WUMB Holds Record Fundraiser
Chancellor
Penney Reflects on Twelve Years At UMass Boston
UMass
Boston First Celebrates Early Victory
Years
of Service Reception Honors 152 Employees
Sherry
H.Penney Endowed Professorship in Leadership
Situation
Critical:
UMass Boston Releases Vital Housing Study
WUMB
Holds Record Fundraiser
Gordon
Wallace Named Outstanding Faculty Member
Clinical
Psychology Department
Receives Accreditation
by Leigh DuPuy
WUMB
91.9 FM raised over $126,000 during their fall member drive held from
October 20 – 30. Receiving over 1,200 phone and on-line pledges,
WUMB exceeded all previous fundraisers and celebrated a fifty percent
increase from last year’s campaign. Forty-seven percent of responders
were new donors and the radio station gained 600 new members, the largest
number of members gained in any single drive.
“It is the best fundraiser we have ever had,”
said Pat Monteith, General Manager of WUMB. “It was tremendous
to see such support from listeners throughout the country.”
One listener pledged after listening for only two hours.
Another donated an unprecedented $5,000, energizing others to contribute.
It was this kind of response that enabled the fundraiser to conclude
four and a half hours early with great excitement.
Listeners weren’t the only enthusiastic pledges.
Performers like Rhonda Vincent and the Rage Bluegrass Band during the
drive. Folk maven Judy Collins came in for a few hours on October 25
to lend her support and chat with volunteers. She also made a personal
donation to the station, joining musicians Tom Rush, who called from
Wyoming with his pledge, and Cozy Sheridan, who did the same from Utah.
WUMB had over seventy-five volunteers who worked tirelessly
alongside of WUMB’s dedicated staff and work-study students throughout
the campaign. All involved raved about the camaraderie, food, and positive
attitudes that characterized the drive.
The station generates nearly fifty percent of its operating budget from listener support, and WUMB uses these contributions to support their cultural programming and radio membership benefits. WUMB is one of three public radio stations in Boston and is recognized as the premiere folk station in the country. Located in the lower level of the Healey Library, the station offers a wide range of diverse folk, roots, and cultural programming like the award-winning public affairs program Commonwealth Journal.
Above photo: WUMB fundraisers meet folk legend Judy Collins. (From left to right): Judy Wong, D.B. Sweeney, Judy Collins, Linda Wheeler, Carol Soeldner.