What is a sustainer membership?

An agreement between you and the station whereby you designate a set amount to be charged to your checking account or credit card EVERY MONTH. We can mail you a one-time authorization form that allows us to schedule your payments. Or give us a call during regular business hours M-F, 8-5 and someone from our Fundraising Department can get you set up.

Each year, as your membership anniversary approaches, you will receive a special thank you letter to let you know that your membership is about to automatically renew. This reminder also gives you the opportunity to make changes to your Sustaining Membership. Of course, you can contact us to cancel your monthly payments at any time.

Do you accept EFT transfers direct from my bank account?

   •   Yes we do.  This is actually the preferred method because the fees are much         lower than the credit card fees, and since there is no expiration date (as
        there are on credit cards) there is no need to contact you for updated card         information as cards expire.

What are the advantages of a Sustainer Membership?

• It makes it easier for you to contribute. Once we set up your sustainer membership, your monthly contribution will be automatically charged to your credit card, and a record of each transaction will appear on your monthly credit card statement.
  
  
• It provides a stable, reliable source of donor revenue for the station.
  
  
• It cuts expenses by eliminating the need for acknowledgements, renewal letters, additional gift letters, and billings. The only mail you will receive from us is our monthly program guides (if you want them), your annual tax receipt in January, and an annual thank you letter to let you know that your membership is about to automatically renew.
  
  
• It creates automated contribution processing, which is extremely cost effective.
  
  
• It leaves more funds available for acquiring and broadcasting the programs you enjoy .
  
  
• And it frees up fundraising staff to spend more time and effort on reaching new donors, thus growing our pool of supporters.

How can I change or stop my monthly charges?

• You will receive an annual thank you letter that makes it easy to change your monthly amount.
• And you can also contact us any time via the following methods:
  Call us at 800-727-9268 during regular business hours M-F, 8-5 or send us an e-mail @ walte1kj@cmich.edu, or send us a letter at WCMU, 1999,East Campus Drive, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
  A member of our Fundraising staff will be happy to help you.

Can I still get a Thank You gift?

If you see a specific thank-you gift during on on-air pledge drive that you would like, and it is at or below your annual giving amount, simply call the pledge number being given and let the phone operator know that you’re a sustaining member and would like the gift. Or give us a call during regular business hours M-F, 8-5 and someone in our Fundraising Department would be glad to help you.

How long does it take for my credit card charges to begin?

We process the charges on the 15th of the month. We will set up your program as soon as we receive your details (either via phone at 800-727-9268, or by your
mailed in authorization form).

"What are the benefits of being a member?"

CMU Public Radio provides central & northern Michigan with access to the very best radio programs available, like classical music, NPR News and talk, local weather and much more. CMU Public Television is your source for signature PBS programs such as, Masterpiece Theater, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, Nature and NOVA and it is the first choice for quality children's programming like Sesame Street, Arthur and Reading Rainbow. You don’t have to be a member to have access to this programming. However, it simply would not exist without our members. CMU Public Broadcasting members have the satisfaction of knowing that they are among those in our community who make all the difference in bringing the programming they value to radios and televisions all across our listening area!

"I made a contribution to WCMU recently, yet I have received a renewal notice indicating that my membership has expired. How can I be sure that my last gift was received and that it was credited as my membership renewal?"

If you made your gift within the week before you received the renewal notice, it is likely that your gift and our letter simply crossed in the mail. You should not receive a renewal notice the next month. Many of WCMU’s supporters choose to make contributions throughout the year, above and beyond their annual membership gifts. Because of this, our computer system is set to recognize as renewals only contributions that are made within three months of an individual’s membership anniversary date. So if you make a payment before then - in response to a special campaign letter perhaps - your contribution will be read by our system as an additional gift and will not affect your membership date. If there was a miscommunication and you intended this gift to be your membership renewal, please call our fundraising department at (800) 727-9268 or e-mail walte1kj@cmich.edu. We can easily change the renewal date of your membership to reflect the date of your most recent gift.

Why are you sending me more mail these days?

Beginning August 2003, the station implemented a “5-hit membership renewal system.” This 5-hit method means that if members don’t respond to renewal mailing #1, they will receive mailing #2, and this logic continues through mailing #5. The intent of this direct mail renewal program is three fold:

• To give current members an opportunity to renew their support via mail (which is very cost effective), allowing us to focus the on-air pledge drives on acquiring NEW members (which is vital to the long-term survival of the station).
• To help us limit the number of days of on-air pledge drives, thus allowing us to bring you the regular program schedule that you enjoy.
• To retain more of our members. While many members have been renewing on their own via on-air pledge drives or in response to a general direct mail request, over 50% simply do not renew. Our feeling is that it may be because we haven’t asked!

"I’ve made a recent pledge or donation that should have renewed me – so why am I still getting a renewal letter?"

• It is very likely that your recent payment and this letter have crossed in the mail. If you feel that is the case, please simply disregard the mailing.
• Another possibility is that you made a payment to CMU Public Radio, and your letter is a renewal reminder for CMU Public Television (or visa versa).

If neither of those situations applies to you, and you are continuing to receive renewal letters after you made a payment, please call Kim Walters at 800-727-9268.

"I made a pledge but have not received the premium I requested. When can I expect to receive it and how can I confirm that it’s on its way?"

At the end of each campaign, we order the items from various suppliers, based on the number of orders we received from pledges. Once the items are received we send them out as soon as we can. This usually takes three to six weeks following the completion of the campaign. Premiums are only sent to members once their pledges have been paid in full. If no payment has been made on a pledge, the premium will not appear on our list of premiums to send. If you feel that you should have received your premium by now and would like to check the status, please call our fundraising department at (800) 727-9268 or e-mail walte1kj@cmich.edu.

"I renewed my membership or made an additional gift and did not ask for a premium. I have since decided that there’s a premium I’d like to receive. Am I still eligible to receive one and how do I go about requesting it?"

If you have made a gift to WCMU in the last year and did not request a premium at that time, you are welcome to choose one that corresponds to the level of your gift. Please call our fundraising department at (800) 727-9268 or e-mail walte1kj@cmich.edu to request a premium for a contribution made within the last year.

"Is my entire pledge tax deductible?"

If you did not opt to receive a premium with your pledge, the entire amount is tax deductible. However, if you did choose to receive a premium, the fair market value of that premium (a small portion of your gift) is not eligible for deduction. The fair market value of any premiums you requested should appear on the thank you letter you received after you made your pledge. If you do not have this information, please call our fundraising department at (800) 727-9268 or e-mail earl1ss@cmich.edu.

"How do I find out if my company will match my donation to CMU Public Broadcasting?"

Simply visit your human resources department for a list of organizations your company matches, or visit http://www.cmich.edu/match/default.asp If they do match gifts to CMU Public Broadcasting, get a form and send it in with your donation, we'll take care of the rest! This is a really easy and much appreciated way to make your support of CMU Public Broadcasting go even further.