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Support FAQ

Thank you for your interest in supporting WPR! Here are answers to frequently asked questions about WPR membership. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please call Member Services at 800-383-9772 or send an email to membership@wpr.org. Our staff is happy to help!

Support Basics

Member Communications

Thank-You Gifts

General

Other Support FAQ

How do I become a member of WPR?

A donation of any amount makes you a member of the Wisconsin Public Radio Association (WPRA). The WPRA is the fundraising organization of Wisconsin Public Radio and by donating in support of the programs you listen to on WPR, you’re becoming a part of that member organization.

WPR has more than 50,000 members and nearly 50% of them are sustainers!

How do I donate to WPR?

If you are interested in making a donation today, there are many ways to do so:

How else can I support WPR?

Check out our Ways to Support WPR page for information on all the ways to get involved and support Wisconsin Public Radio. In addition to monetary donations, here are a few other ways people have chosen to support WPR:

When will my membership be due for renewal?

If you are a sustaining member who donates through automatic, monthly contributions, your membership will remain active for as long as you’re a sustainer.

If you’re not a sustainer, your membership expires one year from your last renewal contribution. We’ll send you renewal notices starting a few months before that time. The sooner you renew, the more money WPR saves in mailing costs and the further your renewal gift goes to support programming. Your renewal month generally stays the same from one year to the next, unless you ask us to change it.

If you have any questions, please contact Member Services at 800-383-9772 or membership@wpr.org.

What is the recommended contribution for a basic membership?

At WPR your gift of any amount makes you a member! Some people find it best to break it down by day … is WPR worth 30 cents a day to you? Then contribute $10 a month. Is it worth a dollar a day? Then contribute $30 a month.

Is my contribution tax-deductible?

Yes, your gift to WPR is fully tax-deductible to the extent allowable by the IRS, minus the fair market value of any thank-you gifts requested. Within several weeks of receiving your gift, we’ll send you a thank-you letter for your contribution that can be saved for tax purposes. The Wisconsin Public Radio Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization: # 23-7363536.

Sustainers will get a letter in late January, summarizing their prior year of donations and any thank-you gifts received.

Why did I receive a renewal notice or pledge reminder when I already sent my contribution?

Sometimes your payment crosses paths with our mailings. If you sent us a donation in the last few weeks, please disregard the extra reminder and accept our apologies.

We do have several campaigns each year to bring in gifts that support WPR in addition to a member’s annual renewal, so it’s also possible that your contribution was coded as an additional gift. To make sure your donation is documented as you wish (renewal versus additional gift), or to reduce your mailings from WPR, please contact Member Services at 800-383-9772 or membership@wpr.org.

How can I change or update my credit/debit card or bank account information for my monthly sustaining gift?

Please call Member Services at 800-383-9772 and we’ll enter the new information into our secure database. Please don’t email your credit/debit card number or bank account information to us.

Can I change the date of my monthly sustaining gift?

Yes! Please contact Member Services at 800-383-9772 or membership@wpr.org and tell us the date on which you’d like your monthly (or quarterly or semi-annual) sustaining payment to occur. We can set that up for you.

Will WPR sell or share my mailing address, phone number or email address?

WPR does not sell your personal information to anyone. WPR will only provide your personal information to affiliated third parties, including NPR, that WPR works with for the purpose of providing services you request and fundraising for station support.  WPR carefully selects its partners and vendors and requires them to commit to maintaining the confidentiality of personally identifying information.

Could you please send me less mail?

Yes! We generally send renewal notices and several additional gift requests a year. Please contact Member Services at 800-383-9772 or membership@wpr.org and let us know how you’d like us to adjust your mailings.

How can I change my mailing address, phone number or email address with WPR?

Please contact Member Services at 800-383-9772 or membership@wpr.org with both your new AND old information.

How do I get off your mailing list?

Please contact Member Services at 800-383-9772 or membership@wpr.org and ask to have all mailings stopped or to cancel your membership.

Who answers phone calls during member drives?

WPR employs a call center – ACD Direct – to take donation calls during our member drives, and as needed, in-between drives. ACD Direct in turn employs agents all over the country to answer our calls, using a secure system. ACD Direct works for many public media stations around the country, and we appreciate that they understand the unique needs of public media donors.

The ACD Direct agents do not have a detailed giving summary for you, nor can they answer specific questions about WPR. If they cannot help you, the agent can transfer you to an actual WPR staff person. If the WPR staff are busy, you may need to leave a voicemail and we will return your call later. Never leave secure information, such as your credit card number, on voicemail.

In the past, WPR used volunteers to answer member drive calls, and only used a call center as overflow. However recruiting, background checking, scheduling, training and supervising volunteers required extra WPR staffing. And since we cannot bond and insure volunteers, we had to stop using them, in order to remain PCI (payment card industry) compliant.

