Listening Post: the usual drama
Sometimes the suspense is too much
Despite the fact that I have worked through more than twenty of NCPR’s semi-annual fundraiser weeks, the suspense still kills me. Did we lay the groundwork? Did we set a realistic goal? Will the public come through for us by the time the curtain falls? To be fair, it’s a drama we produce and direct ourselves, so we only have ourselves to blame if it is the occasion of some anxiety.
It’s my misfortune that I write to you on Thursdays, near enough to the end to be antsy, and too far from goal to predict the outcome. When things get slow, I start to run the math: 50 hours to go–$66,000 left to raise. The average gift is… How many gifts per hour…? Then I go refill the coffee mug. It’s just not healthy.
And you, perhaps, buy into the drama, too–holding back to gin up some excitement, save it up for a big flurry in the last hour. But it’s really not necessary. It’s OK to give right now, to get it out of the way, and go on with your own daily drama.
If we reach our goal a little early, we can spend the last hour or two sipping herbal tea and meditating on gratitude, instead of freaking out. There will always be the fall drive to run things down to the wire.
Tags: listeningpost
You guys and gals do a great job. WMHT should take lessons from you.
Here’s a thought. Get national public radio funding as part of the next version of the health care reform bill. People who listen to public radio but don’t contribute are comparable to people who don’t buy health insurance showing up in the ER for tonsilitis. Federally mandated support of public radio. Seems only fair. Just kidding. Doing a great job. Love hearing Ellen Rocco as she gets more frantic as the week wears on. I noticed she uses my $1/day idea a lot. Hope you make the goal.