Three Grants and Counting: KDHX Uses Grant Center Intel to Secure New Funds
Community radio station KDHX – a volunteer-run, eclectic AAA station – has secured three new grants from first-time funders for its capital campaign. The community station, powered by more than 1,000 volunteers, launched a $3.75 million campaign to support renovation of a new building to house its broadcast studios, video production, and a live performance venue. Caron House, Development Director, contacted the Grant Center in 2010 to request custom prospect research to identify potential new funders. At that time, the station was launching the campaign and building a new institutional giving program.
The research provided by the Grant Center helped the station identify five new foundations not initially on their prospect list. Together with Co-Executive Directors Beverly Hacker and Nico Leone, House took a close look at each one and developed a customized strategy for opening conversation.
And so far:
- The Trio Foundation of St. Louis: Leone and House met with the Foundation’s Executive Director over coffee to discuss the KDHX campaign. The Executive Director advised that the trustees would likely be interested in the campaign and offered guidance for structuring a proposal. KDHX took the advice, submitted a proposal and recently learned that the Foundation awarded a first-time grant of $25,000 to the campaign.
- Edward Jones Foundation: The station discovered that two of its long-time volunteers are employed at the Foundation’s corporate headquarters. House and Leone requested a meeting with the Foundation’s Community Development Director to discuss the KDHX campaign. They subsequently submitted a proposal and asked the volunteers to write letters of support. The result: the foundation made a first-time grant of $2,500 to the campaign.
- Crawford Taylor Foundation: The Grant Center recommended the Enterprise Holding Foundation as a potential prospect. While this was not a direct fit, it led KDHX to the Crawford Taylor Foundation, a private foundation created by the family that runs Enterprise Corporation. The station made a request and the Crawford Taylor Foundation made a first-time gift of $5,000 to the KDHX capital campaign. But that’s not all. As a direct result of this ask, a trustee at the Foundation has recruited an Enterprise Vice President as a new KDHX Board Member.
The station is currently negotiating a significant naming opportunity with the fourth foundation identified by the Grant Center and is actively cultivating the fifth. Importantly, in all cases, KDHX is keeping its eye squarely on the long-term – working to build ongoing relationships with each foundation and laying the groundwork now for renewed and sustained support.