If you do not want to make your gift via an ACD Direct agent, please give online at wpr.org/donate.

Does WPR raise money through telemarketing?

Yes, WPR does raise money through third-party telemarketing. We currently use Falcon Fundraising in East Lansing, Michigan. They will call from one of the following numbers, and the agent will identify themselves as a paid fundraiser from Falcon Fundraising, on behalf of WPR:

(608) 389-0947
(608) 389-0959
(608) 389-0962
(608) 424-4282
(608) 448-6517
(608) 448-6552
(608) 716-2994
(608) 716-2996
(608) 716-2998
(715) 229-5226
(715) 229-5258
(715) 229-5315
(920) 350-8508
(920) 350-8336
(920) 350-4819

Currently, we’re calling:

  • Sustaining members (ongoing monthly donors) and asking them for an increase in their monthly gift.
  • Annual donors in their renewal cycle, just after their membership has expired
  • Deeper lapsed donors (during calendar year-end and fiscal year-end).

If you don’t answer the phone call, they will try to call you up to six times in that month. They will not leave a message. If you don’t wish to be called again, you can answer the phone, say “Please take me off your calling list” and hang up.

If you have any questions about a phone call you received (or if you don’t wish to be solicited by phone again in the future), get in touch with Member Services at 800-383-9772 or membership@wpr.org.

Does WPR raise money via email?

We do send emails throughout the year, in support of various fundraising campaigns. This is one more way, in addition to mailings, on-air campaigns and telemarketing, to make sure that funding is in place for the WPR services you value.

If you have any questions about an email you received (or if you don’t wish to be solicited by email), you can reply to the email you received (we do monitor responses) or get in touch with Member Services at 800-383-9772 or membership@wpr.org.

When will my thank-you gift arrive?

If you requested a thank-you gift when you made a gift during an on-air member drive, it should arrive 4 to 6 weeks after the end of the drive. We need that time to order, receive and send out the gifts. We understand that 4 to 6 weeks is a long time to wait for your item and we truly appreciate your patience!

If you requested a gift during any other time of the year, we generally have those items in stock and they should ship a week or two after we have processed your donation.

Help! My thank-you gift arrived damaged, or I received the wrong thank-you gift!

Please give us a call at 800-383-9772 or email driveteam@wpr.org. We’ll do our best to fix the problem. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Can I get thank-you gifts from past member drives?

It is sometimes possible to receive thank-you gifts from previous member drives, depending on what we have left over. Please call Member Services at 800-383-9772 to find out if a particular item is available and at what donation amount.

What are the tax implications to me if I take a thank-you gift?

Your donation to WPR is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the IRS, minus the “fair market value” of any thank-you gifts you receive. We will send you an acknowledgement letter, stating the fair market value of any thank-you gifts.

Some, but not all, of our thank-you gifts are below the IRS threshhold and will not affect the tax-deductibility of your donation. If you want to know the tax implications before you donate, call us at 800-383-9772 or email driveteam@wpr.org.

Does all of my donation support WPR if I receive a thank-you gift?

Thanks for asking! WPR does have to pay for our thank-you gifts, as well as packaging and shipping. If you get a thank-you gift, about 90% of your donation supports WPR programming and 10% pays for the gift.

How can I contact WPR about my membership?

  • Call us at 800-383-9772
  • Send an email to membership@wpr.org
  • Text (SMS): If you receive a text from us, you can text back and Member Services will respond. If you wish to stop receiving text messages from us, text “STOP” or “UNSUBSCRIBE”. Once we receive your message, we will stop texting you.
  • Send a letter to:
    WPR Member Services
    821 University Avenue
    Madison, WI 53706

We’re generally available by phone or email weekdays, 9 am to 4:30 pm.

How can I contact WPR about programming or with other questions?

Call Audience Services at 800-747-7444, or email listener@wpr.org. Their office hours are weekdays 9 am to 5 pm.

Can I give a membership to someone else?

Yes! You can make a gift membership for someone else by giving online or calling 800-383-9772. You make the contribution in your name and let us know who the gift is for, their address and if it’s for any special occasion. We will send your gift recipient a letter to notify them of your gift.

How can I make a donation in memory of someone?

We are sorry for your loss, and we’re honored that you are donating to WPR in memory of this special person. Please visit our donation page and include a note in the comments section indicating the person’s name and if there is anyone we should contact to notify them of your memorial donation.

How can I include WPR in my will or estate plan?

Please visit our planned giving page, or call Member Services at 888-909-4163.

How can I find the other WPR stations around the state?

For a complete list of all stations, view our regional stations page.

How can I get a program schedule?

To find out what’s airing on the WPR station near you, please view our stations by network page and click on your station.