Giving Tuesday Board Challenge
We're participating in this year's Giving Tuesday - a national day of raising funds for non-profits before the end of the year - on Tuesday, November 28. We've got a matching gift of up to $500 from our CVCR board to help challenge donors who have yet to give this year to give on Giving Tuesday. Every dollar you give on this day will be doubled thanks to this match. We’re hoping to raise $1,00 or more!
We're participating in this year's Giving Tuesday - a national day of raising funds for non-profits before the end of the year - on Tuesday, November 28. We've got a matching gift of up to $500 from our CVCR board to help challenge donors who have yet to give this year to give on Giving Tuesday. Every dollar you give on this day will be doubled thanks to this match. We’re hoping to raise $1,00 or more!
As always, we keep the station budget nimble. Everything we raise goes directly into the programming and costs to run the station. Give to WGDR & WGDH before the end of the year or give in honor of someone for their holiday gift. We provide our community with locally made, community-centered, unique, and inspiring content every single day. Gifts of any size go a really long way in helping us keep this up into 2024. Thank you!
Event 11/18: WORST. SONG. EVER.
In honor of WGDR’s 50th year, the iconic and legendary local event, WORST. SONG. EVER. is giving us half the proceeds from the door this year. Never heard of this event? You are in for a treat.
On Saturday, November 18 at 5pm at the The Canadian Club, 414 E Montpelier Rd, Barre. $3 admission for Canadian Club members; $5 admission nonmembers. Tickets are only sold at the door.
In honor of WGDR’s 50th year, the iconic and legendary local event, WORST. SONG. EVER. is giving us half the proceeds from the door this year. Never heard of this event? You are in for a treat.
On Saturday, November 18 at 5pm at the The Canadian Club, 414 E Montpelier Rd, Barre., locals will gather - musicians and nonmucians alike - to poke fun at their least favorite pop music in a lighthearted competition. There’s an audience vote to award the WORST. TROPHIES. EVER.
The event is $3 admission for Canadian Club members; $5 admission nonmembers. Tickets are only sold at the door.
All info: www.wooo.tv.
Well that was a fun drive, wasn't it?
This was a record-setting drive for the station on every single level. Even with checks still in the mail, the numbers are just amazing.
$13,310 raised (and counting). Our goal was $10,000. This is a 42% improvement from our spring record-breaking drive of $9,500.
140 total donors. Our prior record was 105 donors.
52 new donors, including 8 new WGDH area donors.
7 new sustainers. This brings us up to 67 sustainers, who collectively will fund over 10% of our operating budget next year.
27 out of state donors. Most of these folks are new donors too!
We are so proud of this drive. We are so grateful to all of you.
Updated: Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Friends of WGDR/WGDH -
You broke Central Vermont Community Radio FunDrive records!
This was a record-setting drive for the station on every single level. The numbers are just amazing. We surpassed every single goal - most of them by a lot! Thank you all so much.
$14,400 raised (and counting). Our goal was $10,000. This is a 51% improvement from our spring record-breaking drive of $9,500.
155 supporters. Our prior record was 134 donors this past spring.
65 new donors, including 11 new WGDH area donors.
8 new sustainers. This brings us up to 68 sustainers, who collectively will fund over 10% of our operating budget next year.
27 out of state donors. Most of these folks are new donors too!
We are so proud of this drive. We are so grateful to all of you.
All the funds from a drive, including what we raised above our goal, go directly to funding our operating costs. This is especially key this year as we continue to work to fill the fundraising gap caused by flooding for our underwriting, grants, and other areas of donor support.
You stepped up in a big way and we hope you, like us, had some fun along the way.
What I appreciated most was the fun we all had. Programmers, listeners calling in, donors leaving love notes in the donation comments on the drive site, and the community stopping by the station to jump on the air and pitch. Pitches were sung! Trees, baba ganoush, and mixtapes were perked out for giving. Vermont musicians played live on the air and we had dozens of hours of additional live programming fill the air with special guests and content. We hope you felt that this was a drive worth listening to.
