WETS-FM 89.5 is heading into its Spring Fundraiser with a new twist: the more listeners give, the more the station gives back.
Running May 18 through 23, the fundraiser will be on air from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Donations are accepted online anytime.
For every $500 raised, WETS staff will commit one hour of community service to a local nonprofit. And listeners get a say in where those hours go. Anyone who donates can recommend an organization, and after the fundraiser closes, the station will tally the suggestions and divide volunteer time based on what the community asks for most.
"Fundraisers have always been about more than keeping the lights on," said Chad Barrett, WETS-FM station director. "This year we wanted to make that tangible. Every dollar raised translates directly into hours we're investing back into this community, and our listeners get to decide where we show up."
Fundraising is the station's primary annual revenue driver, helping sustain the programming, local news coverage, and NPR content that listeners across Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Western North Carolina have come to count on. WETS has been broadcasting from the East Tennessee State University campus since 1974, and the connection between the station and its community has always been the throughline.
It’s part of what makes ETSU the flagship institution of Appalachia.
The community service component adds a new dimension to that relationship: donate to the station, shape how the station shows up for your neighbors.
Listeners interested in giving a testimonial, can email barrettcw@etsu.edu or leave a voicemail at (888) 895-9387.
“Changes in federal funding have made this year’s spring fundraiser especially important,” Barrett said. “Support from our listeners helps ensure WETS can continue providing the programming this region relies on.”
Donations can be made online at wets.org at any time during the campaign.
