KDVS presents … the annual KDVS fundraiser

While the economy is forcing other UC radio stations to take budgetary hits, KDVS 90.3 FM manages to stay virtually unscathed with the help of listener donations – donations made during the station’s annual weeklong fundraiser.

“We are the one exceptional station that has evaded all budget cuts,” said Michael Mastrangelo, senior history major and programming director. “And this year will be a testament to prove we can keep doing that.”

Starting Monday, KDVS will ask listeners all week to donate to the station. Kevin Corrigan, a senior history major and general manager of KDVS, said donations from this annual fundraiser make up almost half of the budget, with the rest coming from ASUCD funding.

“It’s the one week we turn to our listeners and ask for their support,” he said.

KDVS hopes to fundraise $60,000 this year – the same amount the station raised both last year and the year before it.

Corrigan said that every year, an average of 1,250 people donate about $50 each. These donations primarily go towards KDVS payroll.

In exchange for donations, KDVS offers premiums or gifts. Premiums range from a T-shirt or CD to a four-hour recording session at the KDVS studio, depending on how large the pledge amount is. All donations are tax deductible.

Businesses in the community are very supportive and often donate gift certificates to be used as premiums as well, said Sharmi Basu, senior political science major and publicity director.

“Usually the value of what we’re giving away is higher than the actual donation,” she said.

For example, a $120 pledge can let football fans experience an Oakland Raiders game in the legendary black hole seating section. The pair of tickets is a $122 value for season ticket holders.

KDVS volunteers will be on call 24 hours a day for the fundraising week, in order to talk listeners through the donating process. Listeners can also donate online at fundraiser.kdvs.org, where they can navigate through a webstore of premiums and use a credit card.

If not enough donations come in, KDVS will have to find the money to sustain the radio station elsewhere. KDVS employees may have to end up paying for whatever is lacking, Basu said.

“If it didn’t come with donations, we’d have to find it somewhere,” she said. “We know the economy is bad, so our goal is bare minimum of what we need to go another year.”

KDVS is also putting on several events in honor of the fundraising week.

Indie folk group Megafaun will be playing at Sophia’s Thai Kitchen the first night of the fundraiser, where 25 percent of admissions will go to KDVS as well as $5 from every CD sale, Basu said.

Dead Western and Ghost to Falco will be playing at 802 Villanova Dr. on Thursday and Canadian bands Defektors and Vapid will be playing at 918 Douglas St. on Saturday. KDVS will be asking for donations at these shows.

JANELLE BITKER can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.