Our local programmers in all their big personalities, talents, and quirks are what make community radio so special, and frankly, fun. Our listeners are what make community radio viable. You give us a reason to create shows and the support to keep operating. Together, we make magic.
Lastly, you didn't miss the chance to give! Just know that you can’t be entered to win the prizes. Give securely at WGDR.org/donate or by check to “CVCR” and mail to 123 Pitkin Rd. Plainfield, VT 05667.
As always, thanks for tuning in and supporting community radio in central and northern Vermont!
Llu Mulvaney-Stanak, Station Manager
Llu@WGDR.org, 802-276-0365
p.s. There was some mighty fine radio happening during this drive. I encourage you to go back and listen to our archives to hear live musical guests, extended thematic shows, and other surprises.
Take the Listener Survey
5 minutes of feedback about your listening enters you to win a prize.
📋 We've launched a new listener survey.
This is the first one we've done under community ownership and the first in a long while as a station. We're eager to collect your thoughts on the changes we've made to the schedule, when and how you listen, and any other feedback you'd like to give. It takes just 5 minutes and everyone who participated will be entered to win a prize.
10/22 - Station Volunteer Work Day
Join us for a few hours of getting the station cleaned up and ready for winter. We’ll have pizza!
🪣 Station Volunteer Work Day
Sunday, October 22, starting in the morning and going until mid-afternoon, we're hosting a station volunteer work day. Join our many programmers as we tackle some fall projects to ready the station for a cozy winter. Painting, storage sorting and clearing out, cleaning, and a donor mailing are just some of the projects we'll need help with. There is something for everyone to help with, and we'll have a midday break with a pizza party. If you are interested in helping, please RSVP so we can plan for the help and the pizza slices: Llu@WGDR.org.
Extra Local Programming for the FUNdrive
Over the next two weeks, tune in for special locally-made programming. Show your support by making your fundrive gift by October 15.
Friends of WGDR/WGDH -
We’re doing some really special things for our Fall Fundrive this year. We hope you will tune in and hear some fun and help us drive toward our $10,000 goal with a donation of any amount that is meaningful to you. Read on for the dish!
Together, we're aiming to raise $10,000 by October 15th through:
25 first-time donors, including 10 from the WGDH listening area
5 new sustaining donors
10 out of state donors (from our streaming listeners!)
a suggestion for a $50 gift (if you can swing it) in honor of WGDR's 50th this year.
Special Locally-Made Programming
Over the next two weeks, our programmers are preparing some extra special programming to show our gratitude for everyone who tunes in and supports WGDR and WGDH. This will include:
Many locally-made music shows going an extra hour longer (or earlier!), with themes, live performances, special guests, and more.
“Voices of Central Vermont Community Radio,” a special drive program featuring short interviews with 10 people who are part of WGDR & WGDH under community ownership. Guests include: Sally Kane, Erica Heilman, John Dillon, Reuben Jackson, Mark Michaelis, Suzanna Jones, Greg Hooker, Ken Hagget, Chris Buckridge, and Les Aldridge. Hosted by station manager Llu Mulvaney-Stanak. Catch the show airing Wednesday, October 4 at 6pm, Thursday, Ocotber 12 at 5pm, and Saturday, October 14 at 8am.
Sundays
Alan LePage, long-time host of “the Curse of the Golden Turnip” is providing donors of larger amounts with a pint of his handmade Baba Ganosh or a secret trip to source Italian marble hidden in the hills (seriously). To qualify, you must email Alan with your info and amount given (at least $50 or potentially more). Email him at AlanpLePage@gmail.com..
Rick Agran & Stefanie Lingenfelter reading poems on “Bon Mot” at 5pm on Sunday, October 8.
An extra episode of “Gilded Splinters,” 6-7pm Sunday, October 8.
DJ EhMmAhh of “The Revel Level” is going an extra hour early with a special “name that tune” game for listeners, Sunday, October 15, 6-9pm to help wrap up the drive.
