CDP Community

CDP Blog | Innovation Council Spotlight: Iowa PBS Foundation — CDP Contributor Development Partnership's Innovation Council Spotlight features Rob Hilbert from the Iowa PBS Foundation.

What defines a true major gift?

In a new CDP Innovation Council blog, Iowa PBS Foundation explores why annual leadership gifts and major gifts aren’t the same — and why the distinction matters.

Read more here: www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2026/2/...

CDP Blog | Epiphany Benchmarking Update — CDP Contributor Development Partnership with ROI Solutions discusses Epiphany Benchmarking: including 25+ Participants, new cohorts, and what is ahead in 2026.

📊 Epiphany Benchmarking update:
• 25+ nonprofit participants
• Near real-time benchmarking insights
• Expanded CRM support
• New cohorts + reporting coming in 2026

Helping nonprofits move from hindsight to insight.

Read more 👉 www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2026/1/...

CDP Blog | Make-A-Will Month 2025 Results — CDP Small Acts, Big Legacies. CDP's Susannah Winslow discusses Make‑A‑Will Month results from August 2025.

📊 Make-A-Will Month 2025 impact:
• $3.13M in legacy commitments
• 1,100+ Giving Docs activations
• 380+ estate plans completed

Proof that focused campaigns + accessible tools convert intention into impact!

Read more 👉 www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2026/1/...

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight Public Media: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

@lastweektonight.com just featured public media! As John Oliver said, "The point is, public media provides incredible benefits to the communities that it serves, and it has just suffered a gigantic blow." We are proud to support these organizations: youtu.be/yknMJOgy2pA?...

CDP Blog | Federal Funding Messaging Spurs New Donor Growth — CDP CDP, in partnership with ROI Solutions, launched Epiphany Benchmarking in September with 14 public media organizations and nine large national nonprofit organizations signing on for premiere benchmark...

New from the Epiphany Benchmarking project 📊
Public media orgs that discussed the federal funding crisis — even neutrally — saw stronger new donor growth than those who avoided it.

Transparency might be the secret. More on the blog → www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2025/11...

CDP Blog | Learning to Work with the Robot: A Journey in Progress — CDP Contributor Development Partnership's copywriter discusses their journey to understanding, working with and accepting AI in their day to day work.

“ChatGPT isn’t a writer — it’s a mirror.”

Our digital copywriter shares what five months of working with AI taught them — the good, the bad, and the occasionally banal.

The takeaway? The quality of AI output depends on the human behind the prompt.
Read more: www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2025/11...

CDP Blog | A New Donor Study in Near-Real Time Part 1 — CDP Given the dramatic increase in new donors this year, we recognized the need to learn — and learn quickly — who these supporters are. We set out to determine whether, and how, they differ from previous...

🚨 New study: Public media donors are getting younger.
📈 +61% new donors in 2025 vs 2024
👩‍💻 Millennials + Gen Z nearly doubled their share
🏠 2/3 of millennial donors moved within 3 yrs

Read along for insights on engaging the next generation → www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2025/10...

CDP Blog | Rethinking How We Invite Donors to Give — CDP Contributor Development Partnership discusses Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and the many giving options donors have beyond traditional cash gifts.

#publicmedia needs creative funding strategies 🚨

💡 DAFs, stock gifts & IRA QCDs = smart ways donors can give beyond cash.

Our new blog shares insights from #PMDMC + how Giving Docs makes it easy.

🔗 Read more: www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2025/7/...

#fundraising

CDP Blog | At the Doorstep of Change — CDP Contributor Development Partnership discusses how canvassing is reconnecting public media with its communities.

📈127% increase in new donors.
🚪 1 mission — 1,000s of doorsteps.
💬 Countless conversations that matter.

Canvassing is reconnecting #publicmedia with communities — one knock at a time.

This is more than #fundraising. It’s movement building.
📰 Read more: www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2025/7/...

🔥 16.8% increase in new public media donors this spring
📻 Some radio stations >100% growth
💡 Retention is the real challenge.

New blog: how to turn urgency into ongoing support.
🔗 www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2025/6/...

CDP Blog | Leveraging “Local” for Major Giving Success — CDP Contributor Development Partnership discusses how to leverage local messaging when it comes to major giving success.

How do you build a major donor program in a statewide system like Montana PBS ?

📝 Handwritten cards
🌱 Seeds in the mail
👂 Meaningful conversations
📺 Local content with heart

Kristina Martin shares how transformational giving starts with a personal touch: www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2025/6/...

CDP Press | Will Stansbury Joins CDP Board of Directors — CDP The Contributor Development Partnership (CDP) today announced the appointment of Will Stansbury to its Board of Directors.

