Report: NPR, PBS Stations See Donor Surge After Cut In Funds.

The U.S. public broadcasting system took a major hit earlier this month when Congress cut approximately $535 million in annual federal funding for PBS, NPR, and local stations nationwide.

In response, public radio listeners and television viewers have stepped up, helping to offset the loss with a surge in donations, The New York Times reports. The newspaper says that over the past three months, as the funding cuts loomed, around 120,000 new donors have contributed an estimated $20 million in annual support, according to Michal Heiplik, President and CEO of the Contributor Development Partnership, which tracks public media fundraising.

In total, public media donations for the year are up about $70 million compared to last year. While the increase is promising, Heiplik noted it falls well short of covering the lost federal funding. Without support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — which has traditionally distributed federal funds to PBS and NPR member stations — many stations across the country may face serious operational challenges.

“It is still early, and we hope the support will continue to grow,” Heiplik said. “Next few weeks will be telling.”

Several stations have reported a sharp increase in donations in the days following Congress’s decision to cut funding. Amanda Mountain, President and CEO of Rocky Mountain Public Media—a PBS and NPR affiliate in Colorado—said the network received 6,620 donations between Friday and Sunday (July 18-20), including 1,000 from first-time donors. One contributor gave a remarkable $500,000 gift.

At WUNC, an NPR station in North Carolina, a recent fundraising drive brought in over $1 million. Similarly, WMNF in Tampa, Florida, raised more than $280,250 — an unusually strong showing for both stations.

To sustain this momentum, Rocky Mountain Public Media has launched a $9.7 million campaign focused on advancing technology and expanding local content, Mountain said. So far, the initiative has secured $1.55 million in contributions, with most of the support coming from the organization’s board of directors.

“While this is a massive one-time immediate response from our generous community of public media fans, stations can’t plan on this level of increased giving as a permanent strategy to fill the gap,” Mountain said.

There are promising signs that new donors are doing more than making one-time gifts. According to Heiplik, the number of supporters opting to become sustaining members — those who give on a recurring basis — has increased by 51% compared to last year. Fundraising appeals sent on the day the funding cuts were announced saw a response rate three times higher than typical year-end campaigns, which are usually the most effective. Additionally, station websites have seen a spike in traffic, reflecting a growing sense of urgency and engagement among supporters.

“It is great to see the community respond as it shows how much appreciation (and need) there is for public media,” he said in an email. “Now we need this level of support to continue as we reinvent the infrastructure impacted by loss of federal funding.”