Public media faces unprecedented pressures heading into FY26. Federal funding threats, staffing cuts, and declining traditional audiences represent genuine existential challenges for stations nationwide. Yet beneath these threats lies the strongest fundraising environment public media has seen in decades. Here are the three biggest risks to traditional revenue models, and how to transform them into your station's competitive advantages.

Public media stations today face a potentially existential threat as federal funding comes under fire. But amid this uncertainty lies an unprecedented fundraising opportunity. The public outcry that follows funding cut announcements creates a narrow window of heightened awareness and support that – if harnessed correctly through rapid digital response – can become your most transformative membership drive ever.

Amid the worry and existential dread (perhaps personally as much as professionally) is an important chance for stations to take advantage of a historical fundraising opportunity. The most potent response to the moment is to leverage it for the greatest possible support for the mission. Here’s how to do that.

As the first signs of spring emerge, public media stations across the country should be planning their growth strategies—not just for their gardens, but for their digital audiences as well. Just as spring brings renewal and growth in nature, it's the time for stations to plant the seeds for future membership success.

Q3 is a critical fundraising season for public media organizations (PMOs). Teams in marketing, audience, fundraising, and membership should be using this time to grow their org’s audience today to monetize during seasonal drives later in the year. Here you’ll find an outline of the content in our upcoming webinar in which we’ll walk through exactly how to do this using real-time case studies from several PMOs (large and small). 

Your most likely future customers are your past purchasers. For public media organizations, the same principle holds true: tomorrow’s new members are today's one-time donors. This holiday season isn't just about raising funds—it's about building a sustainable digital audience that will support your mission into 2025 and beyond.

If you missed our Giving Tuesday webinar, then you missed a fun, enriching, and interactive discussion that laid out a clear and proven way to convert your current digital audience into dollars raised. But not to worry -- here you can find the video, slides, and our step-by-step playbook.