustainers decide how much to give by thinking about how much their station means to their
community
– Nonsustainers decide by thinking about what fits their budget
• Sustainers are more involved in the public radio community and are more reliant
on it than other listeners:
– Sustainers have a better understanding of how much of their station’s funding comes from
listener contributions
– Sustainers spend more time listening not just to their own public radio station but also to
other public radio stations
– Sustainers engage in more cross-platform usage of public radio content
2
3. Audience Insight
and Research
Who participated?
Total Response 22,082 audience members
KPLU
VPR
MPR
WUWM
WXPN
CPR WBEZ WAMU
WUNC
KUHF
WMFE
3
4. Audience Insight
and Research
Methods
• NPR provided each participating station with a survey
invitation text and a survey template. They had the ability to:
– Modify survey invitation text
– Modify the survey template content
– Add in custom questions in line with their needs.
• Each station had control over who they wanted to survey (or
not), and how they wanted to deploy their survey. For
example:
– Some stations chose to survey a subset of their givers; others chose to
survey all of their givers; and yet others chose to survey both givers
and non-givers.
– Some stations chose to field surveys via email invitation; some chose
to do so through a website link; and some chose to do so through a
newsletter link.
4
5. Audience Insight
and Research
NPR Sustained Giver Respondents
N=22,082
6. Audience Insight
and Research
Summary of top reasons why listeners think someone should
donate to a public radio station
Sustaining Givers Nonsustaining Givers Nongivers
The station is important The station is important The station is important
#1 Reason
to the community to them personally to them personally
Giving keeps public radio Giving keeps public radio
Giving helps support the
#2 Reason free of commercial free of commercial
station in general
influence influence
Giving reduces the
They feel a sense of Giving helps support the
#3 Reason number of on-air
obligation as a listener station in general
fundraising days
6
7. Audience Insight
and Research
Sustainers focus on community as the main reason to give.
Other listeners focus on personal reasons.
What are the top 3 reasons why you give to you station?
N = 22,082 (total respondent count) 7
8. Audience Insight
and Research
Sustainers decide how much to give based on communal value.
Nonsustainers decide based on what’s personally practical.
Which of the following do you agree with as ways you decide how much to give?
8
N = 21,199 (where N is givers only)
9. Audience Insight
and Research
When convincing others to give, sustainers focus on community
gains. Other listeners focus on personal gains
We asked respondents to write pitches they thought would convince other listeners
to give. We coded whether their pitches were community- vs. individual-oriented.
9
N = 22,082 (total respondent count)
10. Audience Insight
and Research
Typical examples of pitches written by sustaining givers
• “Think of the all the ways you donate to your • “If you want to support and strengthen our
community, whether through volunteering, community, then you need to support and
giving to food drives, making sure your trash strengthen our station by donating now.” –
goes in the right place. This is one more way Male, Age 35-44
to give and make life better for everyone in
your community” – Female, Age 45-54 • “Community is built on shared experiences
and values . Our station helps us know and
• “Trustworthy content needs community appreciate of each other and the world. In
support.”– Male, Age 25-34 the same way as our station helps our
community, we need to help it by donating.” –
• “By giving to our station you’ll feel a sense of Male, Age 65-74
connection and community.” – Female, Age
25-34 • “Giving to our station is one of the best ways
to support and strengthen the community in
• “Think of it as giving a gift to your which we live. They give to us, we should give
community.. You can help those around you to them. “ – Female, Age 25-34
and feel closer to them all at the same time.”
– Male, Age 45-54
10
11. Audience Insight
and Research
Typical examples of pitches written by nonsustainers & nongivers
• “If you look forward to turning on your radio • “Giving isn’t about donating. It’s about
to NPR, especially in the morning, you should investing in your future. If you like what
probably donate.” – Male, Age 18-24. you’re hearing and want to keep hearing it,
then you should give.” – Male, Age 45-54
• “As a listener I receive my news and
entertainment from NPR and that’s why I • “If you use it, you should contribute - so - use
donate. So give so you can continue receiving it or lose it!” – Male, Age 45-54
whatever your favorite programs are.” –
Female, Age 35-44 • “Love what you hear? Why not show your
love and donate?” – Female, Age 35-44
• “Just imagine where you would be without
public radio. You wouldn’t get to listen o any • “Imagine what you would feel like without
of your favorite programs anymore.” – your public radio station. You would have to
Female, Age 55-64 listen to commercials and programming that’s
not intellectually stimulating. If you don’t
• “Do you like commercials and biased content? want to feel that way, then please donate.” –
If the answer is no, then you need to donate.” Female, Age 55-64
– Male, Age 25-34
11
12. Audience Insight
and Research
Does Your Station Thank You Enough For Being a
Sustainer?
39%
No
56%
Yes
5%
I don’t know
N = 4,748 (N is Sustainers from stations opting to ask this question)
13. Audience Insight
and Research
Sustainers have the most accurate understanding of how
important listener contributions are
We asked respondents to guess how much of their station’s funding comes
from listeners. The chart below shows how many gave underestimates.
13
N = 22,082 (total respondent count)
14. Audience Insight
and Research
Community & convenience are top reasons for sustained giving
Which of the following do you agree with as reasons why you’re a sustaining giver?
Reasons most sustainers
agree with
Reasons most sustainers
disagree with
14
N = 7,508 (N is sustaining givers only)
15. Audience Insight
and Research
Desire for independence & discomfort with billing options are top
reasons for not being a nonsustaining giver
Which of the following do you agree with as reasons why you aren’t a sustaining giver?
nonsustainers agree with
Reasons most
Reasons most nonsustainers
disagree with
N = 13,691 (N is nonsustaining givers only) 15
16. Audience Insight
and Research
Discomfort with billing options is the top nongivers have never
donated to their station
Which of the following do you agree with as reasons why you don’t donate to your station?
nongivers agree with
Reasons most
nongivers disagree with
Reasons most
N = 883 (N is nongivers only) 16
17. Audience Insight
and Research
Sustainers devote more time to public radio than other listeners
How much time per day do you spend listening to public radio?
Listening to public radio station Listening to other public
that sent out the survey radio stations
N = 22,082 (N is total respondent count) 17
18. Audience Insight
and Research
Sustainers access public radio in more ways than other listeners
How many platforms do listeners use to listen to or access public radio content?
N = 22,082 (N is total respondent count) 18
19. Audience Insight
and Research
The majority of sustaining givers are female
N = 22,082 (N is total respondent count) 19
20. Audience Insight
and Research
Sustaining givers skew younger than nonsustaining ones– largely
as a result of greater comfort & familiarity with online payments
20
N = 22,082 (N is total respondent count)