Doubling Down on the Future with GBH's
Ed Wilson

On October 1, the day federal funding expired for American public media, GBH launched its Fund the Future Campaign. It was a deliberate choice to meet the moment, says GBH’s Chief Development Officer Ed Wilson. A comprehensive campaign with goals as ambitious as they are visionary, Fund the Future promises to reorient the public media powerhouse toward its goal of becoming a sustainable, independent, digital-first operation.

“This isn’t a ‘Save Us’ campaign,” says Wilson, “this is a transformational campaign.” Still, there’s a long way to go before reaching the $225 million goal for the three-year campaign. We, along with our supporters and viewers, had some questions. So we sat down with Wilson, one of the architects and leaders of the campaign, to learn more about his approach to this initiative, what the future for GBH might look like on the other side of these efforts, and how he finds the time to sleep at night.

In short, why is now the time for this campaign? 

Once public media was defunded, we saw a wave of support that quickly escalated into a larger movement. At the same time, a number of headlines about attacks on the press and against free speech further fueled the discussion around the First Amendment and independent news and journalism — which is, of course, core to GBH’s mission and a pillar of our campaign.

What is the magnitude of the repercussions that come with losing federal funding?

I think it’s broader than just a financial crisis. One of the challenges GBH has faced is that, because we’re a legacy organization that’s been around for nearly 75 years, there was a danger that GBH was taken for granted — that we were seen as one of those organizations that’s always been around and always will be. Maybe people thought of GBH in terms of something that you either watched as a kid or your parents love to watch.

This crisis has made GBH much more relevant than ever before, because suddenly the work we do is really critical. So whether or not it’s news and journalism, or coverage of science and health, or climate and environment, or kids and education — all of these things that perhaps people took for granted in the past, or didn’t fully understand the role we play in those issues — suddenly, this crisis has brought us front and center in people’s minds.

One of the great opportunities that comes with this campaign is not only to activate our existing membership — who have always been very supportive of us — but to bring in a whole new group of members and donors that perhaps hadn’t thought about supporting us in the past, who suddenly realize how important our work is.

What kind of early results have you seen so far?

The first, which I find amazing, is that since October 1 we’ve welcomed over 3,000 new donors — these are people who have never given to GBH before. That’s remarkable. Also, we’re currently at 206,904 members and supporters. When I arrived a couple years ago, we had plateaued around 180,000. Now, we’re really seeing growth, and there are some early indications that those new members are a younger audience. The number of gifts that have come in to GBH in the fiscal year to-date increased by more than 90%, and that bodes really well. These numbers are indicative of a growing base of support, and the members we’re trying to attract. But that’s just one of the revenue drivers.

The other is the incredible generosity of our existing donors, which is where the Beacon Circle comes in. We’ve seen an unprecedented number of patrons increase their support for GBH this year, which has been so encouraging. We’re asking all of our patrons to lean in and support us over the next three years. As we approach the calendar year end, we’re hoping everyone will consider increasing their giving — maybe doubling their annual fund contribution, or more.

And then the third part is obviously finding new donors — people who haven’t given to GBH at a high level before, who suddenly see GBH going from maybe their fourth or fifth philanthropic priority to their number one priority. But that takes time — hence the three-year campaign — of building up relationships and trust.

As we look forward, we’ll actively seek new major supporters for our work — people who haven’t given to GBH at a high level before, who would now entertain moving GBH from their fourth or fifth philanthropic priority to their number one priority. That shift takes time — hence the three-year campaign — to build up relationships and trust.

Fund the Future isn’t about just holding on to what we have, but responding to challenges with a forward-looking, exciting vision. With Susan Goldberg’s leadership, I think we’ve got that vision.

GBH

The three pillars of the campaign — independent journalism, educational programming, and the new, sustainable business model — why are they of particular importance at this moment?

Taking each in turn, the First Amendment is the crisis of the day. Public media and GBH play a huge role by providing independent news and journalism, whether it’s local news through 89.7 or international coverage through The World and FRONTLINE. We have a responsibility to make sure that we can continue to produce that content; the work we do in that area has never been more important. A lot of the responses we’re getting, particularly through our pledge drives and testimonials, echo folks’ concerns with the disappearance of local and independent media. That became a very obvious call to action, a rallying point around protecting the First Amendment.