Monday
DJ Sacramento of “All the Crooked Saints” has a special guest, BoyJr joining them to speak on being a musician and a non-binary human on Instagram. Tune in 10pm-midnight on Monday, October 9.
Tuesdays
DJ Llu will be going an extra hour early, 11am-2pm during the drive with special live DJ sets (hello lunchtime dance parties!) and the following week a special covers show and tribute show to their fellow music programmers. During each week give and get the show perk of a mixtape for listeners.
Brian Aust extending “Woodwarbler’s JazzGrass” an extra hour, 2pm-5pm” on Tuesday, October 3. And will have a special theme show, “JazzGrass ~ FUNraiser!” with the song content hewing to the theme of having fun on the radio. on October 10.
Wednesday
Sydonia Axis, host of “Theme Time Radio” on the 1st Mondays of the month, 7-9pm, jumps on the air for a special live show, October 11, 5-6pm for you with tunes and drive surprises.
Fridays
At 7am, “Rumble Strip” will begin airing a special multi-episode series.
Tonio Epstein’s “The Magical Mystery Tour” will have special guest Erica Heilman, producer of the Peabody winning “Rumble Strip” (airing Fridays at 7am), which will be on Friday, October 13 at 9am, along with other surprises.
11am-1pm, Turkey Joe is going live for 2 hours with “the Jive Turkey Show” with movie soundtrack themes.
6-9pm, enjoy a 3-hour special “Barn Dance Bluegrass” with the Grassers during the drive. October 6 tune in for show perks. Give $150.00 = Farm Basket - 1 available, give $100.00 = 3 Oak Trees - 2-3 year old, Bare Root. Delivered to your home in the spring or pick up at the station (They will will need your telephone info - 3 bundles available). October 13 show perks, heirloom seeds off the farm!
Saturdays
Maria Schumann, host of “Bread and Salt” will have a special show where she tells her grandmother's story, bringing in 2 stories from her life about radio-- one from 1910, one from 1973. You will also hear special cave singing and info about rites and rituals associated with this time of year in Eastern Slavic folklore. Catch the show Saturday, October 14 at 9am.
Chris Buckridge, host of “Predictably Unpredictable” is bringing in the big guests with his dad, a musician from Ohio, on Saturday, October 7, 10am-noon and Lou Barlow, of Dinosaur Jr. on Saturday, October 14.
Catch John Lackard playing live music at 3pm on October 14 for "Boxful of Blues."
4-7pm catch "Acoustic Harmony" with Mark Michaels and live musical guests. October 7, Cliff Eberhardt & Louise Mosrie Coombe will be joining Mark live on air at 5pm for an interview and live music. October 14, Vermont singer-songwriter Phil Henry will join Mark at just after 4pm.
10pm-midnight, DJ Z-Point of “the Beatdown” will have special guest DJs in the studio.
And more coming soon!
Donor Prizes & Station Perks
2 tickets to see the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and Kat Wright, on Friday, November 13 at HigherGroundMusic.com.
A banner or poster from the Bread & Puppet print shop.
2 tickets to Swedish Folk'appella group Kongero on December 8 at the Highland Performing Arts Center.
2 tickets to see Natalie MacMaster at the Flynn Theater on December 13.
Show incentives: If you call in and pledge a gift during certain shows, you could get a pint of baba ganoush or a secret trip to Italian marble from the "Curse of the Golden Turnip" or custom mix tapes made by participating music programmers on a streaming service. (Info coming soon). If you are giving for one of these incentives, please make a note in your donation message box!
Give Today!
You can give securely online (and follow our progress there too) or give by check, made out to "CVCR" and sent to WGDR, 123 Pitkin Rd. Plainfield, VT 05667.
We’re gonna give you our best in locally-made programming these next two weeks. Tune in, enjoy, and thanks for considering a gift too.
As always, thanks for listening!
In great gratitude,
Llu Mulvaney-Stanak
Station Manager WGDR/WGDH