The Challenge

A statewide public media television station has provided high-quality educational, cultural, and public affairs content for many decades. When a new director of philanthropy joined the team, she began exploring creative ways to meet ambitious fundraising goals. The station quickly realized it faced a donor file that was aging and shrinking. Previous attempts at wealth screening had been disappointing, producing little more than static lists of potential donors that weren’t actionable. With over 50,000 donors in their database, the development team needed a smarter way to identify new prospects and re-engage lower-level donors who had potential to give more. 

The Potential

Despite the challenges, the station saw an opportunity. Their database of 50,000 constituents held untapped potential, including supporters who had engaged with them previously, donors already giving modest amounts or individuals living in communities where they had strong volunteer board connections. If the station could reveal which of these had the greatest likelihood and capacity to give, they could: 

• Empower volunteer boards with stronger prospect lists 

• Upgrade existing donors into mid-level and major gift programs 

• Begin engaging new, younger donors who could help sustain the mission long-term 

The potential was clear: with the right tool, the station could unlock hidden value in their file and build a healthier donor pipeline, primed for future growth.  

The Solution

The public media television station turned to GivingDNA to surface actionable insights. Instead of static spreadsheets, the platform provided dynamic, prioritized lists of individuals most likely to give more, whether through annual upgrades, planned gifts, or alternative giving vehicles like DAFs and stocks. 

The station integrated these insights into their long-running regional board fundraising campaigns. Rather than relying solely on personal contact lists, board members were equipped with data-driven names from their own communities. This mix of relationship-driven outreach and GivingDNA intelligence gave volunteers confidence and focus when making appeals. 

And another plus? The station can see which donors are at risk of lapsing and proactively reach out, often seeing immediate renewals thanks to GivingDNA.  

The Results

The impact was immediate: 

• Year 1: Added 84 new prospects, generating thousands in additional revenue. 

• Year 2: Nearly doubled prospect identification to 118 and increased giving more than fivefold; generating +$19k through year end. 

Beyond the numbers, GivingDNA has helped the public media television station rebuild its donor pipeline by identifying mid-level and future major gift prospects who were previously overlooked. The platform has also made it possible to engage younger supporters, an important step in offsetting the natural attrition that comes with an aging donor base. By surfacing insights into alternative giving channels, the station has been able to capture new gifts through donor-advised funds, stocks, and estate planning. And with risk indicators highlighting donors most likely to lapse, the team has been able to step in with timely stewardship calls that directly led to renewed commitments.