The second pillar pertains to our commitment to continue producing high-quality educational programming — especially as 50% of American kids do not have access to pre-K education. We feel a real sense of ownership and obligation on this, for children and for lifelong learners. At a time when everything is being monetized or put behind a paywall, public media makes this high-quality content free and accessible to the public. It’s at the heart of our mission as the largest provider of content to the PBS network, and we really want to double down on that.

And the third pillar boils down to this campaign being about where we’re going, not where we’ve been as a legacy broadcaster. Even if we hadn’t lost federal funding, we still need to adapt to reach new audiences and innovate around new products and platforms, completing the digital transformation we’re going through. All the research shows that the younger generations don’t consume content in the same way perhaps their parents and grandparents do. For example, long-form documentary film may not be appealing to all audiences, so we want to innovate more around producing short-form content — on Tiktok, Instagram, YouTube — that is tailored to younger audiences’ consumer habits and interests.

The loss of federal funding just accelerates this process. Ultimately, the campaign is about developing a sustainable business model, independent of federal funding, so we can continue our important work in the future.

What are some specific ways this campaign will help GBH transition into a digital media powerhouse?

First, the campaign will help sustain the work that we’re currently doing. For example, we’re doubling down on the established trusts for our flagship national programs — NOVA, FRONTLINE, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, and MASTERPIECE — so that people who really care about those programs can make a gift, ensuring these brands continue producing the outstanding content they’re known for and innovating to reach larger audiences across distribution channels.

At the same time, we’re raising additional funds to allow us to invest in new revenue-generating opportunities. This involves different platforms, distribution models, and technologies. Think of it as research and development funding to assist our transformation to a digital-first company. It’s a matter of not losing ground in terms of what we’re already doing, while also creating additional revenue streams and investing in innovation.

We’re also launching thematic funds — because often people are seeking to support the work we do around issues that really matter to them. We have a News and Journalism Fund, a Science and Health Fund, a Kids and Education Fund, an Arts and Culture Fund, a Voices and Equity Fund, a Climate and Environment Fund. So if someone’s passionate about those issues, these funds support the considerable work we’re already doing, and also serve as an investment in the development of new content and that kind of issue-based reporting.

On the other side of this campaign, how will GBH look different?

We will be larger; we’ll have more members, more annual fund supporters, and more major donors. And because of that, we will be more resilient. Hopefully, having become more accessible across different platforms, we’ll have attracted a younger audience. And then finally, we’ll have repositioned GBH as something more vital and relevant to people — that folks will have a greater appreciation for what we do.

What can existing members do to support the campaign right now?

First of all, if they’re able, step up their own giving. There’s never been a more important time to do that than now. But also I encourage folks to think more holistically about their giving. Maybe they’ve only thought in terms of making their membership gift or annual fund contribution, but if they’re in a position, they should consider making a major gift or a planned gift, such as a bequest intention that will leave a legacy, ensuring GBH is here for future generations to benefit from and enjoy.

Finally, get other people involved. Talk to your friends, your family, your colleagues about joining GBH. Be ambassadors for us, because we really want to create a movement to rally support for the work we do.

What would you say to someone who’s considering donating to GBH for the first time?

Thank you. It’s a great time, of course, to join this movement. It’s important for them to understand that this is a relationship. We don’t look at a first-time gift as the end, but the beginning, and we hope that you’ll hope to continue to support us and grow with us, but also that you’ll take advantage of what we offer — from events and gatherings to screenings and concerts to newsletters.

Running a campaign sounds stressful, what do you do to unwind?

Not surprisingly given my environmental background, I try to get outside as much as possible. Nature and long walks are generally the best way for me to de-stress.

What GBH program are you currently watching?

I’m always watching FRONTLINE. Whenever I go up to Vermont to spend time with my mother, we watch All Creatures Great and Small because that’s her favorite program.

Favorite Vacation?

Probably a safari my wife and I did in Kenya soon after we got married.

Writers, thinkers, or leaders you admire?

I got to know Jane Goodall a little bit when I was working in the environmental space. When I was running Earthwatch, I was on a panel with her in New York. We were talking about the value of the research we supported, and she said to me that, while she thought the research was really important, the impact you have on these people is as important, if not more, than the research itself. Because they take that experience back with them into their homes, workplaces, and communities.

That insight helped me completely rethink the business model and the work we did. I really credit her with being so visionary, she was one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met; I was beyond sad when she passed recently. She was a real hero of mine.

Tea or coffee?

Coffee, even though I’m British. If we’re to get through this campaign, it’s going to be thanks in part to a lot of espresso.

Find out more about the Fund the Future Campaign at gbh.org/FundTheFuture.