📣 CDP is thrilled to welcome Will Stansbury to our Board of Directors!

A longtime tech leader with a passion for purpose-driven work, Will brings deep experience in nonprofit strategy + data.

📰 Full announcement: www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2025/6/...

Public Media Giving Days are here! ❤️🖤💙

The NPR Network makes trustworthy journalism, music, and unforgettable stories available to nearly 99% of the U.S. population–free of charge.

It's time to show your love for how much #PublicMediaGives your community.

Donate here: n.pr/4lFTPPD

PMGD2025 assets are ready for download! Whether you’re preparing your campaign or spreading the word, we’ve got what you need to make this year a success.

Assets include logo files, ESOL copy, social content and more! Head to publicmediagivingdays.org/station-assets to access! @npr.org @pbs.org

CDP Blog | Ask Deb: The Curious Case of the Missing New Pledge-Acquired Sustainers — CDP CDP's Ask Deb returns to answer your questions. This week we discuss pledge-acquired donors and seeing a decline in their sustainer conversion rates.

A sharp drop in new pledge donors turning into sustainers? We used CDP Insights to uncover the mystery 📉

Check out our blog post to learn more!

👉 www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2025/1/...
🎧 Listen to the blogcast version: www.cdpcommunity.org/cdp-blog-casts

The Hidden Power of Brand Equity: Why Your Brand Is Worth More Than You Think — CDP In a world saturated with products, services, and marketing messages, a strong brand stands out like a beacon. But branding isn’t just about a clever logo or catchy tagline - it’s about the deeper, in...

🌟 Brand equity = trust, loyalty, & recognition. It can impact everything from customer loyalty to your bottom line.

In our latest blog, we explore the hidden power of brand equity & how to protect this invaluable asset. 🚀

Read more: www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2025/1/...

We turned a few recent blog posts into podcast episodes using AI! This year we plan on experimenting with new ways to share our blog content — and we would love to know what you think! 🎙️
Give a listen here: www.cdpcommunity.org/cdp-blog-casts

CDP to Expand Board of Directors — CDP As part of its strategic growth plan, Contributor Development Partnership (CDP) recently announced the expansion of its Board of Directors.  After an effort led by CDP Board Chair Jonathan Abbo...

We are expanding our Board of Directors! Ron Hetrick is the new Board Chair, and we are excited to welcome Will Lee (CEO, @Adweek) & Shane Miner (COO, @GBH) to the team! Exciting growth ahead for public media! 🚀 Read more here: www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/press-b...

CDP Blog | Overcoming Innovation Barriers: Part 1 — CDP Contributor Development Partnership (CDP) discusses PMO's ability to adapt, test and innovate in an ever-changing fundraising and media landscape.

As we begin 2025, public media’s future depends on how we innovate. Our new blog series breaks down the barriers to innovation, from the "I Know Best" mindset to fear of failure. 🚀

www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2024/12...
www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2024/12...

CDP Blog | Overcoming Innovation Barriers: Part 1 — CDP Contributor Development Partnership (CDP) discusses PMO's ability to adapt, test and innovate in an ever-changing fundraising and media landscape.

In our latest blog post, we discuss the importance of overcoming barriers to innovation, starting with the "I know best" mindset and perfectionism. Read the full post and learn how fostering a culture of innovation can help us move forward, together. www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/2024/12...

Lower stress and find joy this holiday season The holidays may be full of hustle and bustle, but that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy them. A psychologist from SUNY Upstate is giving advice on how to protect your mental health during this busy season.

The holidays may be full of hustle and bustle, but that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy them. A psychologist from SUNY Upstate is giving advice on how to protect your mental health during this busy season.

www.wrvo.org/2024-12...

CDP Blog | Make-A-Will Month: A Planned Giving Recipe for Success — CDP In partnership with Giving Docs, this year public media stations cooked up their own recipe for success during Make-A-Will Month (MAWM), a campaign held in August that saw delicious results and secure...

August was a big win for Make-A-Will Month!

Why?
💵 $3.4 million in gifts
✋ 235 hand-raisers
📜 758 completed docs

How?
Multichannel marketing.
Read more here: www.cdpcommunity.org/blog/planned...
Looking forward for even more in 2025! 🎯

Heading into busy end-of-year #fundraising? Pop on some classical music to help get in the zone 🎶

#TruthTuesday - Tired of trying to come up with Christmas ideas for the cherished older folks in the family who really, really don't need one more thing in that house?

Get them a subscription to their local paper or public radio station. Help them AND help keep local news alive.

Win. Win.